Southern hospitality with a little personality!
Classic Coca-Cola Cake
This Classic Coca-Cola Cake is a southern spin on the classic chocolate sheet cake and is both easy and delicious! With cola in both the cake and the icing, this moist and indulgent classic is sure to impress any crowd!
Coca Cola Cake is an often overlooked southern classic. Most people I know, who live outside of the south, associate this recipe with the Cracker Barrel dessert menu…available along interstates nationwide. However, whenever I bring up this recipe in conversation the response is always the same, confusion and curiosity.
My first memory of this cake was when I was in high school, and my dad requested it for one of his birthdays. He had remembered it from his own childhood and was craving a little bit of Mississippi in PA. It was the first time I had ever heard of such a thing, and my response was similar to everybody else, confusion and curiosity. I used this exact recipe to make the cake that year and I immediately knew why he had requested it. It had a classic feel, similar to that of a Texas Sheet Cake, but absurdly moist and delicious. There was texture from the marshmallows and nuts and a richness that was both indulgent and unique. Mamaw clearly knew what she was doing and damn did she do it well.
As elusive and mysterious as this Coca-Cola cake may be, it is, at heart, a southern classic. In a place where soda of any brand or flavor is referred to as “Coke”, it would be sin for mamaw to not include it in her cookbook. However, in classic Mamaw fashion, she had to put her own twist on it. For those of you who have had the Cracker Barrel version, you may remember the thick fudgy frosting that cooled on top and the velvety smooth classic chocolate taste. This cake is not that. Instead, Mamaw included marshmallows in the cake itself to add a spongy and sweet layer between the cake and the frosting. Also, her frosting is much thinner, almost seeping into the cake when poured on top. This makes for an extremely moist and decadent texture that seems to melt in your mouth. Despite the richness, there is also a lightness to the cake. It must be the Coke and marshmallows…and maybe some magic. Try it yourself and let me know how you would describe it in the comments below.
So whether you’re a seasoned southern chef or looking to impress with something new, I highly recommend you give Mamaw’s twist a try. From the moist cake to the fudgy layer of frosting, this classic is sure to bring back some childhood memories no matter where you’re from!
Serving Suggestions and Adaptations
A la Mode: This fudgy rich masterpiece pairs perfectly with a scoop of your favorite ice cream! For a straight from the diner feel, pair with some classic vanilla bean or dress it up with your favorite scoop whenever you like!
Soda Variations: While this cake is traditionally made with classic coca-cola, feel free to switch up the flavor with Dr. Pepper, Root Beer, or whatever you have on hand. While this may not pair as well with lemon-lime or clear sodas, who am I to judge?
Spice it Up: While Mamaw put her own twist on things, this recipe represents very traditional southern flavors. If you are looking to spice things up a bit, I have also seen variations including cinnamon or other spices!
To Save for Later…
This cake is delicious fresh, but can be stored covered on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week! (I say it tastes even better when it sets!)
Classic Coca-Cola Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour unsifted
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 sticks butter
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup cola
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ cup miniature marshmallows
Frosting Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup cola
- 1 box powdered sugar
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour a 9×13 cake pan.
- Sift flour and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Mix butter, cocoa, and cola to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high
- Pour over flour and sugar mixture.
- Add buttermilk, baking soda, salt, eggs, vanilla, and marshmallows, and mix well for approximately 3 minutes to create a thin mixture. Marshmallows should float to the top.
- Pour into the greased pan and bake for 30 – 40 minutes.
Frosting Instructions
- When there is approximately 10 minutes left of baking time, begin preparing frosting by mixing butter, cocoa, and cola in a small pot and bring to a boil.
- Pour powdered sugar into a large bowl.
- Pour boiling cola mixture over powdered sugar and stir until creamy
- Add chopped nuts and vanilla to the mixture and combine
- Pour over the cake while still warm and let cool in the pan.
- Once cool, cut into squares, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The marshmallows will not bake into the cake. Mine rose to the top and were visible when removed from the oven. Depending on your oven, they may also settle into the cake and create pockmarks. This is okay and should not affect the outcome of the cake.
- This particular frosting is very runny and will run over the cake when poured. This is okay and is what helps keep the cake so moist!
- This cake has a unique richness. Not a “dry-your-mouth-out” richness but the chocolate indulgence is definitely there!
- The nuts are optional and can be replaced with whatever chopped nut you have on hand! Although not necessary, they do provide a nice texture to the cake.
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6 Comments
Who doesn’t like cake?? Haha thanks for sharing! 🤸🏽♂️
I know right? Hahah of course!
Wow – this looks like a great cake! I wonder who the first person was to think about adding Coca Cola to a recipe, and why, but obviously it works! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Dani | http://plantsandgoodvibes.com
Thank you! I actually have no idea who thought of it first, but they definitely knew what they were doing 😂
never heard of classic coca cola cake! I have to try a vegan version of it 🙂 thanks for this! My friends will be surprised
Of course! You have to let me know how it comes out, I would love to post a vegan version of the recipe!