I’m certainly not one of those Coca Cola connoisseurs who can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi. In fact I rarely drink the stuff and I also loathe Diet Coke. Didn’t Paris Hilton once say “Diet Coke is for fat people”? Although I’d caution anyone following her lead on things. My dislike of Coke goes completely out of the window when it comes to baking with Coca Cola. I will happily eat a Ham baked in Coke and a Coca Cola cupcake or cake. I can’t account for my lapse in logic but it’s one that allows me to eat a gigantic 4 tier slice of Red Velvet cake but say no to a can of Coke. I suspect it’s also that flawed logic that lets me buy a pair of shoes thinking 1 wear per year is actually pretty good and I have achieved a good cost to value ratio.
Sequin shoes-worn once since purchase=an excellent cost to wear ratio
And before I go any further, let me link you to a site that has almost 1001 uses for Coca Cola: http://members.tripod.com/~Barefoot_Lass/cola.html where Coca Cola is like a version of Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where Windex is the cure all for any ailment from cleaning burnt pans to relieving jellyfish stings. I don’t know if I’d turn to either but in a pinch…
Coca-Cola cupcakes
(makes 12-14 cupcakes)
- 200g plain flour
- 250g golden caster sugar (I used regular caster)
- 1/2 teaspoon bi carbonate of soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 125 ml buttermilk (or 30g yogurt mixed with 100ml semi skimmed milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125g unsalted butter
- 175 ml Coca Cola
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
Cola icing:
- 225g icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons Coca Cola
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional decorating
- Fondant or marzipan
- Red colouring gel
- Wine gummy Cola lollies
1. Preheat the oven to180c/gas mark 4 and line cupcake tray with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat the egg, buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring jug. In a heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter, cocoa and Coca Cola, heating it gently. Pour into the dry ingredients, stir well with a wooden spoon, then add the liquid ingredients from the measuring jug, beating until it is well blended.
3. Pour into a measuring jug and then pour into cupcake pans, about 3/4 full (they will rise a little but not a great deal) Leave to stand for 15 minutes in the pan before unmoulding.
4. You can use the Coca Cola icing that Nigella details below: Prepare the icing: Sift the icing sugar and set aside. In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the butter, cola and cocoa and stir over low heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and spoon in the sifted icing sugar, beating as you do so, until you’ve got a spreadable but still runny icing. While the cake is still warm, pour the icing over it. Leave to cool before transferring to a serving plate.
From How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
OR
5. You can use the Fondant/marzipan icing idea I used. Do white fondant parts first: make tiny white balls to represent bubbles. Do the open bubbles last, after the red fondant. Roll white fondant out and cut into strips. Set aside but be prepared to use it within the next 30 minutes before it goes hard. Colour fondant with red colouring and cut out circle. Place on cupcake, then add white ribbon swirl, then add solid balls. To do the open bubbles, roll a tiny ball, then dip the pointy end of japanese chopsticks with a thin end into icing sugar (not takeaway ones that have a thick end) and poke a hole into the centre of the ball and slide straight from chopstick onto cupcake. These are delicate so I found it easiest to slide them straight on in the end. Add coca cola sweet standing up.
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24 Comments | Add your own
i’m curious. what did those cupcakes taste like? it’s a very interesting idea.
btw those shoes are divine!
When Coke starts to be used to clean the bathroom or shine the car, then you gotta start wondering what it’s doing to your insides! I’ve made that cola cake from Nigella’s book before, I think, but didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about. But that’s just me wanting more chocolate flavour in my cake.
Love the sparkly shoes. I have several pairs bought but as of yet, unworn, which makes for a very bad cost to wear ratio indeed! *slaps wrist*. To be fair, one has jewels and feathers on it. Not exactly every day material.
I just happen to be sipping a Coke while reading this. Spooky. I liked how your font matches the Coke font. Tip: To increase the cost:wear ratio, try wearing shoes when having visitors over (it counts as ‘being seen’).
Hi there!
I hope you don’t mind my asking, but reading your post on BBQ rib, you said: “I use regular pork ribs that my parents have found a reliable supplier of as they’re juicier and meatier”
Whereabouts do you get these? I miss the “spare ribs” (as they are called in the USA)
the “bbq”/”american”/”baby-back” ribs we get here are all bone and no meat! The only other ribs butchers/supermarkets sell are the belly ribs which is not what I am after either !
Thanks, and I have just stumbled onto your blog for the first time – love it!
Thomas.
coca cola cupcake? i really dont know how i feel about this… haha… would love to try it though… interesting idea! although, i must say the cupcakes looks adorable!
I’m with Virginia – dying to know how these actually taste. I’m a Coke girl,but this would be testing my limits!
i’m a dr. pepper fan myself, but i wouldn’t pass these up. after all, there’s chocolate involved! cute and impressive fondant work, by the way.
Hi virginia-Mmmm good questions, not very Coke-y I’d have to say. Perhaps a tiny bit caramelly but I wouldn’t say caramel flavoured. If anything, I think the coke impacts the texture (dense and fudgey) more than the flavour. Thanks, they’re my Wizard of Oz shoes. Not red but I can imagine clicking them together
Hi Y-Yep I remember being told that if you put a carrot stick in a cup of Coke, it disintegrates. Eeeeek!
I try and wear my shoes at least once, otherwise I feel bad. But once they’re worn I feel satisfied that they’ve had their outing. And that includes the heels that are impossible to walk in which I couldn’t actually wear a second time even if I wanted to
BTW the jewels and feathers ones sound great-are they Choos?
Hi belle-Coincidence! I downloaded the special Coke font. It just didn’t feel right without it
Hmm good thinking, and I agree that would definitely count!
Hi Thomas-I know what you mean, the ribs here are a lot of work for not a lot of meat! My parents described the place to me but they didn’t give me the name. It’s in Market City and I’ll go there this weekend and try and get the name of it for you. Hopefully they gave me the right directions (they’re not always accurate). I’ll post it on the Ribfest story if I find it
Hi cla-I totally understand, it’s a bit
at first. It took me years to get it together to make them 
Thanks!
Hi rah-Hehe well there isn’t a very strong Coke taste which is either a good or bad thing depending on one’s perspective!
Hi grace-Mmmm I like Dr Pepper too. Thankyou! I thought my ribbons were pretty pathetic but they just wouldn’t do the Coke “dynamic ribbon”
My Mom told me her recipe for Indonesian steamed cake (Bolu Kukus) using Coca Cola and Fanta range (red, green, and orange and we do have Purple Fanta in Indonesia) to give the top of the cake colourful range touch. Beside it, the bubbles help the top of the cake to get a lil bit raise as long as you not stirring it too much.
Haha! Fantastic to see someone else with the same theory on shoe wearing! Love the blog, always the highlight of my week:) I have had coke cake before but couldn’t really taste it so passed it off as more of a gimmick but I will definately give these a try. I have recently bought Nigella Lawson’s How To Be A Domestic Goddess and am really looking forward to trying her recipes!
These are so cute, Lorraine! I love the little bottles.:)
When I was little, I remember people throwing Coke down the drain to clear it up.
ok, first things first- CUTEST shoes ever!!!! So seriously cute. I have to agree with you about drinking coke. I never drink the stuff, but never hesitate for cook with it. I also just found a Southern recipe for Dr Pepper cake that I need to try. Thanks for sharing!
Prada, darleeng, praaada..
Thank you!!
haha! these are fabulous! btw, you shoes are totally beautiful and i would consider them an excellent purchase even if i’d only worn them once. one more thing…i have that set of glass coasters, too.
Coca Cola is used alot in Southern cooking, have my eye on a few recipes. Great cupcakes, and I’m with you on the diet stuff.
Hi Lilia-That sounds amazing! I’d love to see a picture of it-I’m imagining a gorgeous rainbow cake
Hi Charley-Thankyou so much! I agree, the coke doesn’t really affect the taste very much. Domestic Goddess is the best baking book ever, you’ll have so much fun!
Hi Patricia-Thanks!
When I saw them at the DJs foodhall I snapped them up for the cake. Wow, drain cleaner? That says a lot about it and I wonder if anyone drank it after that? 
Hi Joy-Thankyou
I used to have a really bad shoe habit, now it’s hats 
Dr Pepper cake would be really great, I’d love to hear how it works out and whether you can taste the Dr Pepper!
Hi Y-Fabbo!
Hi Thomas-You’re welcome, I hope it’s still there
Hi steph-Thanks, I can always count on great gals to make me feel better about my shoe purchases
Haha really? My husband didn’t like them (I bought them) until everyone that saw them complimented us on them. So he had to rethink his stand on the coasters 
Hi Kim-Yes they’ve got some great recipes in the South, full of butter and sugar and then more butter and sugar. Got to love it!
Lol at your logic, I can relate. I’ve questioned folk who won’t spend $2.40 on 1.25 litres of Coke because it’s not on special, yet they’ll pay that for a large cup of Coke at McDonalds and it’s nowhere one litre?
Great idea re: the theme on these cupcakes. My questions have been answered just reading your responses above!
I note you now have a hat habit? For some reason, hats look good on me and my husband tries to convince me to start buying hats.. but I’m just not game right now. Maybe down the track?
Love the blingy shoes!
Hi Maria-LOL yes it is illogical logic at play.
I do certainly have a bad hat habit but it’s hard as they are so difficult to store! I think people don’t wear hats as much here as say in England. Do you find that the case too? I only wear them to weddings as I don’t go to the racecourse where hats are usually worn.
Thanks!
Good Morning Lorraine,
The hats I see around here… are prefominantly winter-style hats from trendy surfwear shops that sell ‘Billabong’ and ‘Roxy’.. labwla like that. Usually knitted.. or come complete with scarf attached.. funkyness like that! Admittedly I have a cable knitted , beige, cap-style hat.. ‘Quiksilver’ label.. ;-
I think it’s great that you don a hat for a wedding!
PREFOMINANTLY? And to think, I proof-read that..
And ‘labwla’ ??? LABELS I meant. Gosh.. I need to go for a morning walk, may clear my brain!! 
Hi Maria-This is true, I see a lot of winter hats but also around Melb cup or racing time, a lot of Fascinators. Thanks, at first I felt a little odd as the only one but people always come up to me to compliment my hats
Hehe that’s cool, I often type away and then read back and think “What on earth?”
These cakes are addly moreish!
How long did you bake yours for? Mine were ready in 18mins.
Hi michelle-Oh great! I think my cupcakes tend to cook in about 20 minutes as they’re not the really big Texas muffin size
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