Soda Pop Cakes

Did you know that you can make an awesome, moist, and delectable cake using only two ingredients? And, what if I told you that one of those ingredients is soda pop? That’s right... carbonated soda and a box of cake mix. The soda replaces the water, eggs, and oil. Plus, using soda as the second ingredient actually reduces the fat and calories that are a bit part of a regular cake. You can also use diet soda to even further reduce the calories!

I have to say that I was really skeptical when I heard about using soda as a main ingredient in a cake. My first cake was a combination of 12 oz of Diet 7UP and yellow cake mix. I baked the soda-laced cake and it was really delicious. Replacing the eggs, oil, and water with soda made the cake lighter and fluffier.

The trick to making a soda cake is to use complimentary flavors of cake mix and soda. For instance, cola and root beer or any other dark soda go best with devil’s food, dark chocolate, or plain chocolate cake. Ginger ale, cream soda, lemon lime, 7 UP, and light sodas go best with white, lemon, or yellow cakes. You can use dark sodas with light cakes and vice versa. The only thing that is really affected is the color of the cake.

Here is the basic recipe for whatever combination of cake mix and soda you choose to use.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Ingredients

• Cake mix, any flavor
• 12 oz of soda, diet or regular, any flavor
• 9x13 cake pan—lightly sprayed with cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Mix cake mix and soda together in a large bowl. So do not over-mix. Use a large spoon and just make sure the cake mix is moistened with the soda. Over-mixing can lead to a tough cake rather than the light and fluffy consistency you want to achieve.
2. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
3. Allow cake to cool completely and then use fat free whipped topping as frosting. You can also use regular frosting.

I tested and tried a few cake mix and soda recipes to share.

1. Yellow cake mix and orange soda
2. Spice cake mix with ginger ale
3. Strawberry cake mix with vanilla cream soda
4. Dark chocolate cake mix with root beer
5. Lemon cake mix with Sprite
6. Devil’s Food cake mix with Coke
7. Cherry cake mix with Dr. Pepper
8. White cake mix with grape soda

There are so many different combinations that can be used and the recipe lends itself just as well to cupcakes and layer cakes.

I love the idea that I can enjoy cake without the guilt of the fat and calories involved. I know soda has a bad reputation, but in terms of calories and fat content it is a very good choice for use in cake products.

One of my favorite recipes is the cherry cake with Dr. Pepper. The result is a rich cherry taste that sparkles in every bite! I used funfetti frosting just for the fun of it. I took it to a family gathering and it was the first dessert to disappear!

And, it’s an absolutely fantastic choice for those people like me who can totally screw up a cake mix. I can cook these cakes without forgetting an ingredient and everyone thinks that I slaved over creating them.

Most of these cakes require only about 25 minutes to bake, but some require more time. A good rule of thumb is to go with the time listed on the cake mix box, especially if you are making cupcakes or layer cakes. Just make sure and check at the 25 minute mark too.

So, go out and stock up on those cake mixes and bottles of soda.

Enjoy!