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This sour cream chocolate cake is moist, fudgy, completely delicious and so easy to make. It’s the perfect old-fashioned chocolate cake recipe that everyone will love and enjoy at every party!
Who here loves cake?! We are big fans, and if you love it too, you’ll want to check out some of our favorites, including: Chocolate Sheet Cake, Vanilla Cake, and our Neiman Marcus Cake.
YEs, sour cream!
If you’re looking for an easy chocolate cake that’s super moist and fudgy – then this sour cream chocolate cake is for you. It isn’t much harder than using a box mix, and it turns out perfect every time. Plus, can you really go wrong with chocolate cake and chocolate frosting?
For the longest time, I was a little unsure about adding sour cream to a chocolate cake. I was worried that it would make the cake taste funny. But you actually don’t taste the sour cream at all. Instead the sour cream makes it super moist and fudgy with the softest cake crumb.
Now, all sour cream doubt has disappeared, and I’m in love with this recipe!
How to Make Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
This recipe uses simple, everyday ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, including: butter, cocoa, water, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt and sour cream. Here are the easy instructions:
First we add the butter, cocoa and water to a sauce pan to melt everything together and dissolve the cocoa powder. Then remove it from the heat and cool slightly.
Mix in the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract – followed by the flour, baking soda and salt. Last but not least, mix in the sour cream. Bake for 35 minutes.
Let cake cool and make frosting and top with sprinkles.
Frosting + Storing
Feel free to frost the cake with whatever frosting you prefer. I’ve included one of my absolute favorite chocolate frosting recipes. It’s a simple recipe and there’s enough for a thin layer of creamy, chocolate frosting goodness. You could also top each slice with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce if you prefer, or even just a light sprinkle of powdered sugar instead.
You’ll love this sour cream chocolate cake because of its moist texture and delicious chocolate flavor. It’s not too sweet or too rich, but still filled with chocolate. So if you’re looking for an easy chocolate cake recipe – this one is definitely for you!
Leftover cake can be STORED in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. To store leftovers in the freezer you’ll want to flash freeze the cake by placing the pieces on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once solid wrap each piece with plastic wrap and again with foil freeze for up to 3 months.
For more great chocolate cake recipes, check out:
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Best Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Chocolate Frosting
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 tbsp milk
Instructions
Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- Add the butter, cocoa powder and water to a medium saucepan over low-medium heat.
- Melt everything together while gently whisking until the cocoa powder is dissolved and the butter is melted. Remove from the heat.
- Pour into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
- Mix in the sugar, followed by the eggs and vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low beat in the flour, baking soda and salt. Then mix in the sour cream.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (I usually start checking around 30 minutes just in case).
Chocolate Frosting
- Melt together the butter and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a mixing bowl to cool slightly.
- Beat in the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with a tablespoon of the milk/cream until the desired consistency and sweetness is reached.
- Frost the cooled cake, and optionally decorate with sprinkles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cake delicious but frosting left greasy feeling in the mouth. Is 12 T butter a typo? I’ve never seen a frosting recipe with so much butter.
these also make fantastic cupcakes with little modification. i did 350F for 20min.
I found the cake to be deliciously moist!! The perfect chocolate cake!!
Fantastic chocolate cake for any chocolate lover! Very moist!
Melted butter & cocoa make basically a yummy pudding, very tasty cake but a bit dry any ideas to make a moister cake? Oh I add sour cream to my breads & pancake mixes also. Icing was simple but very good 🙂
Everything about this cake is fantastic .
Easy to make and the most delicious cake I have made for a long time.my absolute favourite
Thank you!! I’m so glad you loved the cake.
This is a great recipe! I love the addition of sour cream and to melt the butter with the coco. That makes it so creamy and rich! Thank you for sharing. I made this for my daughter’s 31st birthday and she loved it.
Wonderful recipe, adapted by subbing water with coffee and used about 1/2 c sour cream b/c that’s all I had. Streamline by heating cocoa, butter and liquid in your mixing bowl until butter melted. Then mix everything in. I mixed by hand with a fork, so don’t think an electric mixer is necessary so saved time there too. Delicious! Frosting made with what I had on hand: whipping cream, butter, a mix of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate and cream cheese.
Thanks for sharing what you did! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Had to use up some sour cream, so found your recipe. Oh goodness. So moist with the right balance of chocolate flavour and such a lovely crumb and texture. I didn’t make the frosting and it didn’t need it as a snack cake. The whole family loves it, even the non chocolate lover.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Made this for my daughters 2nd birthday tonight. I was really hoping for that classic box cake mix with sour cream nostalgia and this hit the spot. It turned out fluffy and nice. Whipped up some chocolate frosting and it was a crowd pleaser. Thank you!
You’re welcome!! So happy to hear the cake was a success!
I plan on making this the night before. Do you reccomend that I store it at wrapped at room temperature or in the fridge?
I would store in the fridge! Then let it warm up a bit before serving.
this is the best cake i have ever made! it is really tasty and sooo good! I love and it’s so easy to make!
Oh thank you! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the cake recipe!
This is a sour cream and chocolate cupcake I wanna save
Super easy and sooo delicious!!
can i use 2 rounds instead of 13×9?
I just made this and it turned out amazing, easy to make with common ingredients
Cake was delicious! So light. I am glad I did not put frosting on it, as it was moist and delicious just plain.
Glad to hear you loved the cake!!
I made this recipe today and followed directions to a T but unfortunately it turned out way too dense. I won’t be making this again.
Sorry to hear the recipe didn’t turn out. Thanks for giving it a try and for the feedback.
I made this cake 2-3 days ago and is about 1/3 of the way gone by now. Very good and moist, will be making it again!
I ate a sour cream chocolate years ago that I remembered as being exceptionally moist and flavorful, and I’ve been looking ever since for a recipe that would replicate that product. While this cake was tasty, I found that it was not particularly moist and in fact crumbled a lot instead of cutting cleanly. I was careful to let the chocolate mixture cool before adding other ingredients and cooked the cake for less than the 35 minutes indicated, so I’m not sure what went wrong. Seems to me that it might need more sour cream or more of some other fat.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
Excellent recipe. The cake is super moist and chocolate. I added a tablespoon of dark roast instant coffee to enhance the chocolate flavour. Yum yum.
Mmmm I bet that was delicious. So glad you enjoyed the cake recipe!!
Is that actually a thing to bake a cake without baking powder ? Mine didn’t turn out well. It was very compact not fluffy.
You can bake a cake without baking powder if there is baking soda in the recipe. Sorry to hear yours didn’t turn out how you were hoping. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Very dense and moist cake. I used an all purpose gluten free flour and it turned out perfectly. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing what you did and used. Glad you enjoyed the cake!!
This cake turned out super moist! I used crisco shortening (butter flavor) instead of butter. Also boiled my water and poured it in the mixing bowl instead of boiling it all together. This cake is so yummy.
Thanks for sharing what you did!! I’m so happy to hear you loved the cake!
Can you substitute sour cream with greek yogurt?
Yes, you can! I’d suggest just plain greek yogurt.
After 3 attempts I nailed it. Different timing helped. 160 Celcius for 50 minutes. Its amazing. Can’t sleep I’m so excited.
Haha I’m so glad to hear you are excited! And happy to hear that you were able to find just the right timing. Every oven is different and location/weather/humidity can make a difference too, so I’m excited for you too! 🙂
I followed the directions perfectly and at 30 minutes it is still liquid in middle! Any suggestions?
Every oven bakes a little differently, even if set at the same temp/time. It sounds like it still needs to bake a little longer. Try putting it back into the oven and cover tightly in tin foil. The tin foil will trap the heat and help to cook the inside of your cake. Bake for another 10-15 minutes and check after 5-7 mins to make sure it’s working. Insert a toothpick into the center and when it comes out clean, it’s ready!
YUMMY! It almost tastes like a brownie cake. I made exactly like the directions said. It was fantastic! I’d make the cake again for Hot Fudge Cake. Ice cream between the layers of cake the hot fudge, whip cream. I loved that I had all the things on hand to make it. If you’re serving this to a large crowd, you better make 2. LOL
Yay!! So glad to hear you enjoyed the cake! It’s a good one!
Superb🎂🌰🧁😋
Thank you! I’m so happy you liked the recipe! 🙂
Re: Just made a comment a few minutes ago.
I just found my recipe for the Excelle Heart-shaped pan for Pound Cake Heart, (for the Sour Cream Chocolate Cake) so I’ll use the equivalent of eggs butter, sour cream, flour. Ingredients might work unless you have another suggestion?
Thanks,
Fran
Question: Can I use the Sour Cream Chocolate cake in a heart-shaped pan? It is 9″ on the widest part and 2″ deep. I may not bother with frosting and just serve with ice cream, but more important want to know about the pan. (Wilton)
Thank you,
Fran
That sounds perfect! I personally haven’t tried, so I wouldn’t know for sure. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Literally one of the best chocolate cake recipes I’ve had. Dense, rich and moist. The frosting is so so good too!
I am glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
Do you happen to have a recipe like this one except for a 11×7 pan or a 8×8 or 9×9 pan?
Sounds delicious. Thank you.
Here is the link to all my cakes…https://lilluna.com/category/recipes/desserts-recipes/cakes-cupcakes/. You can really customize any cake to the size you need, either by doubling, halving, whatever you need.
Can this be made as a Bundt cake and if so, what adjustment would I make in cooking time?
Can’t wait to try it!
I haven’t made it in a bundt pan, so I’m not sure what baking time adjustments would need to be made. Since, it is thicker, it might need a little more time.
I would like to know this also
I haven’t tried baking in a bundt pan, but if you did, I would just advise to not overfill the pan. Make sure to leave room for the cake to rise. As far as baking time goes, just consistently check it. I’d follow the directions and start checking around 30-35 minutes with the chance it may take a bit longer too.
I substituted cream cheese for the frosting and used a little less sugar in batter and frosting. So delicious!!
Glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing what you did 🙂
E xcellent step by step instructions. The cake was moist and tender with just the right amount of richness. I did add a touch of vanilla to the frosting but thats just personal preference.
Awe, thank you for saying that!! Glad you gave it a try!
So good!!
Probably haven’t made a chocolate cake from scratch in maybe 50 years. Definitely will make again!
Yay!! Thank you!
This cake is aaaamazing!!!!! I make mine dairy & egg free by using a dairy free butter, applesauce instead of eggs, a dairy free sour cream and coconut or almond milk for the frosting. I have mAde it 3 times now And it is a family favorite!
Good to know 🙂 Thank you for sharing that! I am so glad you like it!
Cake tecipe is awesome but is rhere a typo in the frosting revipe ? Are thEre really 12 T butter? Mine completely cOngealed and separated. Texture was sll weong. What went wrong ?
This cake was outstanding! I made it last night and it was wonderFul. My husband doesn’t really care for cake, but wanted seconds of this!
Yay..that makes my day! Thank you for letting me know!
what a yummy cake, sour cream is a nice touch, thank you!
Made this cake for my husband’s birthday. He’s the ultimate chocolate cake critic, and we both love it! Super moist and light.
The frosting was okay but the recipe barely made enough to put a thin layer on the cake. REALLY needs to be doubled to make enough.
Thank you for trying it 🙂 Tell him, I am glad he liked it!
Best chocolate cake and frosting I have ever made. thank you so much!!!!
You are so welcome!! Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you!
This cake is delicious! Substituted the eggs for applesauce and used non-dairy sour cream (me and my baby are egg and dairy free) and it was amazing. So moist and chocolAtey! I wanted to eat the whole pan! I will be making thia cake for my lItte guy on his first birthday next month ?
Can you layer this cake?
You sure can! Just make sure before you layer the cakes that they are completely cooled first and then you’ll be good to go! I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Should i use natural cocoa or dutch-processed cocoa for this, or does it not matter which one I use?
Nope, doesn’t matter at all. I use whatever I have on hand. Enjoy!!
I’d never made chocolate cake from scratch before. Today at 6.00pm I put this mix in the oven. At 6.36pm I took the cake out. Evenly baked, moist, spongy, PERFECT! It smells so nice. I want to bake this every day!
Thank you for this recipe. I had to convert to European measurements. Here we have sweet Cadbury’s cocoa powder, so I used the equivalent of 0.75 cup of sugar, instead of 1.75 cup. My oven has been quick to burn the top of previous bakes, so I converted 350 F to 170 C and lowered by 10 degrees. 160 C in fan oven and no burning whatsoever.
Sour cream always comes in a big pot and usually I only needed a thin layer for chicken wraps! Now I’ll never waste sour cream! Really brilliant way to use it up!
Thank you for sharing what you did and used. I’m SO glad you enjoyed the cake. And way to make it from scratch!
Super easy and if finger licks indicative, also delicious! Currently cooling…
Yay!! Glad you think so 😉 Thanks so much!
Thank you for sharing. I like the idea of using sour cream because it is so popular in my russian culture. The cake was very delicious and on the next day – even more. Your RECIPE will stay in my collection.
Happy to know it will 🙂 I am so glad you liked it! Thank you so much!
I made this for a layered birthday cake w/ raspberry filling and a chocolate ganache. was easy, moist, & delicious!
Perfect!! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
I really liked this recipe. Went together quickly.
Delicious !!!!
Happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know!
Swapped out Sour Cream For Greek Yoghurt And Cut Back On The Sugar, And It Was Insanely Good (light, moist, all the good things a cake should be) And So Easy To Make!
Thank you for sharing what you did! Glad you liked it!
my cake came out really dry, I dont know what happened…
Darn..I’m sorry! I wish I knew. Did you follow the recipe exactly?
I used a different frosting recipe, but this chocolate cake is probably the best I have ever had, and I have made lots! Very rich and chocolatey but as she says in the recipe, not too sweet. So if you want to add sweetness ice it with something really sweet, if not just sprinkle it with a little powdered sugar or serve it plain or with a little whipped cream.
Oh and it’s also really easy to make. Thank you for the recipe!
You are so welcome!! I am so glad you like it 🙂 Thank you for saying that!
I used 3/4 of brewed coffee instead of water! It was amaaaaazing! You don’t taste the coffee, but it eNHances the chocolate so nicely. It was amaZing. Try it!
Great option to try! Thank you for sharing that!!
Best cake ever
I am so glad you think that! It is our go-to! Thank you for letting me know!
Ice cream on chocolate Cake? Whoever heard of such a thing? Treason! Here’s the secret sauce: Put freshly whipped,Whipped Cream on top. Nectar of the Gods!
This was amazing! I made this a sheet cake and it was amazing!! Thanks
Happy to hear that!! Thank you so much!!
Can you fReeze this then later frost it?
Haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not 🙂
This is amazing… my husband said its all he could think about… that second piece… thanks so much.
LOL!! Tell him thank you! And, thank you for trying it!
Came across your blong when i was searching for a simple ChOc caje with sourcream. I baked this today and i love this. Its soft and moist and fudgy. I added 1 tbsp espresso as i like a tinge of coffee in choc caKes.
However i did’nt use your frosting. Instead i Frost it with cOffee choc chips ganache abd its perfect.
Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe. Will defintely make this again. ??
You are so welcome!! I am glad to share! Thank you for sharing that!
I just made this cake this morning. I halfed the recipe and used a round cake pan (perfect size for just myself and my partner.) It’s really simple and quick to make, very moist, and just what you want when craving chocolate cake. Mine only needed to bake around 25 minutes. i also noticed you don’t need a stand mixer for the batter; it’s easy to stir together in a bowl.
Perfect!! Thank you for sharing that!! I am glad you liked it!!
Made this using cake flour.. Delish!!! Th for the recipe. Absolutely love sour cream cakes
Glad to share! I am glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know!
Would like more of your recipes .
This sounds so good but would it work in a round cake pan? What if you want to do the 2 layers like a regular round cake?
I have not tried, but using the 2 rounds may work 🙂 You will have to let me know if you try 🙂 Thank you!
Works perfectly as a 2 layer cake; start checking at about 20 minutes; mine took 30. Fantastic cake. Used my mom’s great icing recipe though, it includes coffee.
Yay! That is great to hear. I’m glad it worked in the 2 round pans. Your mom’s icing sounds delicious too!
I tray your recipe right away and I love to cook and bakes. Please tray to send me more recipe from you. Thank you very much….
So glad you like my recipes! Keep checking back 🙂
Love your recipes
Awe, thank you so much! Let me know which ones you try!
This cake cake came so good! I made it exactly the way it’s called except for one thing, when you’re adding the 3/4 cups of water at the beginning, half of that was water and the other half I made strong COFFEE. It came moist, chocolatey and delicious. This now my go-to chocolate cake recipe. Thank you!
You are so welcome! Thanks for sharing what you did!
Simply THE best chocolate cake with the most SIMPLE ingredients. I ONLY USE 1 CUP OF SUGAR, IT SWEET ENOUGH.
Thank you very much for the recipe!!?
You are so welcome! I am happy you liked it! Thank you!
I appreciate you trying them!