Julie Clark
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Dr Pepper Cake (The Secret That Makes It Unbelievably Moist)
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An ultra-moist homemade chocolate cake with a twist. Dr Pepper Cake is an easy cake recipe that is lightly sweet. The fudge frosting will melt in your mouth.
Soda is an unexpected ingredient when it comes to baked goods, but it adds a unique flavor you can’t get from anything else. It comes together in under an hour and tastes like something straight out of a church potluck recipe box.
This old fashioned soda cake is the recipe everyone asks for.
Dr Pepper is Matt’s favorite soda, or ‘pop,’ as we say here in Ohio. So when a recipe called for pouring an entire can into a chocolate cake, he was immediately invested. What I didn’t expect was how much of a difference it would make.
The carbonation in Dr Pepper acts like a leavener, creating a slightly lighter, airier crumb than you’d get from just oil and eggs. But the thing that sets this cake apart from most Dr Pepper cake recipes you’ll find online is the box of instant chocolate pudding. It sounds like a small addition, but it makes the cake bake up denser, moister, and more tender, almost like a bakery cake. You’d never guess it started with a box mix!
Instead of a classic buttercream, it’s topped with a boiled fudge frosting with Dr Pepper, cocoa, and butter. Pour the icing directly over the warm cake so it soaks in slightly at the edges. It sets up with a glossy, fudgy top that cracks slightly when you slice it.
If you love nostalgic, Southern-style chocolate sheet cakes, this belongs in your regular rotation alongside a key lime sheet cake, chocolate Texas sheet cake or almond sheet cake.
What Does Dr Pepper Do in a Cake?
Dr Pepper does two things in a cake that make it worth using:
1. Carbonation adds lift. The bubbles in the soda create a slightly lighter crumb without adding more eggs or chemical leavener. As the cake bakes, those bubbles help the crumb open up, giving you a texture that’s moist and light.
2. The flavor adds complexity. Dr Pepper is made with 23 flavors, a blend that includes cherry, vanilla, caramel, and spice notes. In a chocolate cake, those flavors deepen and round out the chocolate rather than tasting like soda.
Ingredients You Need
- Chocolate cake mix (15.25 oz): Any standard box works. We use a chocolate fudge or devil’s food mix for the deepest flavor.
- Instant chocolate pudding (3.4 oz): This is the step most recipes skip, but please don’t. The pudding mix adds starch that holds moisture in the crumb. Make sure it’s instant, not cook-and-serve.
- The Dr Pepper should be at room temperature.
See the recipe card for full ingredients and amounts.
How to Make Dr Pepper Cake: Step by Step
Step 1: Prep your pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan well. A light coating of non-stick spray works, or butter and flour for extra insurance.
Step 2: Mix the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and Dr Pepper. Mix until fully incorporated — about 2 minutes with a hand mixer or a solid 3–4 minutes by hand. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Step 4: Make the frosting while the cake bakes. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter completely. Whisk in the powdered sugar, Dr Pepper, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Stir constantly as it comes to a boil. It will start to thicken and turn glossy. Once it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring the whole time. Pull it off the heat.
Step 5: Cool the frosting slightly. Let the frosting sit off the heat for 25 minutes. It should still be pourable but no longer steaming. If it firms up too much, set the saucepan over very low heat for 30 seconds and stir.
Step 6: Pour and rest. Pour the warm frosting over the warm cake. The frosting will self-level and soak slightly into the edges. Let the cake sit at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing. This rest time lets the frosting set up to that glossy, slightly fudgy finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add Dr Pepper to cake mix?
Yes, simply replace the water for Dr Pepper in a cake mix. It will make the texture lighter and add to the flavor.
What does Dr Pepper cake taste like?
Dr Pepper cake tastes like a deep, rich chocolate cake with a depth of flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s not obviously ‘soda flavored.’ But the soda enhances the chocolate flavor.
How do you make a Dr Pepper cake from scratch?
Use our chocolate buttermilk cake recipe but add Dr Pepper instead of the coffee.
Dr. Pepper Cake
An ultra moist homemade chocolate cake with a twist. Dr Pepper Cake is an easy cake recipe that is lightly sweet. The fudge frosting will melt in your mouth.
Servings 15
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 3.4 ounces chocolate instant pudding 1 small box
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 8 ounces Dr. Pepper room temperature
FOR THE FROSTING:
- ½ cup salted butter
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup Dr. Pepper room temperature
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together all cake ingredients until fully incorporated, then pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.1 box chocolate cake mix, 3.4 ounces chocolate instant pudding, 3 large eggs, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 8 ounces Dr. Pepper
- While the cake is baking, melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. On medium heat, whisk in sugar, Dr Pepper, cocoa, and vanilla. Stir the mixture constantly until brought to a boil. Reduce heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool for 10-15 minutes.½ cup salted butter, 2½ cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup Dr. Pepper, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the warm frosting over the top of the cake and allow it to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
- This cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Notes
If you only have unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt to the frosting.
Top with nuts or sprinkles if desired.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 486mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 244IU | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg
How to Store Dr Pepper Cake
Room temperature: Covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container, this cake keeps well at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Fridge: You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Bring individual slices to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: Freeze slices individually wrapped in plastic wrap, then placed in a zip-top bag, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Make-ahead tip: This cake is actually better on day 2. The frosting has fully set, the flavors have melded, and the crumb is even more tender. Bake it the day before serving.
More Chocolate Desserts You’ll Love
- Slow Cooker Brownies
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Cake Mix Brownies with Pudding
- Chocolate Cupcakes from Scratch
- Chocolate Fudge Muffins
- Nutella Fudge
- Ice Cream Pie
- Oreo Cheesecake
And if you love baking with unexpected ingredients, try our 7UP Pound Cake or Shirley Temple cake. Same idea, same magic.
