An easy, from scratch recipe that’s super moist and so delicious. This chocolate Dr. Pepper cake will quickly become your favorite. Cover it with rich chocolate fudge frosting and your family will devour it in seconds.
Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!
This recipe idea came to me when I was reading an old church cookbook I found and saw a recipe for Coca Cola Cake.
It sounded so delicious that I just had to make my version of it using Dr. Pepper and I was so happy with how it turned out.
It’s so super moist and the fudge frosting on the top is insanely good. This cake does take a bit of time, but it’s SO worth it.
A LOOK AT SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE DR. PEPPER CAKE:
All purpose flour: You’ll just be using all purpose flour, so there’s no need to go out and get cake flour…easy peasy.
Unsalted butter: The good thing about this recipe is that you don’t need to worry about setting your butter out to come to room temperature. You’ll be melting it in a saucepan, so no worries there.
Mini marshmallows: Ok, technically I think you could make this recipe without the marshmallows, but they do add some sweetness and they make a really yummy chewy top layer on the cake.
Dr. Pepper: So it’s not really a Dr. Pepper cake if it doesn’t have Dr. Pepper in it, right? So, this cake will not have a massive Dr. Pepper taste to it. The Dr. Pepper is there to make it moist, to add sugar and a bit of flavoring. You’ll also be adding it to the fudge frosting.
Buttermilk: Don’t worry about the cake tasting like buttermilk. It won’t. Buttermilk in cakes helps to make the cake really moist and it does help with the flavor. (Make sure to read the TIPS & FAQ section below for a substitution if you can’t get buttermilk.)
MIXING METHOD FOR THE DR PEPPER CAKE:
The mixing method for this cake is a little out of the ordinary, so make sure to read through the instructions first, then just go one step at a time.
Essentially you’ll be heating up part of the liquid ingredients and pouring it over the dry ingredients, then adding in some additional ingredients.
It’s not complicated, but it is a bit of a different mixing method.
The frosting is a bit different as well, since you’ll be heating up a few ingredients, then adding that to the confectioner’s sugar. You don’t want to skip that part though. That’s what makes it a fudge-type frosting.
What’s also different about this cake is that you’ll add the warm frosting to the warm cake, so there’s no waiting for anything to cool really.
TIPS & FAQs FOR THE DR PEPPER CAKE:
I haven’t tried this recipe with coke, but I suppose you could. I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t work.
Unsweetened cocoa powder and dutch cocoa powder are two different things. Dutch cocoa powder isn’t acidic like the other and for this recipe you’ll be adding in baking soda, so you need to use regular unsweetened cocoa powder and not dutch cocoa powder.
Using buttermilk will give you the best results, but if you can’t get it, you may be able to substitute it. For each cup of buttermilk called for in the recipe, you can use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir it and then let it sit for 5 minutes, then move on with the other instructions in the recipe. Now, I haven’t tried substituting it in this recipe, but it would probably work.
This is an important step in making both the cake and the frosting, so you don’t want to skip that.
Be sure to read the instructions first, then just be sure to follow them one step at a time and you’ll be fine.
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SUPPLIES USED FOR THIS CAKE:
Ok now let’s get to the recipe! Don’t forget to check out the video as well!
Note About Recipe Measurements: I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are more familiar with and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when baking. For metric/weight measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card below. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s just a best guess. I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results, since I test recipes using volume measurements.
Recipe
Dr. Pepper Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup Dr. Pepper (save the rest of the can or bottle)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch cocoa powder)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
For the frosting:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
- 5 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup Dr. Pepper
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 13×9 inch pan with vegetable shortening or butter. (This will keep the cake from sticking.)
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar and salt. Whisk well, then stir in the mini marshmallows and set aside. Don't pre-melt the marshmallows. Add them to the dry ingredients as stated. They will rise to the top of the cake while baking and form a wonderful chewy layer.
- In a medium saucepan, add the butter, Dr. Pepper, oil and cocoa powder.
- Bring to a boil and then pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Add the baking soda into the buttermilk, stir and then pour into the batter.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35-40 minutes.
- Prepare your frosting while your cake bakes, since you’ll want to add it to the warm cake.
- Once the cake is baked, set on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes, then add frosting to the warm cake.
For the frosting:
- Add the four cups of confectioner’s sugar to a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a saucepan, add the ¾ cup butter, 5 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and the ⅓ cup of Dr. Pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then pour it over the four cups of confectioner’s sugar you added to your bowl. Add in the vanilla extract and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap until you’re ready to add to to the cake. Once the cake is baked, cool it on a rack for about 15 minutes , then pour the warm frosting over the warm cake. Let the frosting firm up a bit before cutting and serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Breanna
This is probably the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted. Although, the recipe for the frosting made wayyyyyy too much. I was kinda bummed that I wasted half of the frosting. Half of the frosting was more than enough. I think it probabaly would have made the cake too soggy if I used all the frosting. Overall the flavor of both the cake and frosting were delicious!!
Kara Jane
Thanks Breanna for the great review. So glad you liked the cake. I do tend to go pretty heavy on the icing! 🙂
Rachel
Can this cake be made into layers?
Kara
Yes, it should be okay to do that although you might want to use a regular type of buttercream rather than the glaze.
Rachel
Thank you so much! I may just drizzle the glaze between the layers with a buttercream dam around it.
Della
Hi, I absolutely love your recipes I’ve tried so far. Your buttercream is literally the best I’ve ever tasted!! I was just wondering if I could use self raising flour instead of all purpose flour? All purpose flour isn’t something I generally see in shops here and flour is even harder to get hold of at the moment. Also which sugar do you use in your cakes? Caster or granulated? Silly question I know but I’m not naturally talented in the kitchen and I have to have the exact right stuff haha. Thanks xx
Kara Jane
Hi Della, sometimes you can use self-rising flour. It takes a bit of adjusting though, so it really depends. Here’s some info. on subbing it: If the recipe calls for all purpose flour, but you only have self-rising: Leave out the baking powder and salt from the recipe. (as long as the recipe calls for about 1/2-1 tsp of baking powder per 1 cup flour.) If the recipe calls for more baking powder than 1/2-1 tsp, you’ll need to add in more baking powder to make up the difference. Essentially, self-rising flour already has baking powder and salt added to it.
As far as sugar goes, I use granulated sugar unless I specifically state brown sugar, or some other sugar. And by the way…there are no silly questions. I’m not sure anyone is naturally talented with baking…we all have to learn how it works. Hope this helps!
Arlette
Hi Kara Jane,
This recipe was another hit with everyone…so chocolately! I do wish I could taste the Dr. Pepper more since it is my favourite. It was a bit sweet for me personally…not that I don’t like the taste…it just does nasty things to my body. That is why I tend to make meringue based buttercreams the most. But, I’m sure I will make this again. I wonder if there is Dr. Pepper extract…lol 🙂
God Bless,
Arlette
Stacy
Love this recipe! I get rave reviews from everyone who has tasted it! Thank you!
Kara
Oh yay! Thanks for the great review, Stacy!
Diana Dickson
Very good and will make again. I cut back on sugar about 1/4 cup. Didn’t have buttermilk so I used Chobani vanilla yogurt mixed 1/2 with milk. I only made 1/2 of the frosting which was the perfect amount.
Kara
So glad you liked it and it’s good to know those changes worked out as well!
Diana
I made it last weekend and it was great. I did cut back on the sugar to 1 1/4 cups. I didn’t have buttermilk so I substituted vanilla yogurt with milk (50/50) to make same amount of buttermilk, which I substitute on most recipes calling for buttermilk. I left out the marshmallows and only made a 1/2 recipe of the frosting. I’m making it again this weekend as it’s already almost gone for the 2 of us.
Tamhra Steinberg
I baked up this cake as well as the frosting and brought it to a family BBQ. Everyone raved about this cake as being the most delicious and moist cake ever! I followed your directions to the letter and I wouldn’t change a thing. Many people wondered what the chewy secret ingredient was just under the frosting😉
I may always add those mini marshmallows to all of my cake recipes in the future.
Kara
Oh yay! I’m so glad everyone loved it! I feel the same about the chewy marshmallows…I love what it does to cakes. I’ve had people send me messages saying they’re skipping it and don’t understand the point, but to me…it makes it SO good! Thanks for the great review. 🙂