The truth is, you can use your favorite can of soda for this cake with identical results. My soda of choice is Dr Pepper, but this recipe has been tested with regular Coca Cola and Root Beer, too! The only caveat is: do not use diet soda. The reason we’re using a can of soda to make cake today is because the carbonation in a can of soda aerates the cake batter and makes the most amazing fluffy cake. The sweet flavors of the soda lightly flavor the cake. This is a super simple chocolate cake to pull together. I love that it’s one layer and one bowl to make! The warm chocolate icing that you pour on top is the type that sets and shatters when a fork cuts through it. It’s even better than buttercream, in my opinion.
Dr Pepper Cake Recipe ingredients
Butter. Be sure to soften your unsalted butter at room temperature for about an hour. It doesn’t need to be fully warm at room temperature, just slightly softened (and not cold from the fridge). Sugar. Granulated white sugar is what I’m using here. Egg. One large egg (whole egg) at room temperature. The fastest way to warm up an egg from the fridge is to place it in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. Vanilla. We’re using a lot of vanilla extract here (1 ¼ teaspoons) because it mimc the vanilla flavor in Dr Pepper! Flour. Regular all-purpose flour, not pastry flour or cake flour. Cocoa Powder. A small amount of cocoa powder, as this is a chocolate Dr Pepper cake. Baking Soda. The fizziness of the baking soda reacts with the soda to make the cake rise. Salt. One-quarter teaspoon of fine sea salt. Milk. I always bake with whole milk, never skim milk which lacks fat. Dr. Pepper. Do not use Diet Dr Pepper with this cake! If you can find the mini cans that have 7.5 ounces of Dr Pepper, you will need one whole one for the cake and an extra ¼ cup from a second can. Powdered Sugar. This is only for the icing, not the actual cake.
How to make Dr Pepper Cake
You can use an 8 or 9-inch round pan for this recipe. Or, you can use an 8-inch square pan. It’s totally your choice–use whatever you have!
What makes this Dr. Pepper Cake special
This Dr Pepper cake isn’t a new recipe; making cake with soda is an old thing. The soda makes for an unbelievably moist and tender cake! It has milk, which makes the best chocolate cake, in my opinion. Plus, you only need a small can of Dr Pepper to make this cake. You won’t use the whole can; enjoy the rest while the cake bakes.
This Chocolate Dr Pepper Cake has the BEST frosting
I love chocolate cakes that feature a warm frosting to pour on top right when it comes out of the oven. It reminds me of my Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake. The frosting you use for a warm glaze like this has a high percentage of powdered sugar so that it sets almost into a flaky fudge style frosting. It’s perfection.
How to Make a Mini Dr Pepper Cake in a 6-inch Round Pan
I bake this cake in this 6" round pan to make a small cake that serves two with 4 mini slices. Here are the measurements for a small 6-inch round cake: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 egg yolk only, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ cup flour, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons milk, and ¼ cup Dr Pepper. For the frosting: 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons Dr Pepper, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Follow the recipe instructions, using the ingredient amounts listed here, and then reduce the baking time to 25-30 minutes.
How to serve this Dr Pepper Dessert
Once the frosting sets on this cake, it’s time to slice and serve it. It’s great at room temperature or even slightly chilled. Do you see how the frosting starts to seep into the top few centimeters of the cake? This is why you have to make this recipe!
Storing Dr Pepper Chocolate Cake
Store leftover cake in an air-tight container at room temperature on the counter for up to 1 day. Beyond that, consider moving the air-tight container to the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze individual slices of cake. Defrost overnight in the fridge and serve. *Do not use diet soda with this recipe. To make a small 6-inch cake, use these measurements: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 egg yolk only, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ cup flour, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons milk, and ¼ cup Dr Pepper. For the frosting: 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons Dr Pepper, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Reduce the baking time to 25-30 minutes.
