Chocolate sour cream cake recipe
Do you ever just need chocolate cake? As in, have to have it, nothing fancy, old fashioned, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake? Yes, you understand. I knew you would. I could tell you I baked a cake in honor of our granddaughter's birthday today (she is six years old!), but that wouldn't be entirely true. I baked a cake for me, because I needed chocolate cake. Once again, I adapted a recipe sent to me by a reader a few years ago, and I baked the cake in the beautiful ceramic Bundt pan she made for me. This cake has never let me down; in fact, it always cheers me up, and it will do the same for you. If you wish, mix a simple glaze from confectioners sugar and a few tablespoons of cold coffee, and drizzle it all over the top.
Chocolate sour cream cake
From the pantry, you'll need: butter, granulated sugar, eggs, pure vanilla extract, all-purpose unbleached flour, baking powder, baking soda, sour cream, cocoa powder, baking spray.
Serves 8-10.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp nonfat (skim) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
Baking spray
2-3 Tbsp confectioners sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. (Note: if using a ceramic pan, do not preheat the oven.) Spray the inside of a small (5-cup) Bundt pan or loaf pan with baking spray, and set aside. If you're using a Bundt pan, roll a small piece of parchment paper, an inch or so taller than the pan; place the Bundt pan on a sheet pan, and insert the parchment paper in the hole. If the cake rises above the top of the pan, it won't slide down in the center.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.
In the bowl of a Kitchenaid-type stand mixer, cream together the butter, 1 cup of sugar, and the eggs, until the eggs turn light yellow. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Add to the egg mixture, alternating, the dry ingredients and sour cream.
Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 45 minutes (if using a ceramic pan, place the pan in a cold oven, set to 350F, and bake for 60 minutes), or until a tester comes out clean.
Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then invert the pan and remove the cake. Let it cool completely.
Before you're ready to serve, place confectioners sugar in a sieve, and shake over the cake. (If the cake isn't cooled, the sugar will melt.)
Serve, or wrap and freeze (don't top with confectioners sugar or glaze if you're going to freeze the cake).
More crave-worthy cake recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Lemon poppyseed cake with lemonade glaze
Yogurt coffee cake with pecan filling
Mocha sour cream cake
Orange buttermilk Bundt cake
Coffee cake with espresso-cocoa swirl
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Sour cream coffee cake, from Gimme Some Oven
Chocolate peanut butter cake, from Smitten Kitchen
Honey-vanilla sour cream pound cake, from Brown Eyed Baker
Old-fashioned sour cream doughnuts, from Completely Delicious
Sour cream pear cake with pecan streusel, from Pinch My Salt
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we crave chocolate cake every once in a while, this is certainly a good place to start and end.
Well, yes, sometimes I do need Chocolate Cake. After seeing these photos and hearing about it, I might "need" it right now. ;-) Great tip on the parchment paper! I have never heard of that one but, of course, it makes perfect sense. This recipe needs a conversion to gluten free (and probably dairy free as well) for sure, Lydia. I think it would be a pretty easy conversion. I just might have to add that to the top of my "to do" list! :-)
Shirley
Bellini, I was sure I wasn't the only one who, ever now and then, really needs chocolate cake.
Shirley, I'd love to know how your GF/DF conversion comes out, and I'm sure other readers here would be interested, too. Thanks.
Great tip with the parchment paper. The cake sounds delicious; like Shirley I'm thinking about a low-sugar version!
Looks great - is it a 1/4 cup of butter or 1 stick (1/2 cup)? Thanks.
Kalyn, this is an occasional treat for me, so I'd love to come up with a lower-sugar version (though I fear I'd make it more often!).
Dianne, it's 1/4 pound of butter, which is 1 stick (8 tablespoons).
Your pre-recipe comments are always so enticing! As are the photos. As if I need another cake recipe! Did someone mention sour cream? Chocolate? I'm in.
I swear I can SMELL this cake. And yes, sometimes, this is the perfect way to get my chocolate fix when I "need" it. Fabulous!
Connie, thanks -- I try to share my thoughts about the recipes or the stories behind them.
Kellypea, I'm not crazy about super-sweet cakes, and I don't like frosting. So this cake gets all of its flavor from the chocolate in the cake. And it really hit the spot.
Haven't made a chocolate cake in years! What is wrong with me? This post had me drooling... seriously!
Great looking cake, the texture seems just perfect!
Lydia,
The kids and I sure could use a chocolate cake. I'll pick up the stuff I need. Thanks for the tip on parchment paper--that's clever and I always have some on hand thanks to my pizza making.
Happy Birthday to your granddaughter!
Sally, every now then, one must have cake. Even me, who doesn't like to bake.
Kirsten, this one is so easy, and not covered in super-sweet frosting (though you could do that, if your kids like it).
I can't blame you for making this Chocolate sour cream cake for yourself. It's just so delicious!