Dr Pepper cake is a sweet, easy, old-fashioned chocolate cake recipe with poured chocolate frosting on top! It’s nostalgic, classic, and quick to make. Dr Pepper soda creates a light, tender cake and enhances the chocolate flavors.
Dr Pepper Cake is an Easy, Classic Chocolate Recipe!
Have you ever had Dr Pepper cake? Or maybe 7Up cake or Coca-Cola cake? There was an era when it seemed like everyone was adding a can of soda to their cake recipes! This Dr Pepper cake is old-fashioned, like a Texas sheet cake, or the kind you order at Cracker Barrel or eat at a church potluck or family BBQ.
These types of quick chocolate cake recipes with poured chocolate frosting were a staple of my childhood. My Grandmother’s Sunday chocolate cake is one of my favorite cakes of all time, and it’s remarkably similar to this Dr Pepper cake. This is an ultra-soft, sweet chocolate cake made with Dr Pepper baked right in, and chocolate fudge icing that you pour all over the warm cake.
I love making this cake year-round, and I’ll even swap original Dr Pepper with Cherry Dr Pepper for a unique twist.
Dr Pepper Cake Ingredients
This is a great cake recipe for the beginner baker. It’s an easy cake recipe to make, and the ingredients are simple. Here is what you will need. See the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Dr Pepper – This adds liquid and enhances the flavor of the chocolate cake. Plus, the carbonation aids in how the cake rises.
- Vegetable Oil and Butter – The combo of the two is where the magic happens. Oil keeps the cake’s texture light, and butter adds flavor. You could use all vegetable oil, or all butter, but you will lose some flavor and texture if omitting the butter, and if you use all butter, you will get a slightly denser cake. Also, you can use any light oil, like canola, if you prefer not to use vegetable oil.
- Cocoa Powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder. You can use regular or Dutch Process, or even Hershey’s Special Dark. I’ve done it all the ways! Pictured here, I used Hershey’s Dark Cocoa Powder, which is why the cake is a little darker in color. The dark cocoa powder adds a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Granulated Sugar – You need a little more sweetener than the soda offers, and granulated sugar is mild, allowing the soda and cocoa flavors to come through.
- Flour – Just regular all-purpose flour works great. Spoon and level the flour or weigh it using a kitchen scale to avoid overmeasuring, which leads to a dry cake.
- Baking Soda – Baking soda reacts with the Dr Pepper to create air bubbles in the cake batter.
- Eggs – Bring the eggs to room temperature before you start.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk is another ingredient that yields a lighter, moist cake (and also brownies!). If you can’t find buttermilk in the refrigerator section, make a homemade substitute from regular milk and white vinegar.
Chocolate Fudge Icing
You’ll make the frosting for this cake on the stovetop and melt it all together. Then, you’ll pour it over the warm cake so it melts right in, leaving a fudgy frosting layer on top. It’s beautiful.
- Butter – I used salted butter here, and in almost all of my recipes. I like that it adds a little more flavor, but it’s up to you if you prefer to use unsalted.
- Cocoa Powder – Again, use unsweetened cocoa powder, or whichever type you used in the cake. If you used Dark in the cake, stick with Dark in the frosting!
- Milk – This can be whatever milk you have in the fridge (2%, whole, skim, etc.).
- Powdered Sugar – If needed, sift the powdered sugar to break up any stubborn lumps before you make the icing.
What Is the Flavor of Dr Pepper?
Dr Pepper has a complex flavor. Like classic cola, but with undercurrents of flavors that aren’t exactly detectable on their own, including cherry, licorice, vanilla, amaretto, plum, nutmeg… The list goes on. That’s the magic of Dr Pepper, I guess! Btw, this is totally NOT sponsored! Haha
If you’ve heard of adding brewed coffee to chocolate cake, or espresso powder to brownies, this Dr Pepper cake is the same concept. Dr Pepper adds to and enhances the flavor of the cake. Also worth noting is that even if you dislike Dr Pepper, it’s very likely you’ll still love this cake! The flavor isn’t prominent. It just adds a little something-something that makes a delicious cake even better.
How to Make Dr Pepper Cake
This Dr Pepper cake recipe is very simple to make, and it’s a great chocolate cake to prepare for a party or potluck. It’s a classic sheet cake recipe that is a single-layer cake. After mixing the batter, you’ll bake the cake at 350ºF for 23-28 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. As I said before, the chocolate icing is poured on top while the cake is warm. The icing half-absorbs into the cake, and half remains on top, making it fudgy and delicious!
Do You Have to Use Dr Pepper?
Nope! One of the best things about this Dr Pepper cake recipe is that it’s easy to swap in another soda to pair with the chocolate flavors. Just don’t use diet soda, which lacks real sugar and changes the cake’s texture. Here are a few ideas of what you can use in place of Dr Pepper:
- Coca Cola
- Root Beer
- Cream Soda
- Pepsi
- Mr Pibb
- Cherry Coke
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
Dr Pepper Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: serves 12 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
This super easy, nostalgic chocolate cake recipe is made with Dr Pepper!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups Dr. Pepper soda
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Chocolate Frosting
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F°. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with baking spray. Set aside.
- Combine the Dr. Pepper, oil, butter, and cocoa powder in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a simmer, mix well and remove from the heat.
- Whisk the sugar, flour, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add the dry mixture to the saucepan and stir until combined with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- In a separate small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together. Add the buttermilk mixture to the saucepan and stir until combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Make the Chocolate Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder, and milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar a little at a time, combining after each addition until smooth.
- Pour over warm cake.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 67.6 g
- Sodium: 255.9 mg
- Fat: 26.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 86.2 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
Followed your recipe to the tee. It still is not cooked. Ot has been and 1hr
What are your thoughts on making this a vanilla cake with Dr pepper. Thinking I omit the coco but add vanilla instead.
I/we Looove ur Buttermilk Brownies… & have been looking for a Dr. Pepper cake… I came a cross this… going to make it now! However I’m curious
Can this be made into a layer cake ? (Round)
Thanks again.
Have a great weekend
I want to make a 1/2 sheet cake. This looks like the ingredients are the same as the recipes I see for a 1/2 sheet cake. Do you happen to know if it can be made into one?
Yes it can. I like my cake a little thicker, but this will work in a 1/2 sheet pan it will just be thinner!
Soooooo good. Even better the next day after chilling overnight in the fridge!
Can you do this in round spring form pans?
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it! Would it be okay to do a half recipe for a smaller cake?
Yes, you can cut the recipe in half!
I can’t for the life of me figure out what I did wrong I followed the recipe exactly but it has a distinct floral taste to me I’m not a big Dr Pepper drink or so I’m not really sure what Dr Pepper tastes like it like I said it tastes like flowers I don’t know lavender rose something I can’t really put my finger on it
Amazing…this looks sooo yummy & sound soo delicious, it such a mouthwatering cake..i can’t wait make it..Thanks for sharing…keep shared your new amazing recipe…!
This looks great! I remember this as a kid.
Why can’t you use diet soda?
I mean you CAN, but the flavor will be better with regular Dr Pepper 🙂