Step-by-step baking a Coca-Cola Cake...

It's basically a good ole chocolate-y cake with Coca Cola as one of the ingredients.

Now, most people can't really taste the Coke as a separate ingredient in this. It just adds

that extra little something special that you can't quite put your finger on. Is it a little sweeter? Is it spongier? Is it smoother?

It's all of those things and more. It's just plain ole goodness on a plate.

I suppose there are a few recipes for this cake floating around. Some have marshmallows in them and some are made totally from scratch. My cake takes it's cues from the Double Fudge Coca Cola Cake at Cracker Barrel. 

It's a seasonal cake that they carry and oh heavens is it good!

Ingredients:

• 1 box (15.25 oz) Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (Devil's Food Cake mix works good too)
• 1 small box (4 oz.) Instant Chocolate Pudding
• Ingredients listed on back of cake mix box (eggs & oil - water not needed)
• 1 1/3 cups Coca Cola
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 4-6 tbsp. heavy cream or milk* (see notes below)
• 2 cups (packed) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees
Spray 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions. 
But instead of adding water, you will replace that amount with Coca-Cola.
Add in dry instant pudding mix to the batter as well.

With this mix, it called for 1 1/3 cups of water, I substituted that with 1 1/3 cups of Coca Cola.
Pour batter into baking dish and bake according to package directions (usually 35-39 minutes).
Just before cake is ready to come out of the oven, start making frosting.In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, start melting one stick of butter/margarine.

Add in cocoa powder and heavy cream (or milk, if using) and stir.

Then stir in confectioners sugar.

At this point I'll grab a whisk and stir briskly to get all the lumps out.
Take mixture off heat and add in vanilla extract

Once cake comes out of oven, pour frosting over warm cake. Do your best to spread it out evenly.

You can see my cake has a little dip in the middle. Don't worry, just spread the frosting away from the center as best you can. 
Mmmmm....chocolate-y goodness.

Here is the best way to serve it. A warm slice of cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cook's Note: If you are using milk instead of heavy cream, you will probably only need about 3-4 tbsp. of it because milk is thinner than heavy cream. Just use your judgement on it. Or, you can always add a bit more powdered sugar to the frosting to make it thicker if you like.

Enjoy!
Printable Recipe Here