Cocoa Coca-Cola Cake Recipe

When you think of Coca-Cola, you probably envision sipping on a crisp, cool glass of the ever-popular soda. Maybe you even picture making a Coke float, turning the beverage into a sweet and creamy dessert. If the thought of enjoying Coca-Cola in a dessert context excites you, then you're in for a treat with this cocoa Coca-Cola cake recipe, courtesy of developer Catherine Brookes. She describes the flavor of the cake as being "sweet, rich and chocolatey with a distinct cola taste," so for fans of the fizzy beverage, this may just become your new favorite dessert. 

Adding Coke to a cake may seem like an odd ingredient choice at first, but it works surprisingly well in a baked good, both in terms of flavor and functionality. "Chocolate and cola make for a great flavor pairing in this moist, fluffy, indulgent bake," Brookes says. She also notes that "The carbon dioxide in the cola helps the cake to rise and makes it super fluffy," so the cola is actually more useful in a cake than one might initially consider. All in all, this cocoa Coca-Cola cake is a simple and fun treat, and in less than an hour, you can whip up the unique baked good in your own kitchen.

Not only does this recipe yield a chocolatey, cola-infused cake, but you'll also make a cocoa and cola-infused glaze to go along with it. Naturally, you'll need Coca-Cola, along with some cocoa powder to give it that chocolate flavor. You'll also need unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, baking soda, all-purpose flour, and for the glaze, some powdered sugar. 

Get the oven preheating to 350 F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Then, focus on the dry ingredients first: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and baking soda, then set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk, then set that aside as well.

Place a large saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add in 1 cup of butter, ⅓ cup of cocoa powder, and half of the Coca-Cola (1 ⅓ cups), and stir as the mixture comes to a boil. Once the butter has fully melted down, you can remove the cocoa/cola concoction from the heat.

Pour the cocoa/cola mixture into the flour bowl, folding gently to combine. Then, gradually pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl, stirring constantly as you do so. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking dish, then pop it into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 

As the cake bakes, turn your attention to the cola-infused glaze. Place a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat and add in the remaining 1 ⅓ cups of Coca-Cola, allowing the liquid to come to a boil. Continue to cook down the cola until it reduces significantly — you only want about ½ cup of liquid to remain. It should take 15-20 minutes to get there. At that point, add in the remaining ½ cup of butter and 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and stir until the butter fully melts. Sift in the powdered sugar and stir once more, until you have a nice, smooth glaze. 

Once the cake is out of the oven, be sure to pour that glaze over while it's still hot. Then, let the finished cake sit and cool to room temperature before slicing it and enjoying. "This is great served with ice cream or whipped cream on top," Brookes suggests, though this cake stands well on its own as a complete dessert. As for leftovers, Brookes recommends storing them at room temperature, and you can enjoy slices of this cake for up to four days after baking.