Go Back
slice of chocolate dr pepper cake on a white plate

Dr. Pepper Cake

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dr. pepper cake
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 534kcal
Author: Kara @I Scream for Buttercream
An easy, from scratch recipe that's super moist. This chocolate Dr. Pepper cake will quickly become a favorite. Cover it with chocolate fudge frosting and your family will devour it.
Print Recipe

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:

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease a 13x9 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

This cake can be left covered on the counter for several days. It can also be kept in the fridge after several days to keep it fresh longer.
Nutritional values are an estimate.
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post.
*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 518IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg