This decadent Dr Pepper Cake is rich, delicious, and so easy to make in just over and hour! The chocolate soda frosting on top completes the dessert with rich perfection...
One of my favorite things about baking is trying new things. There was one time I made a gluten-free Chocolate Orange Cake, which sounds a little strange, but boy it is yummy! It is so nostalgic and reminds me of eating orange sticks with my grandpa...
So when I was thinking of new recipes and the thought crossed my mind to make a soda cake, I had to do it. I didn't know how it would turn out but I wanted to try. Not only did this cake turn out great, it has quickly become one of my husband's favorite desserts! It has a unique flavor that all Dr Pepper lovers enjoy. I also made Dr Pepper Cupcakes if you are interested in cupcakes rather than cake from the same recipe.
What makes this cake so good
Reminiscent flavors you love- If you are a fan of Dr. Pepper, you definitely need to try this new recipe. And if you aren't a fan of Dr Pepper? You can change this recipe to match any soda you like! Coca Cola and root beer work fantastic as well.
Simple steps and ingredients- We found that soda and cake mix work so well together. It is almost like a magic trick as mixing them together will make a moist cake that will be more flavorful than your typical version. The sugar in the soda and the bubbles work together to make a cake that is so fluffy! It creates a light texture with an extra pizzaz added with flavor as well.
Easy to adjust- We've made this cake dairy free too! Simply swap classic cake mix for dairy-free cake mix and butter for vegan-butter. The great thing about soda cake is you have a variety of flavors and options. You can pick root beer, coke, diet soda, or whatever you want.
What you need to make it
This is a super easy recipe that only uses a few ingredients! The most important one of course, is the Dr Pepper.
chocolate cake mix
- One of the dry ingredients in our Dr Pepper Cake is chocolate cake mix. You can use any brand that you like. I personally love King Arthur gluten free chocolate cake mix and keep them on hand for this recipe and our easy gluten free chocolate crinkle cookies.
Dr Pepper
- The recipe only calls for 1 ⅓ C of Dr Pepper, but let's be real. I am going to buy a twelve pack anyways because my husband always wants an ice cold DP with his cake. You can also swap the Dr Pepper with any soda of your choice if you aren't a Dr. Pepper fan.
Semi-sweet baking chocolate
- For the truffle balls on the top of the cake that are made to look like bubbles, you will need two bars of semi-sweet baking chocolate and some cream cheese. They are fun to make too! If you want to go super simple, just use milk duds.
Cocoa powder
- For the chocolatey flavor in the frosting, you will need really good quality cocoa powder. I talk more about cocoa powder in my Gluten Free Brownie Recipe, so check that out if you are interested but quality really does matter.
How to make Dr Pepper cake
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Dr Pepper Cake (Easy and Delicious!)
Ingredients
For Dr Pepper cake
- 1 16-21 oz. chocolate cake mix (we use gluten-free)
- 3 eggs
- 1 C Dr. Pepper
- ½ C melted butter
For Dr Pepper frosting
- ⅓ C Dr. Pepper
- ½ C butter
- 6 T cocoa
- 1.5 lbs powdered sugar
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Mix cake mix, eggs, 1 C Dr Pepper and ½ C melted butter together
- Pour into a greased bundt pan
- Bake at 350 degree for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (start checking at 45 minutes)
- Once cooled, frost with Dr Pepper frosting below
For the frosting
- Bring ⅓ C Dr. Pepper, ½ C butter, 6 T cocoa to a boil
- Pour the hot mixture over the powdered sugar and mix well
- Add Dr Pepper to thin frosting as needed
- Pour over Dr Pepper cake
Notes
How to store frosted cake
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you will want to put the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes for the frosting to harden before wrapping it up. Once the frosting hardens, cover the entire cake with plastic wrap. It can last up to 3-4 days in the fridge, but it is so delicious I'm sure it won't last that long. I know I want to eat the entire thing in one sitting. Before serving, allow the cake to get to room temperature if desired.Can you freeze this cake?
Yes, this tasty cake can last up to 3 months in the freezer. Be sure to wrap it in plastic wrap tightly twice to ensure it will not get freezer burn.Nutrition
Krystal says
can I use this recipe to make Dr pepper cupcakes? how long would you bake cupcakes? also, can you skip the cocoa powder?
Chandice Probst says
We have dr. pepper cupcakes here on the website. You can just search Dr Pepper cupcakes in our search bar.
Mary says
Can simple syrup be made from dr pepper soda?
Chandice says
I believe so, I'd just boil it down until it is a bit thicker and is more of a reduction or simple syrup (usually about 5 minutes).
Kathleen Walsh says
Can this be made in another type of pan other than a bundt? If so, would the time be different? I want to make this for my grandaughter's 16th birthday in a guitar shaped pan.
Chandice says
It can absolutely be baked in another pan and the guitar sounds so cute! Simply follow this bake time but make sure a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Megan says
Super yummy cake! I’m wondering though if on the icing you meant to write 1 1/2 cups instead of 1 1/2 lbs for the powdered sugar. The consistency of my icing was not even close to mixable so I had to add a lot more Dr. Pepper. 😅 Still turned out great though!
Chandice says
Hi Megan, we used that much for the recipe but I am glad you were able to add more DP and get the desired result.
Valerie says
Yum 🤤 I’m a Dr Pepper addict so this was perfect for me. So delicious!