It should come as no surprise that I love sweet treats. Sometimes, I enjoy spending hours in the kitchen, mixing batters from scratch, testing different recipes and making fully homemade baked goods for my family, friends and co-workers.
But those times are few and far between. So, recipes that offer baking shortcuts but delicious, crave-worthy treats are always going to catch my eye.
Soda cupcakes are a quick and easy way to whip up some seriously delicious treats.
Plus, there are so many combinations you can try!
First, let’s talk about what a soda cake is. It combines a store-bought cake mix with a soft drink. It’s simple but once you try it, I think you’ll be hooked!
The measurements couldn’t be easier — one box of cake mix and 12 ounces of soda. I usually use a can but if you have a bottle, just measure out the 12 ounces. You can choose any flavors you want (and I have some options below that I think work perfectly).
Easy Soda Cupcakes
Ingredients
- One box of cake mix
- 12 ounces of flavored soda
Instructions
- Pour cake mix into large mixing bowl.
- Dump 12oz. can of diet soda in with cake mix.
- Mix together with an electric mixer.
- Bake according to directions on the box!
Notes
For this attempt, I used diet orange soda and french vanilla cake mix. These bad boys went into a 325 degree oven for about 17 minutes, and came out looking puffy and lovely!
Normally, my favorite soda cake combination is devil’s food cake and wild cherry Diet Pepsi. But really, the possibilities are ENDLESS!
This technique for easy soda cupcakes just takes two ingredients. I love kitchen shortcuts! Click To TweetEasy Soda Cupcake Combinations
- angel or yellow cake + diet orange soda
- banana cake mix + diet root beer
- cherry chip cake + A& W diet Cream soda
- chocolate cake or devils food + diet pepsi
- chocolate cake + diet vanilla coke
- chocolate cake + diet root beer
- lemon cake mix + diet 7-up
- lemon cake + diet ginger ale
- lemon + diet lemon
- marble cake + diet cream soda
- red velvet + diet cherry vanilla Dr Pepper
- spice cake + diet lemon-lime
- spice cake + diet orange
- white cake + diet ginger ale
- white cake + diet orange
- white cake + diet sprite
- yellow cake + diet orange
To go along with what I like to call my “Creamsicle Cupcakes”, I decided to make some of my own vanilla buttercream frosting. There is definitely no way around the fact that this frosting is NOT healthy…but it’s out of this world!
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
– 1/2 cup butter, softened
– 3 cups confectioners sugar
– 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
– 1-3 tbsp milk
Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and 1 tbsp. milk. Continue to add milk until desired consistency is achieved. (I ended up using almost 3 tbsp). And then I ended up with THESE!
I was really hoping I had orange sprinkles somewhere to go along with my “orange” cupcakes, but no such luck. Oh well! At least they match the liners! :)
I broke out the pastry bag to do some “fancy frosting”! :-D
One of the best parts about soda cakes is that they’re SO MOIST! Look at how soft and spongy these are!
Have you ever tried or heard of Soda Cakes? What flavor combo would you most like to try?? :-D
Sam says
Hey, I made diet Dr. Pepper/French Vanilla cupcakes and brought them into work today. I didn’t really go all diet with them though… easy enough to make :)
Courtney says
I was talking to my mom earlier telling her I was making these and she told me then that you had just made some! Great minds think alike! :)
kelsey@snackingsquirrel.com says
ur such a gorgeous glowing energy. just had to say :)
btw ima bout to steal that sandwich from u.. and maybe ur kitty too hehe
xoxo <3 have a super week :)
Courtney says
Thank you so much!
I’ll let you steal the sandwich…but not my kitty! ;)
Heather says
Those cupcakes look so pretty!!
Beth says
Try diet cream soda with funfetti cake!! So good!
Courtney says
Oooo I bet it is! I LOVE funfetti cake! Thanks! :)
Nancy says
How interesssstinnggg. Does it taste sort of orange flavored? I can’t imagine what it can begin to taste like!
The bread on your ‘sammich’ looks freaking wildly delicious. I want to have some lol. :)
Courtney @ Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life says
Yes, if you choose a diet soda with a little flavor, the cake will take on a subtle flavor of it. They’re SO GOOD!
(And yes, the bread is yummy!) :)
Cathy says
Can you use regular soda as in not diet??
Alexa says
Courtney! I’ve been following along with your blog for a while (it always pops up on fb!) You’re such a healthy eater, I’m so jealous! But hey, next year when I have my own kitchen, I’ll catch up! These look GREAT! I’ll have to test them on the Ritz family!
Courtney says
Thanks Alexa! Glad to have you reading! Let me know if you try any of the recipes on the Ritz fam :)
Verneatha Spell-Profit says
Sounds yummy. Any suggestions on what soda to add to the carrot cake mix?
Courtney says
I would maybe try either a Sierra Mist/7-Up or ginger ale! I’ve never tried it with a carrot cake mix…let me know how it turns out! :)
Alexia says
Do you think Lemon San Pellegrino would work with a white cake???
Courtney says
Hmmmm, never tried it before? But I think it’d totally be worth a shot!! Let me know if you try it!
Karen says
Hi Courtney! I am making yellow cake for my mom’s birthday with milk chocolate frosting, what kind of diet soda would you use and would it work with a cake not cupcakes?? I love reading your blog everyday!!
Courtney says
Hi Karen! Yes, it will definitely work with a regular cake! Since you’re doing a yellow cake, then I would say to stay away from the darker sodas. Usually, I would just do a diet sprite/7-up…you could do ginger ale/orange/any other light sodas, but just be sure to pick one that you think would work with the chocolate frosting. Good luck! :)
MonicaGrover says
Courtney what would be a good desert to give to the residents at my job I have a couple that are diebetic n I hate not being able to give them something sweet at times help me out
Dawn B. says
So do I follow the normal directions on the cake or do I substitute the liquid the cake asks for with the soda?
Courtney says
You substitute EVERYTHING for the soda! No water, oil, OR eggs! Then just bake like normal :)
Dawn B. says
thanks! i figured that after i asked the question
Dawn B. says
I decided to up the flavor a little bit.
I’m going to cut a little of the middle out and fill it with a vanilla pudding add some of my powdered sugar frosting, istead of the egg white for the moisture and on the top I’m probably going to add a little vanilla butter cream frosting. For the less so sweet side
Courtney says
That sounds AWESOME! Feel free to send any extras my way ;)
April @ Motor City Runner says
My boss has actually been making these for a while (in cake form). I love that I found someone else who knows what pop (cup)cakes are:) She actually started making them because they are weight watcher approved!!
Sam says
I love this so much! I just started my blog on Monday, and yesterday I posted about using Diet Mountain Dew in yellow cake (which I discovered on Alyssa’s blog at Life of Blyss)…I had never heard of that before, and now I just saw your guest post @ The Lunchbox Diaries! Love your blog, by the way, super cute and I have made many a recipe from your posts!
katie Carso says
I love this! I have actually done the cooking cupcakes with soda too! I think it rocks!
Love the PINK sprinkle touch on the cupcakes ; ) you know I love my pink !
Happy Thursday love!
Angela @ MyPinkyToes says
Oh my, I will definitely have to try to make some of these! I’m not normally a baker, but this looks simple so hopefully I couldn’t mess it up!
Bekah says
I am going to be having my daughter’s princess birthday party this weekend and will definitely be trying this! The Cranberry Sierra Mist will make pink cupcakes & I thought about a vanilla cake mix with Grape Soda for Purple ones too! Any ideas what other kinds of cake mix I could use with the Grape??
Stephanie says
I know this is a fairly old blog post, but I felt the need to comment. Did you know that aspartame is not safe to cook with? It turns to formaldeyhyde, which can lead to formaldehyde poisoning in your body. It is never safe to cook or bake with or put in jello or hot drinks.
You can bake with diet drinks sweetened with Splenda aka is sucralose, but using diet drinks sweetened with aspartame is very dangerous for your body.
Lynda says
Hi Courtney
I was just wondering if these cake mixes can be mixed with regular soda pop not the diet ones?
phoebe says
Hi Courtney! I made the soda cupcakes this morning (Lemon cake mix + Lemon 7 Up) –> SUCCESS!! It’s my first cupcakes :)) My friends love them!
My frosting isn’t as stiff as yours though, hence the shape of the swirl isn’t as pretty. What power do you usually use? And how long beating time?
I did it this way:
1. Melt butter in microwave
2. Beat butter and sugar (sifted, 1 cup at a time) — LOW power, 2mins
3. Add vanilla, milk (2 tbsp) — LOW, 2mins
3. (Then I tested it and found tons of sugar bits… so I beat again, with HIGH power, around 3mins)
Rene says
I was wondering if you let the soda go flat or if you keep the carbonation when making your soda cupcakes?
Melinda says
I absolutely love Angel food or white cake mix and Dr Pepper Cherry. When I make these their gone in a flash.