Chocolate lovers will devour this irresistibly decadent chocolate sour cream pound cake topped with silky ganache.

This easy yet decadent pound cake is the best chocolate cake you will ever make–and it stores well so you can make it in advance.

side view of a chocolate sour cream pound cake topped with chocolate ganache

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Southern recipes are almost always decadent and practically over the top. That’s what makes them irresistible!

This southern chocolate pound cake using sour cream is certainly no exception.

This is a cake that can be served at a church picnic and would win you a prize at the county fair. It’s one that will have everyone asking you for the recipe!

This chocolate sour cream pound cake recipe from scratch is so easy to make, it’s sure to become your signature recipe.

A slice of chocolate sour cream cake on a white plate, with the remaining cake in the background

What Makes Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake So Perfect?

There are many things at work in this recipe that result in the decadent cake we all love.

First of all, you may be wondering, what does sour cream do in baking? Sour cream is a pretty powerful ingredient when it comes to baking.

It adds moisture, adds creaminess, controls browning and activates baking soda. It’s a powerful ingredient that results in a moist, decadent cake. But don’t worry, you won’t taste the sour cream in the cake.

You can also use sour cream in cookies, just like in these Italian sour cream cookies!

If you don’t have sour cream on hand, try my chocolate cream cheese pound cake instead.

The other great thing about this decadent cake is that it stores well. I’ve found that it tastes even better a day or two later, so it’s perfect for making ahead.

Wrap the cake well and you can store it in the fridge for up to seven days. Bring it to room temperature and top with the ganache just before serving.

You can also freeze this cake (without the topping) for up to six months. Wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Thaw completely before unwrapping.

You’ll always have dessert at the ready!

Or, if you want a smaller snack cake that only requires a handful of basic ingredients, try the easiest one-bowl chocolate cake!

More Mouth-Watering Cakes You’ll Want to Make:

How to Make Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake

It’s really easy to make this decadent, velvety, moist pound cake topped with chocolate ganache.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

All-purpose flour
Cocoa powder
Baking soda
Salt
Butter
Sugar
Eggs
Sour Cream
Hot water
Chocolate chips
Whipping cream

chocolate sour cream pound cake with a slice removed, showing the moist interior and the ganache flowing through.

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Prepare the Batter. First, you’ll combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set them aside.

Cream butter and sugar using a stand mixer and slowly add the eggs. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

collage image showing the steps for creaming butter, sugar, and eggs for the batter.

When combined, alternate adding dry ingredients and the sour cream.

The batter will be very thick. Slowly add the hot water and mix until it is well incorporated.

chocolate sour cream pound cake batter in a mixing bowl

Bake the Cake. Next, you’ll pour the cake batter into a prepared tube pan (I grease the pan and dust it with cocoa powder) and bake 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely.

freshly baked chocolate sour cream cake in a tube pan.

Make the Ganache. Last, you’ll pour chocolate chips into a medium bowl. Heat the cream on the stove until steaming, but do not boil.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.

Let sit for 15 minutes more, then pour over the cake and serve.

side view of a chocolate sour cream pound cake topped with ganache

Notes and Adaptations:

When heating the cream for the ganache, be sure to not let it come to a boil–you don’t want to scorch it.

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 16 Servings

Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake

Name: Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cocoa powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 1/2 cups butter, soft; 3 cups granulated sugar; 5 eggs; 1 cup sour cream; 3/4 cup hot water; For the Ganache Topping:; 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark); 1 cup heavy whipping cream

This decadent chocolate sour cream pound cake is a delicious dessert, topped with a heavenly chocolate ganache.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter, soft
3 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup hot water
For the Ganache Topping:
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 10-inch tube pan (note a bundt pan--see notes below) well and dust with cocoa powder (or flour).
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. The batter will be thick at this point.
With the mixer still on low speed, gradually add the hot water to the batter. After it becomes incorporated into the batter, increase speed to medium for 1 minute, then turn off.
Pour batter into prepared tube pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then gently slide a knife along the edge to loosen from the pan before inverting the cake onto a serving plate to cool completely.
Once cake is cool, prepare the ganache. Add chocolate chips to a mixing bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often, until it is steaming and small bubbles are just beginning to form along the edges of the pan. Do NOT boil the cream.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 5 minutes without stirring. Once the time has elapsed, use a spatula to mix until smooth.
Let the ganache sit for about 15 minutes, which will allow it to thicken slightly. It will still be pourable, but not super runny at this point. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Notes

Be sure not to boil the cream when making the ganache!

You can store the cake (without the topping) tightly wrapped in the freezer, if you want to make it ahead and store it.

I use a 10-inch tube pan (like an angel food cake pan) that holds about 16 cups of batter. Most standard bundt pans hold 12-cups and will be too small for this recipe. I recommend using a straight-sided tube pan instead of a bundt pan.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 564Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 322mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 2gSugar: 46gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Get more dessert inspiration with our list of the best pound cake recipes!

a chocolate sour cream pound cake on a white plate, with a slice cut out of the cake, revealing the moist interior

Categories:

Cakes, Desserts, Easy Recipes,

19 Comments

Do you use vanilla flavoring in the chocolate cake

Chrysti Benner says:

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Hi Gloria! I don’t use vanilla in this cake, but you could add a teaspoon if you’d like, for a hint more depth of flavor. Enjoy!

Reply
Winfred says:

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Hi Chrysti I made this cake and it was delicious as I get ready to make it again after reading the ingredients it calls for 1 1/2 cup of butter and before by mistake I only used 1 1/2 sticks of butter . Wouldn’t 1 1/2 cups which is 3 sticks of butter be too much?

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  Hi Winfrd! I do use 1 1/2 cups of butter (3 sticks), but if you enjoyed it with just 1 1/2 sticks, you can just make it that way and ditch the extra calories! Maybe I’ll try it next time with half the butter as well! 😉
  
  Reply

I made this cake. I don’t know what went wrong . I used a 12 cup bunt pan. It was like a volcano, the cake urupted and wouldn’t stop running out of the pan. What was left in the pan was liquid and would not bake. I was so disappointed. It looked like such a nice recipe. Will try it again at some point

Chrysti Benner says:

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Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear this, Cindy! Although some recipes that use a tube pan can’t be made in a bundt pan, I would think using a bundt pan would be fine with this recipe (though I’ve ever only made it in a tube pan). I wonder if you accidentally measured a tablespoon of baking soda instead of a teaspoon? At any rate, I hate hearing that it didn’t go well for you!

Reply
1. Cindy says:
  
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  I am not giving up! I will definitely be trying this again. I did go back over the recipe and I did all the ingredients properly. It must have been the Bundt pan which couldn’t handle all the batter. Although there seemed to be enough room. The batter was at least 2 inches from the top of pan. I definitely will be trying it again. Thanks for responding to my comments
  
  Reply
  1. Chrysti Benner says:
    
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    Hi Cindy! It does seem like the pan is the only difference then–I hope the second time goes better for you! 🙂
    
    Reply
M says:

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Hi,
The same thing happened to me! I have made several Sour Cream Pound cakes and this has never happened to me before. The only difference is the hot water ingredient. This cake was a waste of ingredients and time. It took an additional hour to clean up my oven. What a mess!

Reply

This cake is wonderful. I just got another one out of the oven for Sunday. Beautiful. What would you need to do to change this cake to a sour cream vanilla pound cake?

Chrysti Benner says:

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Hi Marie! I’m so glad you are enjoying it! A vanilla sour cream pound cake is on my to-do list, but I need to do a little bit more testing. Hopefully it will be ready soon! 🙂

Reply

Made this cake for the first time – came out great! It’s delicious!!!

Chrysti Benner says:

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Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Barbara! 🙂

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I made your recipe today with a few minor alterations. I used 6 eggs. I added a teadpoon of vanilla and I used half hot coffee and half hot water. The cake turned out great very light airy..full of chocolate flavor..a melt in your mouth type feeling when eating. The ganache just adds a nice full ribust chocolate punch when you eat a nite with that on the cake. The cake goes great with ice cream..but i am still searching for a chocolate cake that is like a plain pound cake in texture and density…not sure one is out there..but your recipe is very good. I appreciate you sharing it with us. Please do not be offended at my tweakings of your recipe. I tend to put my own stamp on everyone I try

Chrysti Benner says:

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Hi Scott! I’m not offended at all–I love hearing how others tweak the recipes. Thanks for sharing the adjustments you made–I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂

Reply

I made this cake today and it was an utter disaster! It erupted like a volcano. My oven was covered with batter. It took an hour to clean not to mention a waste of my ingredients. I have used the Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe several times before and the only difference was the hot water. My pan was a 12 cup pan.

Chrysti Benner says:

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Oh goodness, I’m so sorry to hear that! Most 10-inch tube pans (straight-sided pans) hold about 16 cups of batter–I think this is why the bundt pans aren’t working well. I’ve added a note to the recipe to clarify this!

Reply