Coca Cola Cake

Today, we're sharing an old fashioned Southern favorite- Coca Cola Cake! This moist cake first became popular in the 1950s and has become a nostalgic go-to chocolate cake ever since.

The Coca Cola in the cake recipe adds a subtle layer of flavor which enhances the chocolate.

Its bubbles and acidity also create a really nice texture and tender crumb. The marshmallows in the recipe dissolve and add moisture as well! While very moist and delicious, this is not an overly rich or intense chocolate cake- it is a bit on the milder side.

Keep it in mind the next time you need a great birthday cake recipe, potluck cake, holiday cake, and more!

How to Make Coca Cola Cake

You can find the full, printable recipe at the bottom of this post. Here is a quick look at our steps!

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans. We like to line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.
• Sift the flour and sugar into a large heat-proof bowl/mixing bowl, add the baking soda, and whisk to combine. Add the marshmallows. Set to the side.
• Next, add the butter, oil, cocoa powder, and coca cola to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

• Then, pour this hot mixture over the dry ingredient mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined. (We used an electric hand mixer for this).

• Next, pour in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low speed again, just until combined.

• Divide the batter between the three prepared pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes (Start checking at the 15 minute mark and adjust time as needed). When a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, they are done.
• Allow the cakes to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out. (Many of the marshmallows will dissolve during baking, but you may have others that have softened but are still visible on top of the cake layers.)

Frosting the Coca Cola Layer Cake

Once the cake layers have cooled, it is time to frost the cake! We modified our chocolate buttercream frosting to include coca cola. This frosting is delicious and so easy to work with.

Place the first cake layer on a cake plate or pedestal. Spread with frosting, top with the next layer and repeat. Top with the third cake layer.

Fill in any remaining gaps between the cake layers with frosting and then apply a thin "crumb coat" of frosting around the top and sides. As an optional step, we like to freeze our cake for ten minutes at this point. This firms everything up before applying the final coat of frosting.

Decorate however you like! We used a cake comb around the sides and created a chunky braided border with a 1M tip on top. We made a simple bead border (tip 3) around the base of the cake.

More Chocolate Cake

Make sure to check out our other chocolate cake recipes! We've made many over the years. Some of our favorites are our Scratch Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Sour Cream Cake, German Chocolate Cake, and Triple Chocolate Cake from cake mix.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! We hope that you enjoy this scratch Coca Cola Cake recipe!

Coca Cola Cake

BY Melissa and Bebe

This moist Coca Cola Cake is a classic chocolate cake recipe that is sure to please! It is a bit milder than most of our chocolate cakes, with wonderful flavor and texture. The Coca Cola in the recipe adds subtle flavor while also creating an extra tender cake (thanks to the added carbonation and boost of acidity).

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 15

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups Sugar (400g)
• ▢ 2½ cups All purpose flour (302g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Baking soda (4g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt (6g)
• ▢ 1½ cups small marshmallows
• ▢ 1 stick unsalted butter (113g) (This is equal to one half cup)
• ▢ ½ cup vegetable oil (we used canola oil)
• ▢ ¼ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (21g)(measure then sift)
• ▢ 1 cup Coca Cola
• ▢ ½ cup buttermilk (113g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 eggs, room temperature (If in a hurry, place in a bowl of warm water for five minutes)

For the Chocolate Coca Cola Buttercream

• ▢ 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (339g)
• ▢ 5 cups confectioners sugar (Adjust slightly up or down to your liking) *See Notes (600g)
• ▢ 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Measure, then sift. (82g)
• ▢ ¼-½ cup Coca Cola Add slowly, and stop when desired consistency is reached. (Add a bit more if needed). **See Notes
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt (6g)

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans. We like to line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.
• Sift the flour and sugar into a large heat-proof bowl/mixing bowl, add the baking soda, and whisk to combine. Add the marshmallows. Set to the side.
• Next, in a saucepan, add the butter, oil, cocoa powder, and coca cola. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, pour this hot mixture over the dry ingredient mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined. (We used an electric hand mixer for this).
• Next, pour in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low speed again, just until combined.
• Divide the batter between the three prepared pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes (Start checking at the 15 minute mark and adjust time as needed). When a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, they are done.
• Allow the cakes to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out. (Many of the marshmallows will dissolve during baking, but you may have others that have softened but are still visible on top of the cake layers.)

For the Coca Cola Buttercream

• Add butter and mix on low to medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla and blend into the butter. Add powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
• Add most of the Coca Cola. Begin mixing at low speed so you won't have a cloud of powdered sugar in your kitchen.
• Continue to mix adding remaining Coca Cola as needed. It may take 5 to 6 minutes to reach the smoothness and consistency you like. It will take longer if using a hand mixer. As you mix the frosting will become very smooth. You can add additional Coca Cola or milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) if the frosting is too thick or additional powdered sugar if too soft.

Notes

Substitution for buttermilk: Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to the ½ cup of buttermilk and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until slightly curdled.

For the buttercream, if you prefer a slightly creamier consistency, you can swap in milk or cream for part of the Coca Cola amount.

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