Name: Old Fashioned Coca Cola Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour; 2 cups white granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 12 oz can Coca Cola; 1 cup unsalted butter; ½ cup powdered baking cocoa; 2 eggs (lightly beaten); ½ cup buttermilk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 12 oz can Coca Cola; ½ cup butter; ½ teaspoon vanilla; ½ cup powdered baking cocoa; 4 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)

This Old Fashioned Coca Cola Cake recipe uses the classic Coke soda we all love to create a super simple, classic recipe. This Coca Cola Cake is very similar to a Texas Sheet cake and has been adapted over the years to create an easy to throw together, super moist cake for any occasion!

A piece of coca cola cake on a white plate with a mint green linen.

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INGREDIENTS
SUBSTITUTIONS
HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED COCA COLA CAKE
STORAGE
TIPS AND FAQ’S
MORE CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES!

INGREDIENTS

You probably already have the ingredients to this Coca Cola Cake in your pantry already.

For the cake you will need:

Overhead view of the ingredients to make the coca cola cake

All purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Baking soda
Salt
Coca Cola
Butter, unsalted
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Eggs
Buttermilk
Vanilla extract, pure vanilla is best.

overhead ingredients for the coca cola frosting.

For the frosting you will need only 5 ingredients:

Coca Cola
Butter
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Vanilla extract

SUBSTITUTIONS

If you find that you don’t have certain ingredients on hand, here are a few substitutions you can make to still produce a delicious cake:

While Coke is ideal, you can substitute this ingredient out for diet soda, off brand, or even other soda types like root beer or Dr. Pepper.
Buttermilk: You can use regular milk if you have it on hand, or you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar to 1/2 cup regular milk.

A square piece of coca cola cake being removed from the baking dish being held with a silver spatula. Coke cans in he background.

HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED COCA COLA CAKE

STEP ONE: First you want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare a 9×13 baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray and set aside.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

STEP THREE: In a small saucepan, simmer the entire can of coca cola over medium heat until it reduced to about 1/2 cup. Use a measuring cup to get accurate measurements.

image 1: overhead view of dry ingredients mixed in a bowl. image 2: overhead view of wet ingredients melted together in a small saucepan. image 3: overhead view of all the ingredients mixed together. image 4: overhead view of the batter in the baking dish.

STEP FOUR: Add the butter and cocoa powder and whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool for 5 minutes

STEP FIVE: Once cooled, add the Coca Cola mixture to the flour mixture. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and use an electric mixer on medium speed to blend until well combined.

STEP SIX: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake is cooling prepare the frosting.

STEP SEVEN: In a small saucepan over medium heat, reduce the second can of Coca Cola by simmering over medium heat until reduced to a ½ cup. Use a measuring cup to accurately measure and discard any extra.

STEP EIGHT: Add the butter, vanilla and cocoa to the mixture and whisk until butter is fully melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

STEP NINE: Sift in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, whisking together until dissolved. Repeat until all four cups are incorporated.

STEP TEN: Pour the frosting over the baked cake. Allow the cake to cool before serving.

image 1: overhead view of the finished baked and unfrosted cake. image 2: a shot of the frosting being poured on the cake. image 3: an overhead photo of the frosted cake.image 4: an overhead image of the cut frosted cake.

STORAGE

Store left over cake in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and at room temperature up to three days.

Coca Cola Cake in a white baking dish with one slice removed.

If you wish to make this in advance and freeze. I would recommend freeze the cake WITHOUT frosting, then frost when you are ready to serve. Make sure you cover the cake very very in a freezer safe container before freezing.

TIPS AND FAQ’S

Make sure you reduce each can of cola to 1/2 cup. Be sure to measure out exactly half a cup. Don’t just “eyeball” it.. I see you…

Pour the frosting over the warm cake right away so it will be easier to spread.

Sift the powdered sugar into the frosting to be sure there are no hard lumps of sugar. Nobody likes that.

Coca Cola Cake on a white plate with two cherries on top

Get creative with the toppings. You can top with ice cream, sprinkles, maraschino cherries, whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, etc. Really the sky is the limit here. Have fun with it!

Overhead view of a piece of coca cola cake on a white plate with a can of coke, cherries, and a mint linen in the background.

CAN I USE DIET SODA FOR THIS RECIPE?

Yes, if that is your soda of choice, you can make it with diet or you can even switch it up and use root beer or Dr. Pepper

WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE BUTTERMILK? CAN I USE REGULAR?

Yes, you can use regular milk, OR you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar to 1/2 cup milk.

CAN I USE A PREMADE FROSTING OR MIX?

The Country Cook has an awesome recipe that uses a boxed cake mix! You can find that HERE. As far as frosting, I wouldn’t hurt to use a premade frosting. I would recommend melting it and pouring it over the cake.

A piece of cake on a white plate topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

MORE CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES!