Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Seriously the BEST chocolate cake ever. And so easy.

Chocolate and Sour Cream Cake - rich and velvety crumb!
Alison Bickel

Cake is a favorite among birthday celebrations, but there is no need to relegate it to a yearly treat.

This Chocolate Sour Cream Cake is tender, soft, and rich with chocolate flavor!

The Secret Ingredient

The secret ingredient is coffee! Coffee is to chocolate what vanilla is to custard. It provides richness and depth, intensifying the best qualities of chocolate without overpowering it.

If you don’t like coffee don’t worry. You can’t detect the taste of coffee in this cake--only chocolate.

And if you don’t do caffeine don’t worry. You can easily replace regular coffee with decaffeinated.

Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream and Coffee - slicing the cake
Alison Bickel

The Best Pan Size

This Chocolate Sour Cream Cake is intended for a 9 x 13-inch cake pan, but you can just as easily bake it in two rounds and layer it or in muffin tins for cupcakes. It will make your mouth happy, anyway you shape it.

Round cakes and cupcakes won’t need to bake as long as a 9 x 13. Start checking the centers with toothpicks after 20 minutes for cupcakes, and 30 minutes for rounds. They are ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The Best Frosting

The frosting choice is up to you, but these two are favorites. Try this Extra-Rich Chocolate Frosting for double-dose of chocolate. Or if you prefer a study in contrast and want white frosting, this cream cheese frosting is simple to make and always a hit.

Just make sure the cake is completely cool before you frost it.

Chocolate Cake with Coffee - single slice on plate
Alison Bickel

Make the Cake Ahead of Time

You can make the cake a day in advance: bake it, cool it, frost it, cover it with plastic wrap or tinfoil and keep it in the fridge. Take it out of the refrigerator an hour before you want to serve it.

Cakes like this should always be served at room temperature.

How to Freeze this Cake

Wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic wrap at least twice, and then in aluminum foil. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw, frost and serve.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake Recipe with piece missing
Alison Bickel

More Great Cakes to Slice and Share

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Total Time 75 mins
Servings 10 to 12 servings
Yield 1 (9x13) cake

Be sure to let the cake cool completely before spreading the top with frosting.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 3/4 cups (360g) sugar

  • 3/4 cup (70g) unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 2 teaspoons baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • 3/4 cup canola oil

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 cup strong piping hot coffee

  • 1 batch (1 1/2 cups) chocolate or cream cheese frosting

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

    Butter and flour a 9 x 13-inch cake pan. Set aside.

  2. Sift the dry ingredients:

    In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the kosher salt.

    Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Fudge Frosting - sifting the flour
    Alison Bickel
  3. Whisk the wet ingredients:

    In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, canola oil and vanilla extract until it looks homogenous and creamy.

    Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream - mixing the wet ingredients
    Alison Bickel
  4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients:

    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir together with a stiff spatula. The batter will be thick like frosting.

    Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream Added - making the batter
    Alison Bickel
    Chocolate and Sour Cream Cake - batter almost mixed
    Alison Bickel
  5. Add the coffee:

    Pour in the piping hot coffee. The batter will look like mud pies in a muddy lake. Keep stirring until all the liquid is incorporated and it is a homogenized cake batter.

    Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream and Coffee - add the coffee to the batter
    Alison Bickel
    Chocolate Cake with Coffee - begin mixing the coffee in
    Alison Bickel
    Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Fudge Frosting - batter mixed!
    Alison Bickel
  6. Bake the cake:

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

    Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream - Pouring the batter in the pan
    Alison Bickel
    Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream Added - testing the cake for doneness
    Alison Bickel
  7. Cool the cake:

    Take the cake out of the oven and set it on a baking rack to cool. After about 30 minutes spread the frosting on top.

    Cut and serve the cake straight from the pan like it’s 1983 and you’re rockin’ your favorite knee-high tube socks with the yellow stripe. Aw, yeah!

    Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream - baked cake cooling
    Alison Bickel
    Chocolate and Sour Cream Cake - topping with frosting
    Alison Bickel
    Chocolate Cake with Coffee - spreading the frosting on top
    Alison Bickel
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
551 Calories
26g Fat
76g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 551
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 42mg 14%
Sodium 409mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 76g 28%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 54g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 149mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.