Coca Cola Cake Mix

Need a make-ahead chocolate cake mix that doesn’t taste like cardboard and regret? This Coca Cola Cake Mix keeps the dry ingredients ready to go, then turns into a soft, chocolatey 9×9 cake with cola, butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla when you’re ready to bake.

I've been told that Coca Cola was originally created by a pharmacist to cure depression. While I can't say for sure whether that rumor is true, I can attest to the fact that this Coca Cola Cake Mix will surely help remove any blues in your own home. This chocolaty recipe is a crowd pleaser!

The cola goes into the hot butter mixture, which helps bloom the cocoa and gives the finished cake a deeper chocolate flavor than you’d expect from such a short ingredient list. It’s a handy pantry mix for bake sales, last-minute company, or those evenings when dessert needs to happen without a committee meeting.

Ingredients for Coca Cola Cake Mix

You’ll make a simple dry mix first, then attach the wet ingredients needed to turn it into cake later. That keeps the jar gift-friendly and pantry-ready.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/8 cups miniature marshmallows

Attach this ingredient card to the mix:

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup cola
• 3/8 cup milk
• 2 small eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

The marshmallows add sweetness and little pockets of softness in the finished cake. Not bad for something that looks a bit odd in the jar.

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How to Make Coca Cola Cake Mix

Layer the dry ingredients in a large canning jar or a vacuum-seal bag. If you vacuum seal it, expect the marshmallows to shrink. They aren’t broken, just dramatically humbled.

1. Measure the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and miniature marshmallows.
2. Layer all the dry ingredients in a large canning jar or vacuum-seal bag.
3. Seal tightly and label with the attached cake directions and wet ingredients.

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Bake the Cola Chocolate Cake

When you’re ready to use the mix, the method is straightforward. Heating the butter and cola together first gives you a smoother batter and helps the cocoa disperse more evenly.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×9-inch pan.
2. Dump the cake mix into a large bowl and set it aside.
3. Combine the butter or margarine and cola in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
4. Bring the cola mixture to a boil.
5. Pour the hot cola mixture over the dry cake mix and blend well.
6. Add the milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla, then mix until combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared 9×9-inch pan.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.

For a similar pantry-friendly chocolate dessert, take a look at Chocolate Truffle Pound Cake Mix or make one quick serving with this Rich Chocolate Mug Cake.

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Tips for Best Results

• Use a large enough jar. The marshmallows take up more room than you’d think, so don’t try to cram this into a too-small container and call it character building.
• Bring the cola and butter fully to a boil. That gives you a hot liquid that blends into the dry mix more smoothly.
• Beat the eggs before adding them. You’ll get a more even batter without overmixing.
• Grease the pan well. The marshmallows can create sticky spots around the edges.
• Check for doneness at 30 minutes. Ovens vary, and a 9×9 pan bakes differently than a shallower cake pan.

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Easy Variations

You can keep the base mix exactly as written and still change how you serve it:

• Dust with powdered sugar for a simple snack cake.
• Top with chocolate frosting if you want a richer dessert-style finish.
• Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for an easy company dessert.
• Cut it into smaller squares for potlucks or lunchbox treats.

If you like make-ahead mixes with a sweet pantry angle, Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies is another practical one to keep on hand.

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Storage and Shelf Life

Store the dry cake mix in an airtight jar or sealed bag in a cool, dry cupboard for up to 6 months for best quality. That’s a conservative estimate based on the marshmallows being the fussiest ingredient in the mix, since they can harden or clump long before the flour and sugar give you any trouble.

Once baked, cool the cake completely and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Since the finished batter contains milk and eggs, treat leftovers like any other perishable baked dish. The FDA’s egg safety guidance recommends refrigerating leftover cooked egg dishes promptly and using them within 3 to 4 days.

For longer storage, wrap individual pieces and freeze them for up to 2 months for best texture. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.

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Serving Suggestions

This cake works well as a simple snack cake, but you can dress it up without much fuss.

• Serve warm squares with coffee or cold milk.
• Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
• Top with a thin layer of chocolate frosting or whipped topping.
• Cut into 9 large squares or 12 smaller party pieces.

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💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Coca Cola Cake Mix

🛒 Walmart Grocery List

• All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
• Granulated Sugar, 4 lb
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 8 oz
• Baking Soda, 16 oz
• Mini Marshmallows, 10 oz
• Salted Butter, 16 oz
• Cola Soda, 2 Liter
• Whole Milk, 64 fl oz
• Large Eggs, 12 count
• Pure Vanilla Extract, 2 fl oz

Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.

Frequently Asked Questions about Coca Cola Cake Mix

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🖨️ Print-Friendly Coca Cola Cake Mix

Coca Cola Cake Mix

Article or recipe authorAuthor: Melissa 'Liss' Burnell

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preparation timePrep 10 minutes mins

cook timeCook 30 minutes mins

total timeTotal 40 minutes mins

This make-ahead chocolate cake mix layers flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and mini marshmallows into one pantry-friendly jar, then bakes into a soft 9x9 cola chocolate cake. Estimated total batch cost is $3.07 for the dry mix alone, or about $7.60 baked as directed, which comes to about $0.84 per serving for 9 servings.

ServingsServings 9 servings

CourseCourse Dessert

CuisineCuisine American

Budget101 Price BreakdownApprox Cost: $7.60

Ingredients

1/21x2x

• ▢ 1 ½ cups flour
• ▢ 1 ½ cups sugar
• ▢ 2 ¼ tablespoons cocoa powder
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 ⅛ cups miniature marshmallows
• ▢ ¾ cup butter or margarine
• ▢ ¾ cup cola
• ▢ ⅜ cup milk
• ▢ 2 small eggs beaten
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

Equipment

Large canning jar or vacuum seal bag

Large Mixing Bowl

medium saucepan

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

9x9-inch baking pan

Oven

Instructions

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1. Measure the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and miniature marshmallows.
2. Layer all the dry ingredients in a large canning jar or vacuum-seal bag.
3. Seal tightly and attach a card listing the wet ingredients and baking directions.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x9-inch pan.
5. Dump the mix into a large bowl and set aside.
6. Combine the butter or margarine and cola in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil.
8. Pour the hot cola mixture over the dry mix and blend well.
9. Add the milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla, then mix until combined.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared 9x9-inch pan.
11. Bake for 30 minutes.

Recipe Size Alteration

💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.

Notes

Estimated yield is 9 servings based on one 9x9-inch cake cut into 9 squares.
Prep time is an estimate based on measuring the mix, bringing the cola mixture to a boil, and assembling the batter.
Dry mix shelf life is an estimate of up to 6 months in an airtight container stored in a cool, dry place.
Baked cake should be refrigerated within 2 hours and used within 3 to 4 days.
For longer storage, freeze wrapped portions up to 2 months for best quality.

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