Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake
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Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake is ultra rich, extremely moist, and even more delicious the day after it’s baked. This no-fuss milk chocolate cake is a definite crowd pleaser as well as a chocolate cake lover’s dream!
There’s not anything especially fancy about this cake. It’s just a good ‘ole chocolate cake, and everyone needs a solid chocolate cake recipe in their collection!
Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake
Summer is just around the corner and with that comes a flurry of family reunions, picnics, and church pot-luck dinners.
Besides a bucket of fried chicken or old-fashioned potato salad, what dish do you always hope will show up on the dinner table at these fun events?
For me, of course it’s Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake!
The back story
Over the years, several variations of the Coca-Cola cake have found their way into literally hundreds of Junior League and church cookbooks across the South and have appeared on dessert tables at countless family reunions.
The Coca-Cola Cake became so popular that Cracker Barrel developed a Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake which became a regular menu item after a trial run several years ago.
Cracker Barrel’s recipe is top-secret, of course, except for the fact that cola is a key ingredient.
Coca-Cola is an ingredient in both the cake batter and the fudgey frosting. I’m not sure what purpose the cola serves other than making this dense cake deliciously sweet.
Related recipes
You may have heard the old saying, “if I’d a known you were a-comin’, I’d a baked you a cake!” Well, if you hear company is a-comin’, here are some other good cakes you can bake:
- Fresh Apple Walnut Cake with Cinnamon Glaze — An extremely moist and delicious old-fashioned sheet cake recipe with fresh apples, toasty walnuts, and cinnamon spice.
- Lemon Bundt Cake — A classic, yet easy, made-from-scratch lemon pound cake with fresh lemon zest that’s rich and buttery!
- Blueberry Crumb Cake — This deliciously moist coffee cake loaded with blueberries is topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel and lemon glaze.
- Cherry Cake with Buttermilk Powdered Sugar Glaze — Fresh cherries and a sweet glaze make this cake a delicious dinner or brunch dessert.
- Chocolate Pudding Cake. The perfect “last-minute” dessert! This easy cake makes its own gooey chocolate sauce as it bakes and is equally delicious served either warm or cold.
Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake Recipe
The Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake recipe I’m sharing comes from our church’s cookbook which was published over 20 years ago.
A timeless classic, this chocolate cake is baked and served right from in a 9 x 13 cake pan, making it easy to transport to picnics and potlucks.
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Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups miniature marshmallows
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup Coca-Cola
- ½ cup canola oil
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
- 1 16 oz. box confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch cake pan or coat the bottom and sides with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour and sugar. Stir in the marshmallows and set aside.
- Add 8 tablespoons butter, 1 cup Coca-Cola, 1/2 cup oil, and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Next, stir the baking soda into the buttermilk and add to the batter with the eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Pour frosting over cake while still warm.
For the Frosting
- Add 8 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 6 tablespoons Coca-Cola to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and beat until no lumps remain. Pour over warm cake. Frosting will set as the cake cools.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
