Easy 2-Ingredient Soda Cake Recipe
This Soda Cake recipe doesn’t need any eggs, or oil, or milk. Or skill. With just 2-ingredients, this cake comes together FAST and is a fun baking hack your kids will love!
Cake Made with Soda
This easy Soda Cake Recipe is the perfect sweet treat and can be made from things you probably have at home.
Whether you’re low on ingredients, want to have fun with your kids in the kitchen or want a dessert but feel extra lazy, this soda cake hack is for you!
With just a box of cake mix and soda, you can make the easiest cake ever that will handle your sweet tooth and get you back to whatever it is you’d rather be doing.
*But I do consider this a “hack” for when you want something sweet but don’t have a lot of ingredients. Do not expect miracles.
Updated: This cake hack recipe works better when baked in a 9 x 13 cake pan when baked for about 30 minutes.
I am not a big soda drinker but I usually keep a couple of cans of cola around for when I get a headache (caffeine helps, yo!). Coke is such a versatile ingredient! From a Vodka Coke to using it in crockpot pulled pork recipes, you can make all kinds of things.
And because I love dump cakes so much, I always have boxed cake mix around.
Aside from a quick measure and beating with a hand mixer, there is no extra effort required. So if you’re craving something sweet or need to make a cake but don’t have all the ingredients (this cake is made without eggs and oil!) try this cake mix and soda!
This easy soda cake hack is really fun to make with the kids. They’ll get a kick out of using cake mix with soda. And it’s fun to taste it and compare the results to a regular cake.
And because the cake doesn’t use any milk you can create a bunch of yummy vegan cake recipes with this base (as long as the box mix is vegan).
These are easy to add to meal plans and give your family a sweet treat one night after dinner.
*NOTE: The consistency is crumbly when baked in a bundt pan. This is not a show cake or the type of cake you would enter into a contest. It’s delicious and can be made quickly. It is not the same consistency as a normal cake but it’s a super moist cake that’s totally tasty.
If you’re looking for quick and easy desserts with cake mix, this is one of the quickest! Make this with your kids this weekend!
Ingredients
- Yellow Cake Mix
- Coke (or other cola)
- Rum extract (optional – to make it more like one of my favorite boozy cupcakes)
I used 2 tsp. of rum extract to make this a rum and Coke cake. But the flavor of the soda doesn’t really come through in the finished cake. If you want a real rum cake, you can check out my Cinnamon Rum Cake recipe. YUM!
You can use any soda, including Diet Coke and for this recipe.
Soda Cake Combinations
While I used a basic yellow cake mix with cola, you can mix and match a make all kinds of new recipes!
Typically dark soda goes with dark mixes and clear or light soda go with white or yellow cake mixes. But truthully, there are no rules!
- Vanilla Cake Mix with Orange Soda (which tastes like an orange creamsicle!)
- Chocolate Cake Mix with Cherry Coke
- Spice Cake Mix with Ginger Ale
- White Cake Mix with Cactus Cooler
- Lemon Cake Mix with Lemon-Lime Soda
- Devil’s Food Cake Mix with Orange Fanta
- Strawberry Cake Mix with Sprite, 7-up or Lemon Lime Soda
- White Cake Mix with Cream Soda would make a delicious Cream Soda Cake
- White Cake Mix with Grape Soda (I’ve heard this one is called a Purple Cow Cake)
I can’t imagine that there is a wrong combination, you know what I mean? Diet soda works too! A lemon-lime soda cake! How good does that sound? And if you are a root beer lover, you need to try that!
This recipe supposedly works with Angel Food Cake (would be similar to Pineapple Angel Food Cake) mix as well. Those usually only need to be mixed with water, so using soda may really change the consistency. I haven’t tried it so I just don’t know!
Directions
These step by step instructions will show you just how easy this soda pop cake is to make!
Add the boxed cake mix with soda to a large mixing bowl. Because a can is 12 ounces, you can just pop it open and add it. SO easy.
The fun part is watching the soda get all foamy. Your kids will love it.
- Mix well with a hand-held electric mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer, your choice). 1 minute on low speed and 2 minutes on medium speed.
2. Pour batter into a prepared cake pan (use butter and all-purpose flour or non-stick cooking spray). (While a bundt pan is shown, I highly recommend using a 9 x 13 pan for best results).
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes for a bundt pan (for a 9 x 13 pan bake for 30 minutes and add more time as needed). The oven is where all the good stuff happens. The bubbles dance around and make this cake rise.
Make sure to test that the center of the cake is fully cooked otherwise the cake can collapse.
4. Let cool to room temperature before serving.
The best part is, you can simply dust it with powdered sugar or a dollop of Cool Whip (or even Cool Whip Frosting!)
Top tips
- While I used a bundt pan to make this Soda Cake, next time I make this 2-ingredient cake recipe I would use an 9 x 13 pan. Due to the consistency of the cake (it’s pretty crumbly) you want smaller pieces that won’t fall apart.
- I would keep it casual and serve this right from the cake pan and not try to invert it to a cake board.
- You could make this cake batter into cupcakes too which I think would bake up really nicely.
- Be sure to cook this cake thoroughly. The consistency can be gummy if not cooked long enough. The top of the cake will look golden but cook for a little bit longer to ensure that the bottom is ready.
- Adding extracts elevates the flavor game even more! How delish would almond extract be with a Cherry Chip cake made with Orange soda?! The rum extract gave this a nice rum flavor.
Watch this video for a taste test and discussion on baking cakes with soda.
We also tried using a Coke with a boxed brownie mix. It worked but was a little bit more crumbly than usual. It didn’t have the same super chocolatey flavor as usual but was good in a dessert emergency. (I REALLY wanted brownies).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! It’s a great hack! It works, but the texture is not the same as a traditional cake. It’s more crumbly. But the flavor is all there and this soda can cake is a great easy dessert.
I’m not a scientist so I’m not going very deep with this. The soda replaces the wet ingredients in a cake recipe. And the boxed cake mix has enough leavener in it to make it rise without needing eggs, etc.
I prefer to substitute soda in cake that uses a boxed cake mix. While there are some recipes online for soda cakes made from scratch, there aren’t many. If I was baking a cake from scratch I would prefer other flavoring agents to a can of soda pop.
No eggs? No oil? No problem! This simple recipe for how to make a cake with soda will get you that delicious dessert with just 2 easy ingredients! This simple baking hack was a fun way to make dessert for my family.
Related recipes
While this 2-ingredient dessert might be my easiest dessert recipe, I have many other simple treats I’m sure you’ll also enjoy.
- 24 Coke Cocktails to Make at Home
- Strawberry Jello Cupcakes
- Microwave Dump Cake
- Strawberry Jello Angel Food Cake Dessert
- Cheeto Cupcakes
2-ingredient Soda Cake
Ingredients
- 12 oz. can of soda pop
- 1 boxed cake mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 x 13 pan with oil and flour.
- Add the boxed cake mix and 12 ounces of soda pop to a large bowl.
- Beat on low speed with a hand mixer for 1 minute.
- Beat on medium speed with a hand mixer for 2 minutes.
- Pour cake batter into sheet cake pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Let cool to room temperature. Then serve.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
- While I used a bundt pan to make this Soda Cake (shown in the photos), next time I make this 2-ingredient cake I would use a 9 x 13 sheet cake pan. Due to the consistency of the cake (it’s pretty crumbly) you want smaller pieces that won’t fall apart. A cupcake tin would also be great!
- Be sure to cook this cake well. The consistency can be gummy if not cooked long enough. The top of the cake will look golden, but cook for a little bit longer to ensure that the bottom is ready.
- Adding extracts elevates the flavor game even more! How delish would almond extract be with a Cherry Chip cake made with Orange soda?! The rum extract I used gave this a nice rum flavor.
- Mix and match cake mix and soda flavors to make tons of different treat combinations.
Hi Sharon, I’m from Hong Kong and the weight of the cake mix is less. Want to know the ratio of the cake mix and the soda, is it 1:1? Thank you.
Hi! I am not sure of the ratio. Our boxed cake mixes are typically 15.25 ounces and the Coke can is 12 fluid ounces so not exactly 1 to 1. What are the ounces on your cake mix?
What soda can I use super moist devil food cake
I have a question. Will this work for cupcakes?
Today, I made a vanilla pillsbury cake with Fanta orange soda in a Bundt pan. It turned out fantastic, came out of pan easy, drizzled powered sugar frosting on top, tastes great and isn’t crumbly. I only baked it for 35 minutes and it was done throughout the whole cake, moved it to a plate minutes after taking out of oven. No issues.
My sister used to make this soda cake years ago in the 70s for her kids. I forgot all about. We all loved it
I’m going use orange soda and vanilla pudding to make it like a dream cycle icecream bar. Thanks for the idea.
I love how easy this recipe is to make and it’s so much fun too!
I love that this is a quick fix when you are short on ingredients or just need something that is convenient to make fast. It’s great to layer in a parfait glass with some strawberries and cool whip! Looks like a fancy dessert without the fancy work!
So fun!!! This was perfect to make with my kids!!!
Never in a million years would I have thought to add soda to a cake mix. Now I have to try this! Thanks for sharing!!!
This is the BEST cake! Loved it.
I used a bundt pan and baked about 50 min. It did not rise as much as traditional cake more like a pound cake ish not crumbly at all, and it was good! I use yellow cake mix and hisbuscus ginger soda mixer left over from the holidays.. cherry almond extract frosting and a bunch of sliced almonds on top. Very festive looking wish i knew how to post a picture. thanks for the advice on baking time. It helped me a lot.
I used sprite and yellow cake mix.. Baked in a 9×12 glass baking dish for 30 minutes and it turned out exactly like cake, maybe a tad more moist. No crumbles and no gooeyness. It was delicious and I was really impressed. Maybe change your baking dish and reduce the bake time a little to avoid crumble/weird texture? Thanks for the idea!
I wished it was posted in the beginning of the recipe how the texture of the cake would change by adding an egg and how not to expect a cake like consistency. Where money is tight I feel like I just wasted money.
I think it really needs an egg.
Yes, to make this more of a traditional cake, an egg would help! This is more like a hack to make with the kids or if you don’t have an egg at home.
Tried your recipe with just adding a can of 7 up soda to yellow cake mix but it did not rise
Hi Charlotte! I’m so sorry that happened to you. I tried to do a little troubleshooting for you. But first, you should know that this is not going to make a normal cake. It’s much more sticky and the crumb is a bit different. I view this as a hack that gets you a dessert when you want something sweet but don’t have a lot of ingredients. Also, I know when I made it, I needed to cook it a long time (especially because I went with the bundt pan) to make sure it wasn’t gummy. I am going to update my post to suggest using an 8 x 8 cake pan for best results. You aren’t high altitude are you? I don’t have any baking education so my troubleshooting skills are maxed out! So sorry this didn’t work out for you.