Say goodbye to dry chocolate cakes-this Sour Cream Chocolate Cake is here to save the day. With a one-bowl method (no mixer required!), rich Dutch cocoa, and a hit of hot coffee, it bakes up super moist, deeply chocolatey, and practically irresistible. It's perfect for any occasion or just an all-day cake craving!
Welcome to one of my all-time favorite chocolate cake recipes, ever! This cake is incredibly moist, has a super soft texture, and stays moist for days!
I am not one to shy away from baking with sour cream, you can't beat the intense moisture it adds to cake. My sister proclaimed this was the perfect cake to serve with ice cream.
What Makes This Cake So Good
For this simple cake you will need:
- Sour Cream. The star of the recipe. I have tried making chocolate cake without sour cream and trust me, it's not worth eating! Sour cream is an intense moisture bomb to the cake batter. It also provides a slight tang! Don't miss my sour cream pound cake recipe.
- Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. After years of testing chocolate dessert recipes I have found that I much prefer the taste and flavor you get from using Dutch Process Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. The acidity has been stripped so you end up with a smoother, richer chocolate flavor.
- Hot Coffee. Don't lose me here! The coffee does not make this cake taste like coffee; in fact, you would never know there is coffee in it. Coffee is like a secret ingredient. The Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor. You can use decaf coffee if you prefer.
Featured Review
"This was not only an easy cake to bake but very moist and delicious. I made it exactly as stated and wouldn't change a thing, and everyone I shared it with gave me compliments."
Joni
Simple steps for a delicious cake
It is not worth skipping preheating your oven and prepping your pan, trust me those two simple steps will make a world of a difference in baking this cake!
While the cake is cooling prepare chocolate frosting. I love to use my sour cream chocolate frosting recipe but you can use another frosting recipe.
Depending on what frosting you use store the cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days. The cake is best enjoyed at room temperature. I hope you love this sour cream chocolate cake as much as we do!
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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Tender & Luscious Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Bliss
This sour cream chocolate cake recipe is moist and chocolatey. It's easy and simple to make. And it's the best recipe for chocolate cake beginners. Learn how to make this sour cream chocolate cake here.
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
- Yield: 12 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 400 grams (2 Cups) Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 6oz (¾ Cup) Vegetable Oil
- 8oz (1 Cup) Sour Cream
- 250 grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour
- 90 grams (¾ Cup) Dutch Process Cocoa Powder ( I use Rodelle Dutch Cocoa Powder or Bensdorp Dutch Cocoa Powder)
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 8oz (1 Cup) Hot Coffee*
Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9" X 13" pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer or large bowl with a whisk combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil, and sour cream and mix until fully combined.
- Place a large fine mesh sieve over the bowl of wet ingredients and sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
- Gently stir in the dry ingredients, and mix until fully incorporated. Add in the hot coffee and mix until evenly combined. The cake batter will be very thin. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 33-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean/ only moist crumbs, no wet batter. Set cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling prepare chocolate frosting. When the cake is fully cooled begin frosting. Depending on what frosting you use store the cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days. The cake is best enjoyed at room temperature.
Notes
*The cake does not taste like coffee, coffee just enhances the chocolate flavor.
Making ahead: This cake stays very moist so you can easily make the cake the day before you want to serve it. Cover the cake with plastic wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator. Make sure to take the cake out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving, as the cake tastes best at room temperature, not chilled.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Rosa A Catania says
Can I use natural sweetener, like erythritol or monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar to make this cake,?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Rosa, I am so sorry I have never tried using a different sweetener like that. Let me know if you try it! XX Liz
Roberta says
This cake is so easy and delicious! Every time I make it I add a ton of sprinkles too!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks for the lovely review Roberta! XX Liz
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Tamara says
Have made this recipe couple of times. Everyone loves it.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Tamara, thank you so much for the lovely 5- star review, I really appreciate it!! So pleased you enjoyed the cake!! Take care!! XX Liz
Keddy says
I made this for my sister in laws birthday and everyone at the party loved it! It was moist, rich, a delicious texture, and wonderful with the sour cream chocolate icing too. And very easy to make/bake.
Just a note that I used a bigger pan that 9x13 and found it still filled the entire baking tray! A bigger size may be better here for more even baking and a better cake to icing ratio.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Keddy, thank you for the 5-star review. You can of course bake it in a larger pan for a more even cake to frosting ratio! Happy Baking! XX Liz
Kerry T Caruso says
This recipe is perfect ! The best chocolate cake I have made in years !
Elizabeth Waterson says
You are so sweet thank you Kerry for the 5-star review!! XX Liz
Cheryl McPherson says
I have not been a very good cake baker from scratch but I made this recipe and it was a HUGE hit! Very tasty and moist! I will definitely make this again!
Elizabeth Waterson says
That makes me so happy Cheryl! Thank you for the lovely 5-star review, excited for you to try some more recipes!! XX Liz
Arlene says
Really easy to make. Thanks for two options for ingredients. Very moist and tasty! Excellent!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Arlene, so glad you enjoyed this cake, we absolutely love it too!! Thank you for the 5-star rating, it really helps me! XX Liz
E1 says
Hi there
Looking fwd to making this.. however is coffee mandatory in this recipe or can I replace with a substitute?
Thnx!
Elizabeth Waterson says
The coffee helps bloom the cocoa and intensify the chocolate flavor, it does not make it taste like coffee. You could swap it out for some hot water instead if you want. Please LMK how you like the recipe!XX Liz
E1 says
Thnx Liz
I used hot milk and it turned out beautiful! Husband is caffeine sensitive so I wanted to avoid the coffee where possible!
Many thnx for a wonderful recipe!
Joan Dalton says
I used powdered decaf coffee (about 1.5x strength) to avoid additional caffeine. Chocolate has some caffeine in it too, so important for sensitive types to use the decaf!!
Maxie says
This cake taste amazing its actually the best chocolate cake I've ever made and I'm not young either🤣and I've made my fair share of chocolate cakes. The texture, moistness all excellent. This is now my go to chocolate cake. Thanks for the recipe
Cindy Kowalski says
Can I make this in a bundt cake pan?
Elizabeth Waterson says
HI Cindy, I have never made this recipe in a bundt cake before, so I am not quite sure how it would bake up. But I do have a great chocolate bundt cake recipe that uses sour cream here: https://confessionsofabakingqueen.com/chocolate-bundt-cake/ XX Liz
Diane Brady says
I tried the Bundt pan & it overflowed all over in my oven. The cake is super moist & delicious! I would not use all the batter if baking in a Bundt pan. Maybe fill it 1/2 way.
Frances J Nolan says
There is an asterisk (*) after "hot coffee", but no indication of what it means. Is it optional?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Frances, it means *The cake does not taste like coffee, coffee just enhances the chocolate flavor. Hope that helps! Please let me know if you try the recipe! XX Liz
Jan says
Can this cake be baked in 2 round pans and then layered with icing in between? Wasn’t sure if it would hold its shape since it appears very moist.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Jan, Yes I would think so. I would try two 8 or 9 inch cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with no wet batter, moist crumbs are okay. You will need more of the sour cream frosting to cover a layer cake, I wouldn't go more than two layers on this just because the cake is so moist not sure how well it will stand up! Report back if you make it! XX Liz
Joni Levy says
This was not only an easy cake to bake but very moist and delicious. I made it exactly as stated and wouldn't change a thing, and everyone I shared it with gave me compliments.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Joni, so glad you enjoyed the cake! Thank you so much for the 5-star review, I truly appreciate it! XX Liz
Ann B says
Excellent! I doubled the recipe so I could make 2 10 inch layers and it came out so well! i filled my pans almost to the brim so i ended up baking at 350 for 35 minutes and then at 325 for another 15. Moist, fluffy, and delicious!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Ann, thanks for sharing that you were able to tweak it and have success! So glad that you enjoyed the cake! Thanks for the 5-star review! XX Liz
Marina says
came out very light in color and weird texture. would not make this again
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Marina, sorry to hear you had trouble with this. I have made it plenty of times with much success. I wonder if any of your ingredients were off to cause a weird texture or color.
Cassandra says
This was one of the best cakes I ever made
The texture, the denseness the moistness it was all incredible and I’m not one for chocolate cake too much but I couldn’t stop eating this one
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Cassandra, so glad you liked the cake, I love this one too! May I ask a huge favor please? Would you be so kind to leave a star rating when you leave a comment? This helps my standings in google and other readers quickly asses whether others have had success with the recipe! I would be so grateful! Thank you! XX Liz