Coca Cola Sheet Cake is a favorite Southern classic dessert! Rich, moist chocolate cake made with coca cola and buttermilk with a fudgy chocolate frosting.
When you are looking for a Party Cake with rich chocolate flavor, nothing beats easy classics like Chocolate Sheet Cake, Texas Sheet Cake, or this Southern favorite!
COCA COLA SHEET CAKE
This classic chocolate cake recipe is a staple in Southern cooking, found at potlucks and get-togethers right alongside pecan pies, Red Velvet Cake, and Banana Pudding. Coca Cola Cake has a distinctive flavor, with rich dark chocolate and bold cola flavor that just melts in your mouth. Serve this iconic cake for special occasions or whenever you are craving intense chocolate flavor!
Coco Cola Sheet Cake is a decadent fluffy chocolate cake that is filled with extra indulgent ingredients. A full cup butter, can of soda, and buttermilk are the secret ingredients that make the cake texture rich, tender, and melt in your mouth heavenly. Another can of soda, more butter, and powdered sugar in the frosting to top it off and you know this is anything but a diet cake!
This old-fashioned Southern favorite is made with regular Coca-Cola but you can swap in any soda you like. Try other soft drinks your family loves in this rich chocolate cake recipe or you can try the combinations in the variation section with other sodas. Even diet cola can be used, either for the distinctive flavor or to pretend the cake is healthier!
A chocolatey sheet cake is an easy to make dessert recipe perfect for large crowds! You could also bake it in round pans to make a layer cake. Double the sheet cake frosting if you make a layered cake so there is plenty to completely cover the cake and have a rich fudgy filling. Check our variations for the baking times to adjust for various pan sizes.
MORE SHEET CAKE RECIPES:
Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
Carrot Sheet Cake
S’mores Sheet Cake
Lemon Sheet Cake
BAKING TIPS
- Buttermilk Substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can replace it with ½ cup milk with ½ tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Let the milk mixture sit for 15-20 minutes then use in the recipe as usual.
- Prepare: Bring all refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before starting to prepare your cake. Starting with room temperature eggs and milk will help them generate more air and also help the cake cook evenly.
- Cake Batter: Use a whisk to combine the ingredients to create more air as you are combining the ingredients. As you add the egg mixture, keep whisking quickly and add in a thin stream so that they don’t cook as you stir them in.
- Serve: Top a slice of warm cake with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream for a delicious sweet cream and chocolate flavor combo. A drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce would taste delicious too.
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VARIATIONS
- Buttermilk: You can swap the buttermilk with sour cream or Greek yogurt for the same tangy flavor that also helps the cake stay tender and moist.
- 7Up Cake: Make a 7-up Sheet Cake by adding 7-Up soda instead of cola and making the cake a vanilla cake. Replace the cocoa powder with an extra ¼ cup all-purpose flour and increase to 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- Dr. Pepper Cake: A Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake tastes even better with more a little cherry flavor added too. Add 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice and top frosting with chopped maraschino or candied cherries.
- Coca Cola Cupcakes: To make cupcakes, bake in well-greased muffin tins for 18-22 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. This batter should make about 24-30 cupcakes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- Round Cake Pans: Divide cake batter between 2 round pans sprayed with baking spray and lined with parchment circles in the bottom of the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick in center comes out with moist crumbs. Rest cakes for 15 minutes before removing from pan and allow to cool completely before layering and frosting.
MORE DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES:
Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
Easy Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Lava Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cake (4 ingredients!)
HOW TO STORE
- Serve: Coca Cola Sheet Cake is best served slightly warm or at room temperature. You can keep this cake at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 4 days.
- Store: Transfer sheet cake to an airtight container or cover pan tightly with plastic wrap before storing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature or heat in microwave for 30 seconds to serve.
- Freeze: Once completely cooled, wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil or transfer cake to a sealed container. Freeze Coca Cola Sheet Cake for up to 6 months and thaw in the refrigerator overnight to serve.
Ingredients
Coca Cola Cake
- 12 ounces Coca Cola soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coca Cola Chocolate Frosting:
- 12 ounces Coca Cola soda
- 1/2 cup salted butter , softened
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking pan with baking spray.
- Add soda, butter and cocoa powder to a large pot and bring to a boil, whisking well.
- Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pan and whisk well until smooth.
- Turn off the heat.
- In a second bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Whisking very quickly, pour the eggs in a thin stream into the pot (do not stop whisking), until smooth.
- Pour into baking pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Coca Cola Chocolate Frosting:
- Add soda to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes or until reduced to about ½ cup.
- Whisk in the butter, cocoa powder and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Pour over cake while warm.
Nutrition
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1 cup butter = 227g? I’m in Australia.
This version does not use oil?? Is that right??
Correct !