I first posted this recipe back in 2008. If you’d like to see the original post (and some awfully cute pictures of my kids when they were little) click here.

Good afternoon Southern Plate Friends! I am writing this from the passenger seat of my car as we careen down the interstate towards Branson, Missouri.As I head out, I wanted to share with you a recipe that is loved by everyone who tries it. This Coca Cola Cake is ultra moist, rich, and fudgey. It’s also pretty easy to make – don’t let the length of the recipe fool ya! As always, the complete recipe is in printable format at the end of this post.
This is the perfect birthday cake, weeknight supper cake, Sabbath dinner cake, or any other occasion that you can come up with which calls for celebration (New hair cut? Fill up your gas tank? Manage to open that stubborn jar of pickles all by yourself? Congratulations! YOU NEED THIS CAKE!)
To make this, you’ll need: White Cake Mix, Cocoa Powder, Butter, Coca Cola, Buttermilk, Eggs, Vanilla, Miniature Marshmallows, Confectioner’s Sugar, and Pecans (if you like).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 13×9-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside.
Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, melted butter, Coca Cola, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. The batter should be well blended. Fold in the marshmallows. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 40 to 42 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, prepare frosting while cake is still hot.
To make the icing:
Place the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. As the butter melts, stir in the cocoa powder and Coca Cola. Let the mixture come to just a boil, stirring constantly, and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar until the frosting is thick and smooth. Fold in the pecans, if using.
Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, spreading it out with a rubber spatula so that it reaches the edges of the cake. Cool the cake for 20 minutes before serving.
Oh. My. Goodness. I’m about to lick my computer screen just thinking about this cake again.
Please consider this your permission slip:
To whom it may concern,
(insert your name here) has been assigned the task of making a Coca Cola Cake. This assignment is due within ___ days and will be graded. Please support him/her by volunteering to taste said cake and offering your affirmation of appreciation immediately forthwith.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jordan
Enjoy!

Ingredients
- Coca Cola Cake
- 1 package plain white cake mix
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 cup Coca Cola
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 +½ cups of miniature marshmallows
Icing:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup Coca Cola
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 1 cup chopped pecans I left these out because my kids prefer this cake with no nuts, but pecans are GREAT in this!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 13x9-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside.
- Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, melted butter, cola, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. The batter should be well blended.
- Fold in the marshmallows. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 40 to 42 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, prepare frosting while cake is still hot.
To make the icing:
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. As the butter melts, stir in the cocoa powder and cola.
- Let the mixture come to just a boil, stirring constantly, and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar until the frosting is thick and smooth. Fold in the pecans.
- Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, spreading it out with a rubber spatula so that it reaches the edges of the cake. Cool the cake for 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
I need to feed 15 hungry cowboys during harvest. How do I increase this to feed them…just double it?
I’m excited to bake this for them.
Thank you.
I have an old recipe for Dr Pepper/or coke one 12 oz can mixed into a chocolate box cake mix and not any other ingredients. ..not even the directions on the box cake…just the can of Dr Pepper or coke and bake….
The recipe calls for 8 TB one stick of butter? So, is 1 cup of butter?
Love Coca-Cola cake! I’ve never seen this recipe using a cake mix. Game changer! I’ve always used the original recipe from Coca-Cola. It is such an awesome cake – so rich and moist! Enjoy your Branson trip!
MaryBeth
Can i use diet coke for this recipe?
That should work just fine. Diet Dr Pepper is good, too 🙂
Yum! Made this today. Easy and really good. I used a devils food mix but still added the cocoa. Other than that, made exactly as written. Taste test was excellent. Hope guests tonite enjoy as I did. I think next time I will fold in mini choco chips too, cuz what not?
I meant why not, not what not :
Why not indeed!!!
Can this cake be made in 2-8″ round pans? Also, should the leftovers be refrigerated?
you can make it in round pans but as a layer cake it’s going to be tricky to ice with this icing (because it is a pour icing) but it is possible. Generally I find that grandmothers are best at this. Leftovers of this cake are really hard to come by but they don’t have to be refrigerated