Just what the doctor ordered! Dr. Pepper® that is! Dr. Pepper Cake has the distinct, malty, slightly cherry flavor baked right into the rich chocolatey cake, so the flavor really has a pop to it! On top are crunchy nuts and a fudgy, molten icing that coats everything in even more chocolate bliss! They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but you’ll be wanting this Dr. Pepper Cake around a lot more often!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 (15-ounce) box chocolate fudge cake mix
- 1 (4-ounce) small box instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 cup Dr. Pepper soda
For the frosting:
- 1 stick salted butter
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more, to taste
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
For serving:
- powdered sugar, optional, to taste
- vanilla ice cream, optional, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3 –In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the chocolate fudge cake mix, the instant chocolate pudding, the eggs, the oil, and the soda and beat on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
Step 4 –Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
Step 5 –Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
Step 6 –Place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7 –In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
Step 8 –Add the cocoa powder and 4 tablespoons of the heavy cream to the melted butter and stir to combine. Add more of the extra heavy cream as needed to reach the desired thickness.
Step 9 –Whisk 2 cups of the powdered sugar into the cream mixture, taking care to whisk briskly to break up all the lumps.
Step 10 –Transfer the cream mixture away from the heat.
Step 11 –Add the vanilla extract to the cream mixture and stir to combine.
Step 12 –Pour the frosting over the cake and spread it evenly over the surface of the cooled cake.
Step 13 –Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top of the cake. Alternatively, you may pour the nuts on the cake before frosting it.
Step 14 –While the cake is still warm, dust it with the remaining powdered sugar and serve with the vanilla ice cream.
