Chocolate cola cake is a rich and moist old-fashioned Bundt cake with a special ingredient in both the cake and decadent chocolate frosting – cola.
Chocolate Cola Cake
Chocolate cola cake became common in the 20th century when cola companies began marketing their products to be used in baking. There is not a definitive answer, but it seems this type of cake originated in cola company’s test kitchens between the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Cola cakes were re-introduced in the 90’s, as a famous country-style restaurant added a chocolate cola cake to its menu as an old-fashioned treat.
These cakes became extremely popular in the south, as most cola companies are headquartered there. The popularity of the Bundt pan from the Midwestern based Nordicware Company brought the recipes for these southern favorites north, as home bakers found another variation for baking these cola cakes.
One question that is frequently asked about this cake is “Can you taste the cola?” The direct answer is no, you can’t directly taste the cola in the cake after baking, although the cola does add a unique flavor to the cake and frosting that is really indescribable. Try this old-fashioned cake for yourself and hopefully you will see why cola cake recipes quickly became household favorites!
About this Recipe
The recipe for this chocolate cola cake originated in a vintage 1970’s cookbook in my collection. This recipe contains cola in both the cake and frosting, in which the cola is boiled down, which changes the taste of the cola. To start the cake, first the butter, cocoa powder and cola are brought to a boil. Eggs, flour, sugar, salt and vanilla are added to the cola mixture, followed by a buttermilk and baking soda mixture, in which the buttermilk lends moisture to this cake.
The cake batter can then be poured in either a standard 9” x 13” baking pan or a Bundt pan. Follow the baking times, since the Bundt cake takes longer to bake. After baking, the decadent chocolate cola frosting comes together by boiling butter, coke and cocoa powder. Powdered sugar is then sifted in and the frosting is ready to pour on top of the cake.
Tips for Chocolate Cola Cake
- This recipe has not been tested using Diet cola; use regular cola for best results
- See the recipe for the different baking times for both the 9”x 13” and Bundt version
- If making the 9”x 13” version, the frosting layer will be thicker
- Allow the frosting to set before serving
- Store in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months
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Want more Bundt cake recipes?
Chocolate Cola Cake
Equipment
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- Bundt pan or standard 9"x13" baking pan
- small saucepan
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder sifted
- 1 cup regular cola
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 teaspoons cocoa powder sifted
- 6 Tablespoons regular cola
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
For the cake
- Stir the 1 teaspoon baking soda into the ½ cup buttermilk.
- In a small saucepan, combine the 1 cup unsalted butter, the 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 11 cup regular cola. Bring to a boil; once boiling, remove from heat.
- Add in the 2 large eggs, one at a time, followed by the 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and v1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in the buttermilk mixture.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes (for the 9"x13" pan) or 1 hour and 15 minutes (for the Bundt pan). Cool cake 15-20 minutes in the Bundt pan prior to removing. Cool cake completely before frosting.
For the frosting
- Bring the 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 6 Tablespoons regular cola and 3 teaspoons cocoa powder to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, remove from heat and whisk in sifted 3 ½ cups powdered sugar.
- Pour immediately over cake and spread frosting as desired. Allow frosting to set before cutting cake.
Notes
- If making the 9”x 13” version, the frosting layer will be thicker
- Allow the frosting to set before serving
- Store in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months
- Makes 12 large slices or 16 smaller slices