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.
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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.
More Mouth-Watering Cakes You’ll Want to Make:
- Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes
- Vanilla Mayonnaise Cake
- Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Chocolate Orange Cake
- Homemade Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
- Rainbow Bundt Cake
- Applesauce Bundt Cake
- Southern Apricot Nectar Cake
- Peach Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Old-Fashioned Tomato Soup Cake
- Pineapple Pound Cake
- Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
This decadent chocolate sour cream pound cake is a delicious dessert, topped with a heavenly chocolate ganache.
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 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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount 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.
Gloria Burnette says
Do you use vanilla flavoring in the chocolate cake
Chrysti Benner says
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!
Winfred says
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?
Chrysti Benner says
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! 😉
Cindy johns says
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
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!
Cindy says
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
Chrysti Benner says
Hi Cindy! It does seem like the pan is the only difference then–I hope the second time goes better for you! 🙂
Marie says
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
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! 🙂
Barbara says
Made this cake for the first time – came out great! It’s delicious!!!
Chrysti Benner says
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Barbara! 🙂
Scott says
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
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! 🙂