Coca-Cola Cake Recipe
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This old-fashioned Coca-Cola Cake is rich, ultra-moist, and topped with a warm fudgy frosting poured right over the cake. A nostalgic Southern classic you’ll crave.
If you’re looking for more simple cake recipes, try my Butter Cake and Angel Food Cake.
Quick Look: Coca-Cola Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Servings: 12–15
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian
- Method: Baked cake, stovetop frosting
- Technique: Hot liquid batter + poured frosting
- Flavor/Texture: Moist, fudgy, soft, melt-in-your-mouth
Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite!
This is not a recipe I grew up with in Italy, but I’ve always been so curious about it. After testing and perfecting my version, I completely understand why it’s such a classic. The not-so-secret ingredient, Coca-Cola, is the main sweetness of the cake, so I cut the sugar in the cake compared to other recipes!
The texture is unbelievably tender, and the flavor is rich without being heavy. It’s the kind of cake you make once and immediately crave again. My family devoured it. If there’s one thing I learned from making this, it’s that sometimes the most unexpected ingredients create the most unforgettable desserts. Bring to your next potluck and Mangia!
If you love chocolate, you’ll also love my Chocolate Olive Oil Cake and Torta Caprese.
Made With Amore,
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
Made with pantry staples and Coca-Cola for extra moisture and rich chocolate flavor, this ingredient list comes together into an irresistibly soft and fudgy cake.
- Coca-Cola: Adds moisture, sweetness, and subtle caramel notes that make the cake extra soft and flavorful
- Cocoa Powder: Provides the rich chocolate base that gives the cake its deep, fudgy flavor
- Butter: Adds richness, tenderness, and a moist crumb in both the cake and frosting
- Buttermilk: Brings tangy moisture and helps create a soft, tender texture
- Frosting (Coca-Cola, Cocoa Powder, Powdered Sugar, Butter, Salt, and Cinnamon): Come together to create a silky, glossy chocolate frosting with rich flavor and balanced sweetness
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Cola Swaps: Use Dr Pepper or root beer instead of Coca-Cola for a slightly spiced, deeper flavor variation
- Coffee Variation: Replace cola with espresso for a richer, more intense chocolate cake. If you love coffee, try my Authentic Tiramisu Recipe.
- Cupcake Option: Bake as cupcakes and reduce bake time to about 18–22 minutes for individual servings
- Nutty Topping: Add chopped pecans to the frosting for extra texture and crunch; this is the same step I take in my Carrot Sheet Cake recipe!
How to Make Coca-Cola Cake
This Coca-Cola Cake is one of those recipes that surprises you in the best way; it bakes up incredibly soft, rich, and chocolatey with a deep, almost caramel-like flavor. Follow the step-by step photos and see the recipe card at the bottom for a printable version.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. In a medium saucepan, combine the Coca-Cola, butter, and cocoa powder. Heat over medium, stirring until the butter is fully melted. Bring the mixture just to a gentle boil, stirring often, then remove from the heat and let it cool slightly while you prepare the dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon (if using), and salt.
- Pour the Coca-Cola mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until smooth and fully combined.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to the batter.
- Stir again until the batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for about 30 minutes (glass pan will take up to 38 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, Coca-Cola, and cocoa powder over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until silky and lump-free.
- Pour the warm frosting directly over the hot cake and gently spread to the edges if needed. Let the cake cool at room temperature until the frosting sets, then slice into squares and serve.
Coca-Cola Cake Recipe FAQs
Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate for up to 5 days for longer freshness. If you want to freeze your cake, you can freeze slices individually for up to 2 months.
It adds sweetness, moisture, and enhances the chocolate flavor with subtle caramel notes.
Yes, it’s even better the next day as the frosting settles into the cake.
This allows the frosting to slightly soak in, creating that signature fudgy layer.
Not at all. It tastes like a rich chocolate cake with a deeper, almost toffee-like flavor.
Serving Suggestions
This coca cola cake is the perfect Southern-inspired finish to a comforting, home-style meal. I love serving it after dishes like Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Fried Pork Chops, or Juicy Homemade Burgers for a true Southern-style dinner spread. It also pairs beautifully with other desserts as part of a spread, including Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and Pecan Pie Brownies.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Do not overbake, this cake should stay soft and tender
- Pour frosting while both cake and frosting are warm, this is key
- Use real Coca-Cola, not diet, for best flavor
- A pinch of cinnamon in the frosting makes a big difference
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
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Coca-Cola Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups Coca-Cola, 12 oz
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional for extra flavor
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 cups Coca-Cola
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup unsweetned cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch cinnamon, optional, but highly recommended
- 4 cups powdered sugar, more if needed
Instructions
- Prep the oven and pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Make the chocolate cola mixture: In a medium saucepan, combine the Coca-Cola, butter, and cocoa powder. Heat over medium, stirring until the butter is fully melted. Bring the mixture just to a gentle boil, stirring often, then remove from the heat and let it cool slightly while you prepare the dry ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon (if using), and salt.
- Combine batter: Pour the coca-cola mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until smooth and fully combined.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to the batter: stir again until the batter is smooth.
- Bake and Cool: Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes (glass pan will take up to 38 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, Coca-Cola, and cocoa powder over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until silky and lump-free.
- Pour the warm frosting directly over the hot cake and gently spread to the edges if needed. Let the cake cool at room temperature until the frosting sets, then slice into squares and serve.
Notes
- Do not overbake, this cake should stay soft and tender
- Pour frosting while both cake and frosting are warm, this is key
- Use real Coca-Cola, not diet, for best flavor
- A pinch of cinnamon in the frosting makes a big difference
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
