We Southerners love our Coke, and of course by Coke I mean any carbonated beverage – it’s what some folks call soda or pop or cola, you know Sprite, Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, etc. But down here, it’s all Coke. You just have to specify what kind of Coke you want. ~You know we can be kinda weird and cantankerous down her below the Mason Dixon line.~ I guess you could say my favorite kind of Coke is Dr. Pepper… and I’ve become real fond of that new Dr. Pepper 10.
Anyway, us Southern folks are so proud of the fact that Coca-Cola is a Southern invented and made product, that we put Coke in all kinds of things – I’ve even heard you can clean your car battery connections with it… not sure what that says about what’s in it, but I digress. But my favorite, by far, is the ever popular Coca-Cola Cake. And every Southern cook has his or her own way of whipping up Coca-Cola cake, so here’s mine. This deliciously moist, dense cake is different from any other kind of cake that’s out there. You really need to try it if you haven’t. Even the icing has Coca-Cola in it!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1 cup Coca-Cola
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup Coca-Cola
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Blend well. Stir in sugar.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup butter and and marshmallows. Cook over medium heat until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa. Set aside.
- Add Coca-Cola, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Slowly add butter/marshmallow/cocoa mixture. Stir until combined.
- Pour into a greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes.
- For icing, combine butter, Coca-Cola, and cocoa in a medium saucepan, heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and slowly stir in vanilla and sugar.
- Pour over warm cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Recipe Card
Coca-Cola Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1 cup Coca-Cola
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Icing
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup Coca-Cola
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Blend well. Stir in sugar.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup butter and and marshmallows. Cook over medium heat until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa. Set aside.
- Add Coca-Cola, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Slowly add butter/marshmallow/cocoa mixture. Stir until combined.
- Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- For icing, combine butter, Coca-Cola, and cocoa in a medium saucepan, heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and slowly stir in vanilla and sugar.
- Pour over warm cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Denise
is this served warm?
No. I think it’s best at room temperature.
Barbara Miller
I’m gonna make this one. I like the added nut topping but i will add peanuts cause we always put them in our little coke bottles.
Such a great idea!!
Lia
Hi there! I’m wondering, can I use two round pans instead of a rectangular?
Sure!
Laura Ferrick
I am going to make one of these with a friend who is coming over to just visit for the afternoon. It’s going to be 106 out today but what the heck. I have always loved this cake, thanks for sharing!
My pleasure! Y’all stay cool!
cake_eater
The cake was dense and moist (Never thought a cake could possibly be both!). It was delicious & easy to make! Maybe next time, I’ll stab the cake with a skewer & pour over some kind of coke syrup, then top up with some kind of creamy frosting (maybe chocolate) and nuts
Ha! Isn’t it great!?! Glad you enjoyed it!
Joy
Hi Stacey,
This is such an awesome site! I wish I knew about it when I was looking for a cake recipe!
I’m Joy, a photographer for Spoon University, and I’m writing a story about ways to incorperate coca cola in your food . If it’s okay with you, I’d love to use this photo (https://southernbite.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cake-672×1008.jpg) in the article and of course give you proper photo credit.
If you could let me know as sold as possible, that would be great!
Thanks so much ahead of time.
You’re welcome to use the image with the appropriate link back to SouthernBite.com
Carmen B
I’ve never tried melting the marshmallows. The recipe I’ve used for years and years is a little different, maybe it’s time for change it. Thanks for the post!
I hope you’ll enjoy it!
kenneth shafer
thanks for your quick response. I plan to try again this week using real buttermilk and paying closer attention to details
kenneth shafer
I tried this recipe after having had it at Marcy Jo’s Mealhouse in Tennessee. mine turned out flat, more like a Texas sheetcake . as the mix was more liquid than usual it may be possible I mismeasured one or more or the ingredients. any other possibilities ? does it matter if the coke is cold or room temperature when added ?
It shouldn’t matter about the coke temperature. Was the cake very dense?
kenneth shafer
yes, the finished cake was dense but very liquid when panned. the only variation I made was substituting 1/2 cup milk with tbsp vinegar in place of 1/2 cup buttermilk
I’m just not sure. Mis-measuring an ingredient can certainly lead to that. I do that buttermilk trick all the time, so that’s probably not it either.
Rachel
Thanks for this recipe! I loved melting the marshmallows idea. Good luck to your wife in her nursing career!
Thanks, Rachel!
Teresa S.
Often I have tried to explain to my kids how everything fizzy was called a Coke when I was growing up. They are both born out West, so they look at me funny. I told my daughter when I was reading “The Help” I could tell the author did actually grow up in the South, just by those little things in the book.
🙂
Kim Neff
OMG- I remember my aunts making this when we visited our “Hillbilly Cousins” in Tennessee!!! I also have a recipe for Coca Cola Salad that is WONDERFUL~~~ Kim
Frannie
Kim, what is Coca Cola Salad. Do tell! =^..^=
Elizabeth
I went to Cracker Barrel over the weekend and had thier coca-cola cake for dessert, and it was just delicious. How did you know I needed the recipe?…LOL… I’m so happy you posted this one. Can’t wait to make it. The picture looks so real like it is calling my name, so I know it’s another good recipe.
See, I told you we had a connection! Give it a try and let me know how it stacks up to Cracker Barrel’s. 🙂
Judy
Okay Stacey, I’m gonna try this one. Being from Georgia I love Coca-Cola cake but I’m not the best made-from-scratch cake baker, lol. It looks so good though and your recipe seems pretty easy so why not right? Thanks for sharing, have a great day!
You give it a try and let me know how it turns out. It’s not the easiest cake I’ve ever made, but it’s certainly not the hardest. Good luck!
Danielle D.
I remember bring this cake to my culinary class in high school. My teacher and classmates were amazed! They had never seen a chocolate coca cola cake. But its the only kind ive ever had. Yum.
Jessica
So you MELT the marshmallows first?? Well, I’ll be. You’re the first person that actually said that- and I’ve made two different versions of Coke Cake- and never melted the dern things. And did ya know they float to the top?…It’s interesting to take a bite of cake and get a taste of kinda burnt but mostly just liquidy marshmallow. I always figured that’s what the icing was for lol! Now I’m gonna have to make this and melt them!
I’m not a huge fan of having the marshmallows in it whole, so I just melt them. Works perfectly and doesn’t change the texture of the cake. Let me know what you think about my version! 🙂