This old-fashioned Cracker Barrel coca cola cake recipe is full of rich, chocolate flavor with a delicious chocolate fudge frosting. It is made from scratch with a can of cola in both the cake and frosting for a classic southern dessert recipe that results in a moist, dense double chocolate cake you can't stop craving.
Coca cola....in a cake?
Yes! If you have ever tried Cracker Barrel Coca Cola cake then you know how delicious it can be.
Old-fashioned coke cake originated in the 1950’s! It was originally published in the Charlestown Gazette but the recipe really took off in the 1990's when Cracker Barrel added it to their menu.
The original version contained mini marshmallows and shortening, but over time the recipe has been altered and simplified with modernized versions that are very similar to Texas Sheet Cake.
The best part is you don't need to visit Cracker Barrel to enjoy a piece! This copycat Cracker Barrel recipe is so easy to make at home and after trying a few different versions, I have developed what I consider THE BEST Coca Cola Cake Recipe ever.
If you love chocolate cake, you might also want to try this Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake. Make it ultra decadent with a little drizzle of homemade Dulce de Leche.
Ingredients
Aside from the can of cola, coke cake really just uses kitchen staples.
For the cake, you will need:
- Flour - All purpose flour works great for this recipe.
- White granulated sugar- Gives the cake lots of sweetness and its tender crumb.
- Baking soda - Works with the acidity of the soda to give the cake a great lift and rise.
- Salt - Just a pinch to balance the rich, chocolate flavors.
- Coca Cola - The star of the recipe, gives the cake a fizzy pop of flavor with an extra lift.
- Butter - Unsalted is best!
- Powdered baking cocoa - Powdered is best for this vintage coke a cola cake recipe.
- Eggs- Lightly beaten.
- Buttermilk - Adds a bit of southern tang to the background.
- Vanilla extract- Takes the cocoa flavor to the next level.
For the frosting you will need:
- Coca Cola- Yes, you need a second can of cola. It seems like a lot but you will be reducing down to a ½ cup.
- Butter - We will use another ½ cup for the frosting which will give the frosting its decadent fudgy texture.
- Powdered baking cocoa- Combined with the butter and powdered sugar, this gives the frosting that fudgy texture and flavor similar to Texas sheet cake.
- Vanilla- Enhances the chocolate flavor.
Substitutions
The recipe as written is a perfect version of southern chocolate cake with cola, but if you need to make substitutions you can change the following ingredients:
- Coca Cola - While classic coca cola is tradition, you can also make this recipe with diet cola, off brand cola or even root beer.
- Buttermilk- If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can use regular milk or make your own at home by adding 1 ½ teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to ½ cup of milk.
- Gluten-Free- This recipe was also tested with 1/1 gluten free flour replacer and tasted great.
Equipment
Everything you need to make this cake is likely already in your kitchen! Before you get started, these are the items you will need to gather.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowl
- Small Sauce Pan
- 9x13 inch baking dish
Instructions
The first step is preheating your oven and preparing a 9x13 inch baking pan by coating it with cooking spray.
You can also toss the prepared pan in a bit of flour or cocoa if desired for extra protection against sticking.
Another option, if you want to be able to lift the pan after baking is to line it with parchment or aluminum foil.
Assemble all your ingredients and combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I like to use a whisk to combine everything.
The hardest part of this recipe is making the cola reduction, but even that step is pretty easy! Pour the entire can of cola into a small saucepan and simmer on medium until the cola has reduced to about a ½ cup.
This will take about 5-10 minutes. When you get close to ½ a cup, measure it out and discard the rest.
Reducing the cola will enhance and intensify the flavor and remove any water that will diffuse it.
Add the ½ cup reserved cola back to the saucepan along with the butter and heat to melt the butter. I like to use a whisk and move it around in the hot cola to speed things up.
Next, add in the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Set this mixture aside for about 5 minutes to cool, then add it into the dry ingredient mixture with the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
You can whisk by hand but I like to use an electric mixer at medium-low speed to blend everything together.
Finally, pour it into the prepared baking dish and back for about 30 minutes. You can check the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick or knife in the center. When it comes out clean, the cake is done!
While the cake is cooking, it's time to make the frosting. The frosting will be poured over the hot cake as soon as it is removed from the oven.
To make the classic southern cola cake fudge frosting, you are going to reduce another can of cola.
Just like the first time, measure out ½ of a cup and discard the rest.
Use the whisk again and add the butter and vanilla.
Then, add the confectioner's sugar to the mixture ½ cup at a time and whisk to incorporate until all 4 cups are added.
This fudge frosting should be poured over warm cake fresh from the oven. You may need to use a spatula to spread it across the entire cake.
Storage
I tested storing this cake two different ways.
I took half of the cake out, cut it into individual slices, and wrapped each slice individually in plastic wrap...similar to how you would wrap a brownie. The slices stored this way kept well for about 3 days and stayed nice and moist. However, the tops did get a little sloppy.
The second method we tested was just draping the entire cake pan with plastic wrap. The edges got a little bit dry, but ultimately this was our preferred storing method. The icing stayed intact and the cake tasted delicious!
This cake can be stored for up to 3 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Expert Tips and FAQS
- It is important to reduce each can of cola to ½ cup and be sure to measure out exactly ½ cup.
- Pour the frosting over warm cake right away so you can spread it across the cake.
- Sift the powdered sugar to ensure a smooth fudgy frosting without lumps.
- Serve up slices of double chocolate fudge coca cola cake with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.
Yes! While traditional chocolate cake with cola is made with classic coca cola, you can use diet if that is your preference.
Use a 1/1 gluten-free flour replacer in place of the all-purpose flour.
No, you can use regular milk and the cake will taste just fine. Traditional southern coca cola cake uses buttermilk.
Yes. Traditional southern chocolate cake with cola uses two cans of cola which are both reduced to half a cup. If that is too much for your liking, you can use pre-made fudge frosting instead.
This cake tastes great served with ice cream, chocolate syrup, cherries, or whipped cream.
More Dessert Recipes
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Coca Cola Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 oz Coca Cola 1 can
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup powdered baking cocoa
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 12 ounce Coca Cola 1 can
- ½ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup powdered baking cocoa
- 4 cups confectioners sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Make the cake
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, white granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, simmer the entire can of coca cola over medium heat until it reduces to about ½ cup. Use a measuring cup to accurately measure and discard the extra.
- Add the unsalted butter and baking cocoa and whisk until the butter is melted and the cocoa is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
- Once cooled, add the Coca Cola mixture to the flour mixture. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and use an electric mixer on medium speed to blend until well combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Mke the frosting
- While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, reduce the second can of Coca Cola by simmering over medium heat until reduced to a ½ cup. Use a measuring cup to accurately measure and discard any extra.
- Add the butter, vanilla and cocoa to the mixture and whisk until butter is fully melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
- Add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, whisking together until dissolved. Repeat until all four cups are incorporated.
Finish the Cake
- Pour the frosting over the baked cake. Allow the cake to cool before serving.
- Optional: Serve with ice cream, whipped topping, chocolate syrup or cherries for an extra special presentation.
Notes
- It is important to reduce each can of cola to ½ cup and be sure to measure out exactly ½ cup.
- Pour the frosting over warm cake right away so you can spread it across the cake.
- Sift the powdered sugar to ensure a smooth fudgy frosting without lumps.
- Serve up slices of double chocolate fudge coca cola cake with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.