This is a moist, deep chocolate sour cream pound cake with ganache for even more addictive chocolate flavor! This old fashioned chocolate pound cake recipe is the best chocolate pound cake for any occasion!
Can't get enough chocolate? Try my Chocolate Walnut Brownies, my Mini Chocolate Cake, and my Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Crystallized Ginger!
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Old Fashioned Chocolate Pound Cake
You guys. This cake! I had the hardest time photographing it because I honestly wanted to eat it all IMMEDIATELY. If you're like me, the words "chocolate sour cream pound cake" are enough to make you run out to get the ingredients immediately! If not, let me assure you -- you're gonna want to make this cake. It has a soft, dense-yet-fluffy crumb, rich chocolate flavor deepened with espresso powder, and a luscious satin chocolate ganache glaze drizzled on top. I'm not even that much of a chocoholic, but I could honestly eat this moist chocolate pound cake all day long. When I baked it recently, I gave most of it away to my neighbors (after having a couple slices myself), and they said it was the BEST chocolate cake they'd ever had!
What is the secret to a good pound cake?
There are lots of important tips to follow for the best chocolate pound cake, all of which I mention below, like measuring your flour with a kitchen scale, and making sure all your ingredients are room temperature before you start. But my favorite way to make pound cake even better is by adding a rich, tangy dairy product like buttermilk, cream cheese, and especially sour cream! So if you're here making this southern chocolate pound cake, you're in the right place!
What does adding sour cream to cake do?
Sour cream is a perfect addition to pound cake recipes because it adds an acidic element to the batter, much like buttermilk or cream cheese. It gives sweet treats a more complex flavor and makes the batter richer and more moist by adding dairy protein and fat. That's why so many cakes with sour cream stay moist and velvety!
Best of all, the acid in sour cream tenderizes the gluten in the flour to produce a finer, more tender crumb. This is absolutely perfect for our purposes with this old fashioned sour cream chocolate cake. We're going for a tight crumb, but we don't want it too heavy or dense. The best pound cakes find that perfect balance!
How much sour cream do you put in pound cake?
You'll need 1 cup of sour cream (one whole 8-oz. container) for this moist chocolate pound cake. That's enough to really achieve a moist, close crumb but not so much that the cake turns out gummy or dense. I'd recommend using full-fat sour cream, but light sour cream or even greek yogurt would work too. Now let's get into the other ingredients we'll need.
Moist Chocolate Pound Cake Ingredients
- salted butter - your butter should be room temperature -- not overly soft, but soft enough to indent when pressed.
- granulated sugar - adds just the right amount of sweetness to this chocolate sour cream pound cake to balance out the rich cocoa flavor!
- eggs - like your butter, make your your eggs are room temperature.
- vanilla extract - I definitely suggest using a high-quality vanilla extract for the best vanilla flavor! Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!
- sour cream - this is the star ingredient of this chocolate sour cream pound cake! Sour cream acts similarly to buttermilk, yogurt, or cream cheese to add a moist texture, a close crumb, and a rich, complex flavor.
- all-purpose flour - It's very important to measure your dry ingredients correctly -- I would definitely recommend using a kitchen scale to measure by weight -- for this recipe you'll need 256 grams of flour.
- unsweetened cocoa - I used Hershey's unsweetened cocoa for this recipe, but you can use any unsweetened cocoa (regular cocoa, not Dutch-process) that you like!
- instant espresso powder - this is a secret ingredient that brings out the chocolate flavor so much in this chocolate sour cream pound cake! The rich coffee flavor doesn't come through in the flavor of the cake, but it works to deepen the rich chocolate flavor. It makes this chocolate bundt cake the best!
- baking powder & baking soda - these two leaveners work together to add lift to the cake batter, giving your cake its best texture and rise!
- boiling water - finally, we'll be adding hot water to "bloom" the cocoa powder and bring out that rich chocolatey flavor even more!
Then, for that amazing chocolate ganache glaze, you'll need:
- bittersweet chocolate - I use a Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Bittersweet Baking Bar for this chocolate glaze. I love the balance between deep chocolate flavor and a bit of sweetness.
- heavy cream - heavy cream adds a creamy richness to the glaze and helps it to melt smoothly.
- light corn syrup - helps to add shine and a thin, pourable consistency to this glaze. I like to use Karo light corn syrup. If you can't find corn syrup, you could substitute agave nectar or even honey for a similar effect.
Equipment
First, you'll need your cake pan! I used this Nordicware Elegant Party Bundt Pan because I love the neat, sleek shape. But feel free to use any 10-12 cup tube pan or Bundt pan that you love! I also love the look of this Nordicware Heritage Permier Bundt Pan, and I bet it would look amazing with the glaze drizzled on top! Here are all the tools I'd recommend for this dark chocolate sour cream pound cake recipe!
Tips and Recipe F.A.Q.
Pound cake was traditionally made with a simple recipe consisting of a pound each of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. Modern pound cake recipes like my lemon sour cream pound cake use slightly tweaked ratios and additional ingredients for flavor.
Here's my method: First, make sure your bundt pan is well-made, with a high-quality nonstick coating free of any scuffs or scratches. Then, just before pouring in the batter, spray your bundt pan with baking spray (the kind that contains flour), being sure to get it in every crevice. Finally, let your chocolate sour cream pound cake rest for 10-15 minutes when you remove it from the oven, then immediately turn out carefully onto a wire rack to cool completely. If necessary, tap jiggle the overturned bundt pan to loosen the cake. This is what I've learned to do each time, and always have great results!
Pound cake is usually made without icing, and usually has a thinner glaze or no topping at all. It's got a denser, more buttery texture and flavor than typical cakes, and it's usually made in a loaf or bundt pan rather than a round cake pan. This moist chocolate pound cake is the perfect place to start with experimenting with pound cake!
Let's make sure that doesn't happen! First, don't open the oven door while your chocolate sour cream pound cake is baking. Try not to test the cake until it is at least ¾ of the way done. If you test the cake and find it needs more time, be sure to quickly close the oven door to prevent losing any heat. Second, be sure to measure your ingredients carefully -- too much sugar, baking soda, or baking powder can make a cake fall.
Most likely, you measured your flour with a measuring cup and inadvertently added too much to the batter. Too much flour will lead to a dry cake. Be sure to measure by weight! Another reason could be that you overbaked your cake, so be sure to start checking your cake for doneness at around 50 minutes.
Absolutely -- this easy chocolate pound cake freezes well for up to two months! Once the glaze has cooled and set completely, you can freeze the cake whole or in slices. I recommend slices so that you can thaw them individually for a single-serving treat anytime! Just freeze the cake or the slices uncovered for about 30 minutes to solidify the glaze. Then wrap in plastic wrap and then in heavy-duty aluminum foil, and freeze. When you are ready to eat your chocolate sour cream pound cake, just thaw the wrapped cake or wrapped slices on the countertop, and enjoy!
So what makes a pound cake more moist? Well, there are a few ways to ensure a moist pound cake -- first of all, adding a tangy ingredient like buttermilk, sour cream, or cream cheese helps to neutralize the gluten in your flour and gives you a tender, moist cake. That's why we use sour cream in this chocolate sour cream pound cake! Also, make sure you don't overbake your cake! Check it about 5 minutes before the bake time is up, and make sure you have an oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn't running too hot!
More Chocolate Recipes You'll Love
- Chocolate Orange Cake
- Raspberry Chocolate Brownies
- Keto Chocolate Mousse for Two
- Amarena Cherry Chocolate Sauce
- S’mores Brownies
Equipment you may need
- 10-12 cup bundt pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter - room temperature (2 sticks)
- 4 large eggs - room temperature
- 2 teaspoon (8 g) pure vanilla extract
- 8 oz. (227 g) sour cream - room temperature (1 cup)
- 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour - (256g)
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon (2 g) instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
- ¾ cup (177 g) boiling water
- baking spray
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- 4 oz (113 g) bittersweet chocolate - chopped
- ½ cup (119 g) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon (44 g) light corn syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup salted butter
- Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla, mixing until incorporated after each addition.4 large eggs, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Mix in sour cream until well combined.8 oz. sour cream
- Sift in flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold in with a rubber spatula. Mixture should be fully combined, but do not overmix.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Carefully pour in boiling water and gently mix to combine (don't splash any onto yourself!). Mix only until the batter is fully combined.¾ cup boiling water
- Spray a 10-12 inch fluted tube or Bundt pan with baking spray, including all crevices. Pour batter into prepared pan. Carefully drop once or twice from an inch or two onto the counter to elmininate air bubbles.baking spray
- Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- Heat chopped chocolate and heavy cream in microwave for 20-second intervals until beginning to melt.4 oz bittersweet chocolate, ½ cup heavy cream
- Stir to finish melting until smooth.
- Add corn syrup and stir until glossy.2 tablespoon light corn syrup
- If desired, allow to cool in the fridge for 15 minutes for a slightly thicker consistency.
- Pour glaze over cooled cake, allow to set, and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Last Updated on July 10, 2022 by Chenée Lewis
Heather Jones
I absolutely loved this cake and enjoyed baking it. I accidentally pulled unsalted butter and left it at room temp, but read online to add 1/4 tsp of salt per stick of butter, so I added 1/2 tsp salt total to my dry ingredients. Adding the boiling water step scared me, but in the end it came together and the end result was amazing! Such a soft, tender cake. Will absolutely make again!!!!
Chenée Lewis
So glad you enjoyed the cake! Thanks for the feedback!
Oopa
Hi,..want to try this..but is it possible to give the measurements in grams.
I have 2 types of measuring cups...1 with 240 ml& the other with 200ml...So confused as which one to use.
Thanks.
Chenée Lewis
Hi! I just updated the post with grams measurements. Hope this helps! Enjoy 🙂
Sandy
If you don't have espresso powder what can I use?
Chenée Lewis
In that case, you can replace the hot water in the recipe with hot coffee! 🙂
Deb
Don’t have espresso powder can I still make the cake?
Chenée Lewis
Yes! Just replace the hot water with hot coffee!
Immaculate Ruému
The video along with the photos made it so easy to follow this recipe! The sour cream brings a very distinct and delicious flavour. I enjoyed this cake so much and can’t wait to make it again.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Britney Brown
I made this for my mom and we both loved it. The cake is so tender and soft and that chocolate and sour cream flavor is so delish!
Chenée Lewis
I'm so glad you both enjoyed! Thanks!
Jazz
I'm not normally a chocolate cake person but couldn't resist trying my hand at this pound cake and it was absolutely scrumptious. Perfect texture and taste!
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! Thanks so much for giving it a try!
Capri
I love the video! It made making this chocolate sour cream pound cake sure easy! I'm already on my third slice; it's so good!!
Chenée Lewis
I was the same way when I made it! It's addictive!!
Tamara
So naturally, I’ve had my fare share of chocolate cakes! This cake though- it takes the cake (hahaha)! In all seriousness, it was SUPER moist, your instructions were easy to follow, and it’s now my families favorite chocolate cake!
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! I'm so glad that it was a hit with your family. It's always good to have another chocolate cake recipe in your arsenal! 🙂
Robin Sparks
My family members are crazy about this cake! The addition of sour cream makes the taste truly extraordinary.
Chenée Lewis
Great! Thanks for trying it out!!
Mil
You did the thing with this cake! The flavors were on point, and it was SO moist and delicious!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much! This is definitely my new favorite chocolate cake recipe!
Kaluhi
The sour cream was a definite game changer!! The pound cake was much loved and I'll make it again for my futurr brunches!
Chenée Lewis
I'm so glad you enjoyed! Sour cream makes such a huge difference.
Jessica
another out of this world cake recipe from you! The texture and flavor of this cake are just perfect.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you liked it!!
Chef Mireille
I made this for my sister who is a chocolate fanatic and she said it was the best chocolate cake she had ever had. A definite winner!
Chenée Lewis
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying it out!
Crystal DaCruz
I know I can always count on you for a delicious dessert recipe! This was so good!!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!
Renia
My mom made your recipe and said it was moist, chocolatey , and perfect. They made an extra one for their neighbor.
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! Always great when you can share bakes!
Marta
This chocolate pound cake had me feeling so many emotions! Happy, wistful, and sad when I realized my family expected me to share. It's a keeper!
Chenée Lewis
lol! It really is a rollercoaster! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Sharila
This pound cake looks divine! So moist, so rich. I’m definitely making this soon.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!