Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Recipe

4.94 from 113 votes

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Recipe

Moist Sour Cream Chocolate Cake is rich, soft, and topped with homemade chocolate frosting for the perfect old fashioned cake!

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Total1 30

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

¾ cup unsalted butter
⅔ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup water
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sour cream

Chocolate Frosting

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
4-6 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 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 ½ 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.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Let the cocoa mixture cool slightly before adding the eggs to prevent them from cooking.
Measure the flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off for the softest cake.
Don't overmix the batter once the flour is added to keep the cake tender.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting for the smoothest finish.

Store. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Freeze. 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.

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