Coca-Cola Cake

Before You Start

Use ordinary cola and not a diet or sugar-free version. The sugar is part of the structure of the cake, and the artificial sweeteners burn and taste bitter when baked.

Do not be alarmed by how thin the batter is. It is meant to be, and it bakes into a cake with a soft, moist crumb.

Ice the cake while it is hot and the icing is warm. The two blend slightly, and the icing settles into a smooth fudgy sheet.

Making Coca-Cola Cake

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1. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C / 320°F fan). Grease and line a 23 x 33 cm baking tin.

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2. Whisk the flour, caster sugar and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.

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3. Heat the 115 g butter, oil, 20 g cocoa and 240 ml cola in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the butter melts and the mixture just comes to the boil. Pour it over the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

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4. Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla, then stir in the marshmallows. The batter will be thin. Pour it into the tin.

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5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. The marshmallows will have risen to the top.

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6. Ten minutes before the cake is ready, make the icing. Heat the 115 g butter, the second 20 g cocoa and the 90 ml cola in a saucepan until the butter melts and it starts to bubble. Take off the heat and whisk in the icing sugar until smooth, then stir in the pecans and vanilla.

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7. Pour the warm icing over the hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven and spread it to the edges. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares.

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Storage and Reheating

Keeps covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freezes for 3 months.

Ingredient Swaps

• Out of buttermilk? Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the same amount of ordinary milk and let it sit five minutes before using.

Serving Coca-Cola Cake

• Vanilla ice cream
• Cold milk
• Black coffee

Still Wondering?

Coca-Cola Cake Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.