Jump to recipeHow To Make Coca-Cola Cake
Ingredients
The Cake
• Coca-Cola: The not-so-secret ingredient to this pretty-near-perfect sheet cake is Coca-Cola. And not just Coca-Cola, but boiling hot Coca-Cola. You'll have a bit of soda leftover from that 12-oz. can—just enough to sip on while you're diving into a bite of warm, decadent cake.
• Unsalted Butter: The butter that’s brought to a boil with the Coca Cola is what makes this cake extra soft and tender.
• Cocoa Powder: For the cake, I recommend using natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Buttermilk: If you can’t find buttermilk at the grocery store, don’t sweat it: Simply make your own buttermilk at home instead (I do recommend using whole milk for this recipe)!
The Frosting
• Cocoa Powder: For the frosting, you can use Dutch or regular cocoa powder—just make sure it’s unsweetened.
• Buttermilk: Same deal here: Use store-bought (whole) buttermilk, or make your own buttermilk if you want to go the extra mile.
Step-By-Step Instructions
First, whisk your flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt into a heatproof bowl until everything is combined.
Now, it's time to add in the star ingredient: Coca-Cola. Similar to an old-fashioned Texas sheet cake, we use boiling liquid to "bloom" the cocoa powder, which creates a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. The butter that’s melted and brought to a boil with the Coca-Cola coats the flour proteins when added to the dry ingredients and prevents excessive gluten formation, resulting in a cake that’s extra soft and tender (sorry, we love a good baking-science moment).
After it comes to a boil, carefully pour it over the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. It should look like thick chocolate batter. Let it chill until slightly cooled, around 5 minutes.
Next, whisk eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Add the fully combined egg mixture to your batter and fold it all until just combined. My top tip here? Be careful not to overmix! Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Now, it’s time to move on to the fudgy frosting. In a large saucepan, melt the butter, then add some cocoa powder until whisk until smooth and combined. Remove from heat, and add the rest of your frosting ingredients and whisk until it looks fairly smooth.
Don't let that frosting cool for too long! Pour the warm frosting over your baked cake, smoothing in an even layer over the entire cake. Now is the time to let it cool: Once it's slightly warm but the frosting is set, get ready to slice and serve.
Storage
If you have any cake leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, or covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Sheet Cake Variations
Hostess Sheet Cake
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Texas Sheet Cake
Made This?
Let us know how it went in the comments below!
