Coca-Cola Cake has been a fixture of Southern kitchens since the mid-20th century, but it got a big boost in popularity when Cracker Barrel put it on the menu back in the 1990s (if you’ve ever had a slice at one of their restaurants, you already know exactly what I’m talking about). It’s a cousin of Texas Sheet Cake — thin, moist, and topped with a warm frosting that soaks right into the top — but the Coke does something special here. It tenderizes the crumb and adds this deep, almost caramel-y richness you can’t quite place until you know the secret.

This one’s a keeper for a reason! Here’s how you make it:

What Ingredients Do You Need for Coca-Cola Cake?

• All-purpose flour and sugar.
• Salted butter.
• Cocoa powder.
• Coca-Cola, of course.
• Buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla extract
• Mini marshmallows, folded in for pockets of gooey sweetness.
• More butter, cocoa, and Coca-Cola for the frosting, plus powdered sugar and vanilla.

How Do You Make Coca-Cola Cake?

This is an interesting cake because you’re using the stovetop for both the batter and the frosting. But it’s worth it, I promise!

You’ll start by whisking together the flour and sugar, then heating the butter, cocoa, and Coca-Cola together in a saucepan until it comes to a boil (your kitchen is going to smell incredible at this point, fair warning). Pour that hot mixture over your dry ingredients, then stir in the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the marshmallows and pour everything into a greased 9×13 pan.

While the cake bakes, make your frosting the same way you made the cake batter: butter, cocoa, and Coca-Cola heated together, then whisked with powdered sugar and vanilla. The trick (and this part does matter) is pouring the warm frosting over the cake the second it comes out of the oven. It seeps into the top and sets into this glossy, fudge-like layer that keeps the whole cake moist for days. (Not that it’ll last that long.) Enjoy!