By: Jill Mills Updated: Mar 31, 2025

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Ultra rich, moist, and fudgy, this Sour Cream Chocolate Cake is super easy to make. Topped with a thick chocolate sour cream frosting, it has a unique flavor that’s slightly tangy but also perfectly sweet.

A slice of sour cream chocolate cake on a white plate with a fork

This sour cream chocolate cake is an old-fashioned recipe that I used to enjoy as a kid. It’s a great twist on traditional chocolate cake. As you probably guessed from the name, sour cream is a key ingredient in this cake. Why sour cream in chocolate cake? It has a high fat content and offers some acidity, which adds moisture and flavor to the cake. It gives this chocolate cake a richer flavor and also keeps it from drying out quickly.

Why I Love This Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

This cake is one of my family’s absolute favorite chocolate cakes. Here are a few reasons why.

Ultra moist and fudgy. The texture of this cake is very moist and a little dense. It’s not dense like a pound cake but the crumb is definitely heavier than a traditional chocolate cake. The moisture adds a very fudgy feel to it as well.
Unique flavor. The sour cream adds a bit of acidity to the cake, which you can taste in the lightly tangy flavor. It pairs so well with the rich chocolate!
The frosting! I topped this frosting with a rich buttercream frosting – with a twist. I added sour cream to the frosting as well, for more of that tangy flavor. There’s lots of melted chocolate in the frosting too. It’s such a great complement to the cake!

A slice of sour cream chocolate cake on a white plate

Recipe Ingredients

This cake is made with cocoa powder, sour cream, and pantry staples. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Cake:

Butter – I always use unsalted butter when baking.
Brown sugar – Using only brown sugar in this cake adds a rich flavor and lots of moisture.
Eggs
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Unsweetened cocoa powder – Adds a rich chocolate flavor to the cake. I like the Hershey’s and Ghirardelli brands.
Baking soda – Helps the cake rise in the oven.
Salt – Helps to balance the sweet flavors.
Sour cream – As noted above, the sour creams add moisture and a tangy flavor to the cake.
Boiling water – Boiling water helps to bloom the cocoa powder, enhancing the chocolate flavor, and adds more moisture to the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

Butter – Adds richness to the frosting.
Baking chocolate – I used equal amounts of unsweetened baking chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate to add depth to the flavor. Feel free to use one or the other.
Powdered sugar – Sweetens the frosting.
Sour cream – Adds a smooth, creamy texture and tangy flavor.
Vanilla extract

How To Make Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Both the cake and the frosting are so easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for the cake to cool before frosting it! The printable version of the instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Sour cream chocolate cake batter in a bowl

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the baking dish.
Make the batter. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Add the creamed butter and sour cream to the dry ingredients and beat until well blended. Stir in the boiling water.
Bake. Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Make the frosting. Microwave the butter until melted. Stir in the chocolate. Microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Beat the powdered sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.

Overhead view of a sour cream chocolate cake

Tips & Variations

Here are a few things I’ve found helpful when making this sour cream chocolate cake, as well as a few customizations.

Use room temperature ingredients. Have the sour cream and eggs at room temperature before preparing the cake. This will help the ingredients combine better, which affects rise and texture.
Try it with Greek yogurt. One time I wanted to make this cake but didn’t have sour cream on hand so I made it with Greek yogurt as well. The end result was still very similar and resulted in a lovely cake as well.
Use quality chocolate. Chocolate is a key part of this recipe so it’s important to use good quality chocolate. That includes the cocoa powder and the baking chocolate. Hershey and Ghirardelli brands are always a safe bet.
Skip the frosting. While I think the chocolate sour cream frosting pairs so perfectly with this cake, it can definitely be skipped or replaced with another frosting. A sprinkle of powdered sugar on top is also a great alternative!

Overhead view of a slice of sour cream chocolate cake on a plate with a fork

Proper Storage

Fridge. Sour cream chocolate cake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 5-7 days.
Freeze. Individual slices can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to flash freeze them until the frosting is hard, then wrap the slices individually in plastic wrap. Thaw in the fridge.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake