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Recipes » Desserts » Cakes » Chocolate Coca Cola Cake Recipe

Published: Feb 4, 2022 by Krystle Smith · This post may contain affiliate links

Chocolate Coca Cola Cake Recipe

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This Chocolate Coca-Cola cake features a moist pillowy crumb topped with a fudgy chocolate Coca-Cola Frosting. I dare you to try not to eat the frosting by the spoonful.

a chocolate coca cola cake topped with coca cola fudge frosting with a side of ice cream.

Cracker Barrel is a place that will always hold a special place in my heart from when I went to college. One of my favorite things on the menu is the Chocolate Coca Cola Cake Recipe. It features a moist chocolate cake and a super fudgy frosting.

This is probably my favorite restaurant dessert. Shhh, don’t tell Taco Bell’s Cinnabon Delights or Applebee’s Blondie that I’m cheating on them!

Since I graduated college we have no excuse to drive 2 hours just to visit Cracker Barrel, so here is my best copycat recipe.

Table Of Contents hide
1 Perfect For
2 Why I Love This Recipe:
3 History/Origin
4 Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
5 How To Make Cracker Barrel’s Chocolate Cola Cake
6 Leftovers
7 Tips
8 More Chocolate Treats To Try
9 Chocolate Coca Cola Cake

Perfect For

  • Birthdays
  • Sunday Supper Dessert
  • Potlucks, picnics, and reunions

Why I Love This Recipe:

  1. Coca-Cola x 2: The Cola in the batter and frosting give it that little something extra you can’t put your finger on.
  2. Moist cake: Thanks to buttermilk, this cake comes out super moist every time.
  3. Fudge Frosting: The frosting tastes like you’re eating a piece of chocolate fudge. SO good!

History/Origin

Coca-Cola and Cracker Barrell have had a long partnership. They provide beverages and are also used in savory dishes like pulled pork or ribs.  The restaurant asked the soda brand to experiment with cake batter.

When they tried it, they liked it even better than their original cake recipe. The reason? The soft drink brand accidentally used twice as much cocoa as the recipe called for. The result was a super chocolatey cake. What a delicious mistake!

It has been on menus nationwide since the late 1990s, and it is ordered over 2 million times each year.

 

ingredients like cocoa powder, eggs, butter, sugar, and coca cola.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

  • Coca-Cola: For best results use regular not sugar-free or diet soda.
  • Buttermilk: You can make your own buttermilk 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon of either lemon juice or vinegar. Stir it up and leave it sit while you gather the rest of your ingredients and you’ll be good to go.
  • Flour: Measure your flour by spooning it into your measuring cup. Dipping the cup into your flour will result in too much which leads to a dry crumbly cake.
  • Baking Powder: Replace your baking powder every 6-12 months to ensure it works correctly.

a four image collage showing the steps to make chocolate coca cola cake batter.

How To Make Cracker Barrel’s Chocolate Cola Cake

  1. Wet Ingredients: Bring butter, soda, and oil to a boil.
  2. Stir in flour and sugar.
  3. Remove from heat: Stir in remaining ingredients.
  4. Bake: Bake for around 30 minutes.
  5. Make Frosting: Cream butter and cocoa powder. Stir in coca-cola, vanilla, and syrup. Gradually add powdered sugar.

Leftovers

  • Storage: Store leftovers at room temperature for up 5 days.
  • Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Tips

  1. Don’t overmix: Mix until the flour just disappears. Overmixing leads to a tough dense cake.
  2. Doneness: Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It is over if it has a few moist crumbs. If you see raw batter continue baking for a few minutes at a time.
  3. Semi-Homemade Hack: Use a box cake mix but substitute Coca-Cola for the water called for.
  4. Cool: Cool cake completely before frosting or it may melt off.
  5. Serve with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge for an extra decadent treat.

a slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting with a coca cola can in the background.

More Chocolate Treats To Try

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Death By Chocolate Cake

Oreo Pudding Poke Cake

Chocolate Poke Cake

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Chocolate Coca Cola Cake

A moist pillowy chocolate cake topped with a fudgy chocolate Coca Cola Frosting.
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 602kcal
Author: Krystle Smith

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • ½ cup Butter
  • ½ cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Regular Coca-Cola
  • 2 cups White Sugar
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 2 Eggs
  • ¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ cup Buttermilk or ½ cup Milk and 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 tsp Vanilla

For the Frosting

  • 3 cups Powdered Sugar
  • ½ cup Softened Butter
  • ¼ cup Coca-Cola
  • ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • ¼ cup Chocolate Syrup
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
Don't lose this recipe. Pin for later!

Instructions

For the Cake

  • Butter and flour a 13 x 9 inch sheet cake pan.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a medium saucepan combine butter, soda and oil. Bring to boil.
  • In a medium bowl, stir flour and sugar until combined. Add to sauce pan, stir.
  • Remove from heat. Stir in eggs, cocoa powder, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla.
  • Pour in greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the Frosting

  • In a large bowl cream butter and cocoa powder.
  • Stir in cola, chocolate syrup, and vanilla.
  • Gradually beat in powdered sugar.
  • Frost cake while it is still warm. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Notes

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
  • Coca-Cola: For best results use regular not sugar-free or diet soda. 
  • Buttermilk: You can make your own buttermilk 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon of either lemon juice or vinegar. Stir it up and leave it sit while you gather the rest of your ingredients and you'll be good to go. 
  • Flour: Measure your flour by spooning it into your measuring cup. Dipping the cup into your flour will result in too much which leads to a dry crumbly cake. 
  • Baking Powder: Replace your baking powder every 6-12 months to ensure it works correctly. 
Tips
  1. Don't overmix: Mix until the flour just disappears. Overmixing leads to a tough dense cake. 
  2. Doneness: Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It is over if it has a few moist crumbs. If you see raw batter continue baking for a few minutes at a time. 
  3. Semi-Homemade Hack: Use a box cake mix but substitute Coca-Cola for the water called for. 
  4. Cool: Cool cake completely before frosting or it may melt off. 
  5. Serve with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge for an extra decadent treat. 

Nutrition

Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 69g | Vitamin A: 529IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe? I want to see!Mention @BakingBeautyBlog or tag #BakingBeauty!

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandra says

    February 08, 2022 at 1:51 pm

    5 stars
    This is really hard to resist! Everyone at my house loved it!

    Reply
  2. Allyson Zea says

    February 07, 2022 at 8:57 am

    What!? This sounds so good and interesting!

    Reply
  3. Catalina says

    February 06, 2022 at 2:42 pm

    5 stars
    Love the texture! I can’t believe that it’s made with Coca Cola.

    Reply
  4. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    February 06, 2022 at 9:28 am

    5 stars
    YUM!!! I love this cake delicious version!!!

    Reply
  5. Beth says

    February 04, 2022 at 6:39 pm

    5 stars
    I’m very interested in this one! I’ve made steak with Coke, but I’ve never tried baking with it before.

    Reply
  6. Sally says

    August 04, 2020 at 7:27 pm

    What would happen if you used diet cola instead of regular coke?

    Reply
    • Krystle Smith says

      August 06, 2020 at 11:58 am

      Hi Sally!

      I’ve only tried the recipe as written, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. Please let us know if you try it!

      Reply
  7. cheri Herz says

    January 18, 2015 at 6:48 pm

    The 1/2 cup vegetable oil, but not in the direction

    Reply
    • admin says

      February 01, 2015 at 11:13 pm

      Thanks for pointing that out Cheri. I’ve updated the recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Sadaf F K. says

    January 11, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    Descendant! You totally rock that cake with Cola! love it! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Karly says

    January 10, 2015 at 10:50 pm

    I need a slice of this now! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!

    Reply
  10. Michal says

    August 07, 2014 at 8:31 pm

    That is one amazing cake!
    looks so good

    Reply
    • admin says

      August 16, 2014 at 9:55 pm

      Thanks so much Michal!

      Reply
  11. Danielle says

    July 31, 2014 at 8:34 am

    Isn’t Cracker Barrel the best? This cake looks yummy too! Pinned it! Stopping by from Artsy Fartsy Corner Link Party:)

    Danielle @ Blissful & Domestic
    Creating a Beautiful Life on Less
    http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com

    Reply
    • admin says

      August 03, 2014 at 11:27 pm

      It totally is when you’re in the mood for down home cooking.
      Thanks for pinning Danielle.

      Reply
  12. Natalye says

    July 14, 2014 at 8:33 pm

    This sounds really good!

    Reply
    • admin says

      July 15, 2014 at 10:12 pm

      Thank you Natalye!

      Reply
  13. dina says

    July 14, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    it looks like a yummy cake!

    Reply
    • admin says

      July 15, 2014 at 10:13 pm

      Thank you Dina!

      Reply

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