The 2-Ingredient Cupcakes You Can Make With Any Can Of Soda

Soda and cupcakes sound pretty reminiscent of a "sugar high" at a children's birthday party, but this combo is worth drawing from as a culinary-minded adult too. There are actually a variety of ways to incorporate soda into your favorite dishes to make them even more sophisticated, and you can even use your favorite types of soda in baking as well.

Although your first thought when you hear "soda" and "baking" together might be "baking soda," your next thought might soon be "cupcakes." With just two ingredients, you can transform any can of soda into delicious cupcakes worthy of your most upscale parties. This fun take on cake will allow you to experiment with new flavor combinations and make your mark on a dessert staple. Your friends may be shocked that your cupcakes have soda as one of the main ingredients, but the flavor and texture of these unexpected cupcakes is sure to win them over.

Making two-ingredient soda cupcakes is as simple as it sounds. You don't even need all that much soda to make an impact — just a standard 12-ounce can of pop will transform your cupcakes from tasty to unforgettably luscious.

The first ingredient you'll need is a boxed cake mix. Although you can choose any flavor you'd like, it's important to pair the cake flavor with the flavor of the soda you plan to use. (For instance, lemon-lime soda pairs well with fruit-flavored cupcakes, fruity sodas go nicely with "plain" cake flavors like white or yellow cake, and Coke and Dr. Pepper's flavors are best with chocolate cake.) Once you've figured out your cake and soda pairing, pour the boxed mix into a mixing bowl, but instead of adding the eggs and oil that most cake recipes call for, pour the entire can of soda in their place. Then, you'll mix the cake ingredients and divide them up in cupcake liners, just like you normally would. You'll end up with delicious cupcakes with profound layers of flavor — and even better (depending on the mix you're using), they're vegan.

There are so many ways to use soda in the kitchen besides just drinking it while you prepare a meal. Although you can certainly do that if you want, incorporating soda into your dishes will make them stand out in the best ways.

Using soda in creative ways doesn't start and stop with baked goods either. You can use cola in your caramel sauce recipe alongside brown sugar, cream, and butter for a sweetness that will really stand out. If you're more into cooking hearty meals like chili and want to amp up your recipe without adding booze, turn to your other favorite drink — soda — and use it in place of tomato juice or stock. Fruity sodas, like orange and cherry, even make a top-notch wing sauce when you combine them with sugar and spices. And if you'd rather stick to using soda for baking, keep in mind that mixing it with sugar makes a sweetly satisfying glaze for any pound cake. You can use soda in more recipes than you think, but start with cupcakes; just one can of soda in your cake mix will impress anyone you bake for.