So, for many, many years of my life, eating at Cracker Barrel was a road trip staple. Actually, since I was a kid, eating at Cracker Barrel was just a regular thing, road trip or not. I mean, they have candy, toys, audio books , scented candles, and delicious southern food! Also, they bring you biscuits AND corn muffins with your meal. It’s a dream really.
Even as a non vegan kid, I could have lived off of their vegetable plate! On the rare occasion where I didn’t need to unbutton my pants just to breath after my dinner, I would order my all time favorite dessert, fudgy Coca-Cola Cake!
I mean y’all, its a chocolate cake baked with COKE! My husbands nana used to make a chocolate cake where you poured the frosting onto the cake and it hardened on top and tasted like fudge, I think this is just a southern thing. This frosting is kind of like that. You spread it onto a warm cake so it melts, then hardens back up to perfection.
Veganizing this classic cake isn’t hard to do. We used starch in place of the eggs, swapped butter, chocolate, and milk for plant based versions, and tada!!!!!
Now my kids get to know about this magic, too! I know, I know, this cake is not even remotely good for you, but sometimes you gotta compromise your otherwise healthy ways and eat cake, vegan chocolate coca-cola cake! Just trust me here!
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 tablespoons tapioca or corn starch
6 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup oil like grape seed or canola
1/2 cup plant based milk plus 1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/4 cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus 1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup Coca-Cola
1 teaspoon vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk the starch and 6 tablespoons of water together in a small bowl.
In a medium size sauce pan, over medium heat, add the butter, sugar and coke. Let mixture simmer until the sugar and butter have melted.
Add the milk and vinegar together in a cup and let the mixture sit for a few minutes.
Mix all of the remaining dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour in the heated coke mixture, oil, milk , vanilla, and starch mixture. Mix until well combined.
Spray an 9x13 cake pan or pyrex with some oil. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester or tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Begin making the frosting. The cake still needs to be warm when you frost it!
Start the frosting by adding the chocolate chips and 1 teaspoons of butter to a microwave safe container. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat until the chocolate has melted.
Using a stand mixer or large bowl and electric hand mixer, add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla, butter, and mix until everything is well incorporated. Begin alternating adding a little coke, then a little powdered sugar at a time. This helps with avoiding a big mess. Mix until creamy and smooth.
Spread the frosting over a still warm cake and let cool before slicing into squares . The frosting will melt then re-harden as it cools. Store covered at room temperature.
Serve with dairy free vanilla ice cream.
If you like this recipe, try these:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Cake
