Making this sour cream chocolate cake recipe from scratch will give you a simple, no-fuss dessert that’s moist and decadent.
Sour cream is the secret ingredient to this tender and delicious old-fashioned chocolate sour cream bundt cake. You’re going to love the incredible flavor and simplicity of this made-from-scratch cake.
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I have a popular recipe for a triple chocolate bundt cake, which is made with a cake mix and pudding mix, plus topped with a chocolate ganache and chocolate chips.
It’s super decadent and really easy, and it’s a reader favorite around here. I also make a variation of it with this chocolate orange cake.
But I know some people prefer to go the old-fashioned route and make their cakes from scratch–or maybe you just don’t have a cake mix on hand but have a hankering for something sweet.
If that’s you, you’re going to love this easy, made-from-scratch recipe for a chocolate sour cream bundt cake.
And if you’re a chocolate lover like me, you’ll also want to check out my old-fashioned chocolate sour cream pound cake recipe!
Homemade Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
I have a special fondness for bundt cakes because they are no-fuss desserts that are lovely straight out of the pan, without any fancy decorating.
Don’t let the “from scratch” part scare you, though–this cake is easier to make than you think!
When serving, I just sprinkle this one with powdered sugar for simplicity’s sake, often adding some fresh berries and whipped cream. But it can also be dressed up with a chocolate glaze if preferred.
My 6-year old has dubbed this the best cake I make and has requested I bake it weekly. Ha!
I’m sure this moist chocolate bundt cake with sour cream will become a family favorite in your house as well.
If you need a smaller cake instead, try my easy one-bowl chocolate cake recipe!
More Bundt Cake Recipes to Enjoy:
- Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Applesauce Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce
- Peach Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Mini Chocolate Bundtlette Cakes
What Does Sour Cream Do in Baking?
Homemade chocolate cake made with sour cream is moist and flavorful. While the addition of sour cream may seem a little strange at first, it’s for a good reason. Sour cream in baking is going to be your new secret weapon!
Sour cream helps to give moisture to baked goods, thanks in part to its high fat content as well as the acid it contains, which both help to shorten and tenderize strands of gluten. It lends more moisture than plain milk would.
Because sour cream is acidic, it also helps to activate the baking soda in a recipe. I use sour cream in a lot of my baked goods, such as my triple chocolate bundt cake, my Italian sour cream cookies, classic banana bread, lemon poppy seed bread, and more.
If you don’t have sour cream on hand, consider making this chocolate cream cheese pound cake instead!
How Do You Make a Chocolate Bundt Cake from Scratch?
It’s really easy to make chocolate sour cream cake without cake mix.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Hot water
- Sour cream
- Powdered sugar (optional)
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Cream the Butter and Sugar. First, you’ll add the butter and sugar to the mixing bowl and use the paddle attachment to cream them together. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.
Combine Dry Ingredients. Next, you’ll combine the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly mix into the wet ingredients to make a thick batter.
Add Sour Cream. Next, you’ll add in the sour cream and the hot water, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. The mixture will seem gloopy as it first starts to combine, but as you continue to mix it will come together into a smooth batter.
Pour and Bake. Last, you’ll pour the batter into a prepared bundt pan and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes.
Notes and Adaptations:
- When adding the sour cream and hot water, the mixture can initially be sort of gloopy. This is normal. Continue to mix slowly and the batter will come together.
- Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before turning it out of the bundt pan.
- Dust the top of your chocolate sour cream bundt cake with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries and cream.
Recommended Equipment:
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Bundt pan
Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
This old-fashioned chocolate sour cream bundt cake is one of life's simple pleasures! Serve with berries and whipped cream, or sprinkle with powdered sugar for a delightful dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 cup sour cream
- Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a bundt pan well and dust it with cocoa powder.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well to combine until smooth.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Batter will be pretty thick at this point.
- With mixer still on low speed, add sour cream and hot water, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. At first, it will seem pretty kind of gloopy, but that's normal--just continue to mix and it will slowly come together. Once it does, increase speed to medium for a minute to beat it well, then turn off the mixer.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate, then cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Notes
This cake stands on its own with just a simple dusting of powdered sugar. However, If you'd like a chocolate glaze to drizzle over the cake, that's a fabulous addition, too! To make it, you can combine 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 3 TBSP unsalted butter, and 1 TBSP light corn syrup in a double boiler (I use a glass bowl over a small pan of simmering water). Melt contents together while stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and drizzle or spoon over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 272mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 1gSugar: 39gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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