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Dr. Pepper Cake

If you’re looking for a unique dessert that’s guaranteed to impress, this Dr. Pepper Cake is the perfect choice. Rich chocolate, warm spices, and the unmistakable flavor of Dr. Pepper combine to create an incredibly moist and delicious cake topped with a luscious homemade frosting. Perfect for an easy dessert, holiday gatherings, birthday celebrations, family dinners, or whenever you need fun food ideas, this easy recipe is sure to become a favorite.

  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Cake

  • ½ cup prunes, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup Dr. Pepper soda
  • 1 cup (2 sticks / 226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup boiling water
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (256g) all-purpose flour
  • 1⅓ cups (267g) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon allspice

Frosting

  •  4 cups Dr. Pepper soda
  • 1½ cups (3 sticks / 339g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2½ cups (312g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Simmer the prunes, dried cherries, and 1 cup of Dr. Pepper for about 10 minutes, then cool.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
  3. Melt the butter, stir in the cocoa powder, then whisk in the boiling water until smooth. Cool slightly.
  4. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda.
  5. Stir the cocoa mixture and fruit mixture into the wet ingredients.
  6. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.
  7. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  8. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Reduce 4 cups of Dr. Pepper to about ½ cup and cool.
  10. Beat the butter, then gradually mix in the reduced soda, ginger, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy.
  11. Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake and serve.

Notes

  • Reduce the Dr. Pepper slowly to create a concentrated syrup with bold flavor.
  • Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the cake soft and tender.
  • The cake tastes even richer after resting overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Author: Emmy Carter
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 16 servings
  • Calories: 465 per serving

Keywords: Dr. Pepper Cake, chocolate Dr. Pepper cake, homemade Dr. Pepper cake, moist chocolate cake, easy dessert recipe, soda cake, American dessert