Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Everything Old is New Again: Dr. Pepper Cake!

A fabulous contest is being held by the DomesticMuse right now, a vintage recipe showdown with really neat aprons up for grabs! Any of you Southerners out there might be familiar with what I choose to make, Dr. Pepper Cake (and some of you Yankees might know it as Coke Cake). A delicious, fudgy, rich and completely decadant chocolate cake that is a throw back to bake sales of yore, the Dr. Pepper cake holds a special place in my heart and in those of my family and friends. My best friend for instance has been known to make special stops in West, Texas to pick up Dr. Pepper cake for her step-daughter, my boyfriend on the other hand acted as though it was Christmas when I told him I'd made the cake (and had one for him)! Needless to say, it's a favorite through and through and is something I highly recommend to any choc-o-holic out there!

Dr. Pepper Cake:

*This makes three 8 inch round cakes

Cake:
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
3 Cups Sugar
4 1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 Cups flat Dr. Pepper (none of that diet stuff!)
1 1/2 Cups Butter or Margerine
1 Cup Buttermilk
3 Eggs, Well Beaten
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Frosting:
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 Sticks Butter or Margerine
9 Tbsp Flat Dr. Pepper
4.5 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
6 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Chopped, Toasted Pecans
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Cakes:
1. Preheat Oven to 350 F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda in mixing bowl.
3. Combine Dr. Pepper and butter in saucepan and bring to a boil.
4. Pour over dry ingredients and stir to blend. Mix in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Batter will be thin.
5. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake 38-45 minutes, until a toothpick can go into the center and come out clean.
6. Let cool 15 minutes, then spread warm frosting over the cakes.

Frosting:
1. Combine butter, cola, cocoa and sweetened condensed milk in saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Pour chocolate chips into pan (after turning off the heat) and mix well.
3. Pour over powdered sugar and blend until smooth. Stir in pecans.
4. Use while warm.

**For those seeking the nostalgia of a Coke cake, you can swap out a can of Coke for the Dr. Pepper but do not use diet.




I served mine with sliced strawberries and inside the container was this whopper of a berry!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is quite a strawberry! Dr. Pepper cake sounds really good - I've never had one and must try it soon! Yum!

Reeni said...

This sounds so yummy!! I used to love Dr. Pepper, when I drank soda. It has such a great flavor.

Dee said...

I realize the cakes are good in West, Texas but you didn't mention the favorite late night binges there....kolaches! ha! This does look delicious & Nana would have loved this recipe:)She first enlightened me as to the delights of Dr. Pepper!

Gloria Chadwick said...

My daughter would love this. She drinks a six-pack of Dr. Pepper every day!

Hornsfan said...

5 Star - I was amazed at the size of that berry too!
Reeni - I love Dr. Pepper but don't drink soda really either, this is a great way to get a taste of it :)
Mom - You're right I did neglect to mention my favorite thing in West :) Nana would've loved this cake, I wish I could've made it for her.
Gloria - You'll have to make/share this with your daughter!

Donna-FFW said...

This sounds absolutely delicious!! I have got to try it, I have heard of it before, but your picture just sealed the deal! Awesome! First time here.. nice to meet you. Love your blog..

Tangled Noodle said...

The cake looks so good but I have to ask - what would happen if I used full-fizz Dr. P?

grace said...

good grief, it's a behemoth of a berry!
and every dr pepper cake i've ever had has been luscious. i have no doubt that this one is no exception--it looks terrific!

Hornsfan said...

Donna - Thanks for stopping by, glad you came :)
Tangled Noodle - I'm not really sure about the fizzy, the old Coke Cake recipe I had said it needed to go flat....not sure what kind of reaction you'd get with fizz
Grace - thanks! That berry was a monster for sure!

Karen Brown Letarte said...

I am totally bumming here... All I have is DDP (diet Dr Pepper) in the bouse and I SO want to make this cake to surprise DC, who loves COke cake!!! It looks scrumptious.