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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!

A bottle of Coca Cola on a table with 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.

A bottle of Coca Cola with a slice of cake on a plate, with Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake

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:

A piece of cake on a plate on a table, with Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake

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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A piece of cake on a plate on a table, with Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake

Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake

Classic Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake — this no-fuss milk chocolate cake is ultra rich, extremely moist, and even more delicious the day after it’s baked!
4.60 from 5 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Cakes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 628 kcal

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

Serving: 1gCalories: 628kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 4gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 265mgFiber: 1gSugar: 77g

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.

Keyword cake, chocolate, coca-cola, milk chocolate
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