Are you ready for a refreshing new take that adds life to the classic chocolate cake? Ditch your diet and quench your dessert desires with The-Real-Thing Sheet Cake. This all-American favorite is bubbling with rich, decadent chocolate cake, a double-the-chocolate, velvety smooth icing, and a hint of that tantalizing tonic everyone loves. It will have your dessert cravings all in a fizz! Pop The-Real-Thing Sheet Cake in the oven and enjoy the effervescence that will flow through your home. There is zero shame in swishing around a new twist to a traditional dessert. We have so much good to say about this world-renowned cake… like cake adds life, cake is it, always cake, what you want in a cake, where there’s cake there’s hospitality, and our favorite…have a cake and a smile. Trust us, it’s “soda-licious”!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 (12-ounce) can regular cola
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 (12-ounce) can regular cola, plus more, to taste
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar and the flour and whisk to combine.
Step 4 –In a medium, high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup of the butter, the canola oil, 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder, and 1 can of the cola and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
Step 5 –Transfer the cola mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
Step 6 –In a small bowl, add the baking soda and the buttermilk and whisk until the baking soda dissolves.
Step 7 –Add the buttermilk mixture to the batter mixture and whisk to combine.
Step 8 –Add the eggs and the vanilla extract to the batter mixture and whisk to combine.
Step 9 –Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking dish and bake until the center is set and a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
Step 10 –Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl.
Step 11 –In a small, high-sided saucepan over high heat, add the remaining cola and bring to a boil, and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced to 1/2 cup, about 12-15 minutes.
Step 12 –Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining butter and the remaining cocoa powder to the cola mixture, and whisk constantly until the butter has melted.
Step 13 –Add the cola mixture to the confectioners’ sugar and whisk until it’s smooth and pourable. Add more of the cola if needed, if the frosting is too thick.
Step 14 –Immediately pour the frosting over the warm cake and let the frosting completely set.
Step 15 –Slice and serve.
