One bite of this Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola cake, and you'll be instantly transported to a rocking chair on a covered front porch playing with that triangle peg board game (IYKYK). Even if you're not familiar with the Southern comfort food stylings of Cracker Barrel, you can trust us that this chocolate cake is real good (I’m talking right up there with Grandma's).
I especially love this Cracker Barrel copycat recipe for how easily it comes together, from the cake itself to the generous amount of chocolate fudge frosting. And everyone—seriously everyone—will be asking you for the recipe. If you're a fan of sheet cakes (who isn't?!), then this fudgy Coca-Cola recipe will be your new favorite. A 12-oz. can of classic Coca-Cola plus a handful of other pantry ingredients are all you need to whip up a dessert that is deliciously nostalgic and comforting.
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- Yields:
- 12 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 2 hrs 15 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 684
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 c.
(240 g.) all-purpose flour
- 2 c.
(400 g.) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp.
baking soda
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1 c.
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 c.
Coca-Cola
- 1/3 c.
(28 g.) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2
large eggs
- 1/2 c.
whole buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp.
sour cream
- 2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
Cooking spray
Frosting
- 3/4 c.
(1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 c.
(42 g.) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 1/2 c.
(540 g.) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1/2 c.
whole buttermilk
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Cake
- Step1Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Step2In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook butter, Coca-Cola, and cocoa powder, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Bring to a boil, then carefully pour over flour mixture. Gently stir just until combined and a thick, chocolate batter forms. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Step3In a large glass measuring cup, whisk eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla. Add egg mixture to batter and fold just until combined; be careful not to overmix.
- Step4Spray a 13" x 9" glass baking dish with cooking spray. Pour batter into prepared dish.
- Step5Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, 32 to 37 minutes.
Frosting
- Step1In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
- Step2Remove from heat. Add confectioners’ sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined and mostly smooth.
- Step3Pour warm frosting over cake, then smooth in an even layer. Let cool until just slightly warm and frosting is set, about 1 hour.
How To Make Coca-Cola Cake
Ingredients
The Cake
• Coca-Cola: The not-so-secret ingredient to this pretty-near-perfect sheet cake is Coca-Cola. And not just Coca-Cola, but boiling hot Coca-Cola. You'll have a bit of soda leftover from that 12-oz. can—just enough to sip on while you're diving into a bite of warm, decadent cake.
• Unsalted Butter: The butter that’s brought to a boil with the Coca Cola is what makes this cake extra soft and tender.
• Cocoa Powder: For the cake, I recommend using natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Buttermilk: If you can’t find buttermilk at the grocery store, don’t sweat it: Simply make your own buttermilk at home instead (I do recommend using whole milk for this recipe)!
The Frosting
• Cocoa Powder: For the frosting, you can use Dutch or regular cocoa powder—just make sure it’s unsweetened.
• Buttermilk: Same deal here: Use store-bought (whole) buttermilk, or make your own buttermilk if you want to go the extra mile.
Step-By-Step Instructions
First, whisk your flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt into a heatproof bowl until everything is combined.
Now, it's time to add in the star ingredient: Coca-Cola. Similar to an old-fashioned Texas sheet cake, we use boiling liquid to "bloom" the cocoa powder, which creates a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. The butter that’s melted and brought to a boil with the Coca-Cola coats the flour proteins when added to the dry ingredients and prevents excessive gluten formation, resulting in a cake that’s extra soft and tender (sorry, we love a good baking-science moment).
After it comes to a boil, carefully pour it over the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. It should look like thick chocolate batter. Let it chill until slightly cooled, around 5 minutes.
Next, whisk eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Add the fully combined egg mixture to your batter and fold it all until just combined. My top tip here? Be careful not to overmix! Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Now, it’s time to move on to the fudgy frosting. In a large saucepan, melt the butter, then add some cocoa powder until whisk until smooth and combined. Remove from heat, and add the rest of your frosting ingredients and whisk until it looks fairly smooth.
Don't let that frosting cool for too long! Pour the warm frosting over your baked cake, smoothing in an even layer over the entire cake. Now is the time to let it cool: Once it's slightly warm but the frosting is set, get ready to slice and serve.
Storage
If you have any cake leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, or covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Sheet Cake Variations
Hostess Sheet Cake
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Texas Sheet Cake
Made This?
Let us know how it went in the comments below!
