Food Recipes Desserts Cake Cocoa Cola Bundt Cake 5.0 (3) 2 Reviews Traditional Coca-Cola cake, a staple of the American South, usually comes in the form of a chocolate sheet cake that's doused in a gooey glaze. The batter is splashed with a bit of cola, sometimes for flavor but mostly for fluff; the soda's carbonation acts as a leavening agent, similar to baking soda or baking powder, helping the cake rise and come out light and airy. In her modern-day version, cookbook author Vallery Lomas flips tradition on its head by making a cola-flavored cake with cola-flavored icing. The key to Lomas' Cocoa Cola Bundt Cake is in the Coca-Cola syrup. Lomas concentrates the cola by reducing it with sugar and adding a bit of lemon juice, and then she mixes the resulting syrup into both the cake and the icing. "You get a more concentrated taste by using the syrup instead of straight-from-the-can Coca-Cola," Lomas says. Plus, the warming spices Lomas adds into the cake, like cinnamon and nutmeg, along with a dash of both orange and lemon zest, deepen the cake's chocolaty, cola-y flavor. Lomas takes her new-age cake one step further by baking it in a Bundt pan instead of a sheet pan. "It's just as easy but much more centerpiece- worthy." Although this cake could be paired with a glass of ice-cold Coca-Cola, Lomas recommends balancing the cake's sweetness with something warm and a bit bitter, like your favorite coffee or tea. By Vallery Lomas Vallery Lomas Vallery Lomas is the former lawyer-turned-cookbook author who won Season 4 of The Great American Baking Show, which launched her career in baking, recipe development, and food writing. Lomas is the host of the Food Network Original Digital Show, Vallery Bakes Your Questions. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 20, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Servings: 8 Ingredients Cola Syrup 3 cups cola soft drink .50 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Cake Baking spray with flour 1 cup unsalted butter (8 ounces), softened ¾ cup packed light brown sugar .50 cup granulated sugar 2.50 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 5/8 ounces) ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon .50 teaspoon baking powder .50 teaspoon ground nutmeg ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature ⅔ cup buttermilk .50 cup sour cream 1.50 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Glaze ¾ cup powdered sugar (about 3 ounces) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon whole milk Additional Ingredients Sweetened whipped cream and amarena cherries (optional) Directions Make the cola syrup: Bring cola and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1 cup, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Reserve 1/4 cup cola syrup in a liquid measuring cup for glaze. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray. Stir butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar into remaining 3/4 cup cola syrup in saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring often, until butter is melted and sugars are dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool 5 minutes. Whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and egg yolks, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla, and zests in a medium bowl; gradually whisk in slightly cooled syrup mixture until well combined. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add egg mixture, stirring until well combined. Spoon batter into prepared Bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, cocoa, and reserved 1/4 cup cola syrup in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in milk until creamy, pourable, and smooth. Place cake on a plate. Pour glaze over cake. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and cherries, if desired. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Find amarena cherries at specialty stores or online at williams-sonoma.com. Originally appeared: December 2021 / January 2022 Rate It Print