Description
This moist and rich Sour Cream Chocolate Cake is a classic dessert featuring a tender chocolate sponge made with sour cream and a luscious chocolate frosting. Perfectly balanced with cocoa and chocolate chunks, it’s an indulgent treat that stays soft and flavorful for days.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 3 cups brown sugar (packed)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups sour cream
- 1 1/3 cup boiling water
Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (chopped)
- 3 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate (chopped)
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s ready for baking the cake batter evenly.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Grease a 10×15 inch (4-4.5 quart) glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and packed brown sugar together until light and fluffy for a smooth texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract to combine.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In another large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to combine these dry ingredients evenly.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the wet butter-sugar-egg mixture along with sour cream to the sifted dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer just until well blended, avoiding overmixing.
- Add Boiling Water: Pour in the boiling water and gently stir until incorporated, which will loosen the batter and ensure moistness in the cake.
- Pour Batter: Evenly pour the prepared batter into the greased baking dish, smoothing the top if needed.
- Bake Cake: Bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and set it aside to cool completely before frosting.
- Melt Chocolate and Butter: Microwave the 1/2 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl just until melted. Stir in the chopped semi-sweet and unsweetened baking chocolate. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
- Make Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted chocolate and butter mixture with powdered sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Spread this over the cooled cake before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the boiling water is added last to avoid cooking the eggs in the batter.
- Use room temperature ingredients for better mixing and texture.
- You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips if baking chocolate is unavailable.
- Allow the cake to cool fully before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
- Store leftover cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
