This southern Coca Cola Cake is a classic dessert recipe that is made easy by starting with a boxed cake mix and topping it with a rich, homemade chocolate frosting!
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, stir together 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix, 4 ounce instant chocolate pudding, 3 large eggs, 1/3 cup oil and 1 cup Coca-Cola for about 2 minutes on medium speed.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake according to package directions (usually 35-40 minutes). Note: The cake may have a slight dip in the center. This is normal. When it is done, a toothpick will come out clean.
For the frosting:
In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, start melting 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter.
Add in 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa and 4 Tablespoons heavy cream and stir.
Then whisk in 2 cups powdered sugar. Stir briskly with a whisk to get all the lumps out.
Take mixture off heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Pour frosting over cake and evenly spread it out over cake.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts on top, if using. I think this cake is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Notes
If you are using milk instead of heavy cream, you will probably only need about 3-4 Tablespoons of it because milk is thinner than heavy cream. Just use your judgement on it. Start with less and add a little at a time to get the right consistency. Or, you can always add a bit more powdered sugar to the frosting to make it thicker if you like.