Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-16How many of you like to eat homemade desserts, but don’t like to spend too much time on the preparations? I’ll raise both hands.

The creator of the bundt cake and I would probably be kindred spirits. What a brilliant concept for a fancy presentation with minimal effort.

I make all kinds of bundt cakes: orange, lemon poppy seed, coffee cake, glazed and marbled. This is a Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake, from a recipe that I got from America’s Test Kitchen. I think that any time you add sour cream or buttermilk to batters it makes it 100 times better. This chocolate cake really rocks, and I am not a chocolaholic by any stretch of the imagination. I crave chocolate cake only a few times a year, and this one is the one of the few recipes that I will make. The chocolate cake is delicious all by itself; it’s so chocolaty, deep, rich and tender. I make this bundt cake a lot of times before work, when I don’t have a lot of time to fuss, but want to have something sweet in my lunchbox. Let me tell you, a slice of this Chocolate Cake with a cup of coffee really hits the spot sometime around 2 in the morning. It’s also something for me to look forward to in the beginning of my shift, when it’s usually really busy.

You can elevate this cake a notch by serving it with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and some fresh berries. That would be worthy of a special occasion. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

6 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee powder

3/4 cups boiling water

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon coffee and rum liqueur, optional

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

12 Tablespoons butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)

2 cups brown sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

Instructions:

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt cake pan with oil or brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with flour.

In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and espresso powder. Pour in the boiling water and whisk it all together until all the chocolate is melted. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-2

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-3Set is aside to cool off slightly, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda together.

Add the sour cream, vanilla and liqueur to the chocolate mixture. You can use any liqueur you like, or omit it, it’s up to you. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-4

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-5In a large bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until they are fluffy, about 5 minutes. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-6Add the eggs, one at a time. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-7Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter, mix it in slightly, then add half of the chocolate mixture, mixing slightly again. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-8

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-9Add half of the remaining flour, mix again, followed by the second half of the chocolate mixture and then lastly with the remaining dry ingredients. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-10

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-11Using this method to mix the batter really helps to not over mix it, creating a really tender and delicate texture of the cake.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-12Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-13Cool the bundt cake for 5 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-14Cool for another 10-15 minutes and then dust it with powdered sugar. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-15This cake is delicious served with ice cream, or whipped cream and berries.Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake-1-16

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Sweets
Serves: 1 bundt cake
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 6 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee powder
  • ¾ cups boiling water
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon coffee and rum liqueur, optional
  • 1¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 12 Tablespoons butter, softened (1½ sticks)
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 5 eggs, room temperature
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt cake pan with oil or brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with flour.
  2. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and espresso powder. Pour in the boiling water and whisk it all together until all the chocolate is melted. Set is aside to cool off slightly, about 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda together.
  4. Add the sour cream, vanilla and liqueur to the chocolate mixture. You can use any liqueur you like, or omit it, it's up to you.
  5. In a large bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until they are fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  6. Add the eggs, one at a time.
  7. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter, mix it in slightly, then add half of the chocolate mixture, mixing slightly again. Add half of the remaining flour, mix again, followed by the second half of the chocolate mixture and then lastly with the remaining dry ingredients. Using this method to mix the batter really helps to not over mix it, creating a really tender and delicate texture of the cake.
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool the bundt cake for 5 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Cool for another 10-15 minutes and then dust it with powdered sugar.
  10. This cake is delicious served with ice cream, or whipped cream and berries.

37 Comments

  • Natasha

    Hi Olga.
    I never liked bundt cakes maybe because I never had a good one and since none of your recipes ever failed me– I must give this a shot. I would like to let you know that I have made the buckwheat cabbage rolls and they were the best I’ve made so far (only made with rice before). The only thing I did different was cook them on the stovetop because the oven was not getting the job done. I also made your pourccipine meatballs with rice and served that over egg noddles and my family enjoyed that for three days. Thank you for what you do to help other ladies/ moms make up their minds on what to cook. You are my favorite “recipe book”. Congratulations on your new home! Love that table. Is that new????

    • olgak7

      Thank you for such a sweet comment, Natasha. I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying many of my recipes.
      We are certainly enjoying the new house.
      The “table” is actually a backdrop that my husband made for me a while ago. I’ve used it for many recipes.

  • Natalie

    Thank you for this wonderful chocolate sour cream bundt cake! It was a big hit at our house. You are amazing!

  • Natasha

    Made it for hubby’s birthday and served it with vanilla ice cream and homemade raspberry sauce. He said it’s his favorite cake so far! He said its nice because it’s not soggy and it has three completely different flavors which go beautifully together. I am making it again today for a get together with friends. Thanks Olga for such a great and easy recipe.

  • Elichka

    Hi Olga, thank you for another great recipe. I must try it. It looks so good, and Im sure it tastes just as good. Can I substitute liqueur with anything?

    • olgak7

      You can simply omit it, Elichka. I love to add all kinds of liqueurs to my desserts, because I think they give a lot of flavor, but they are optional.

  • Alina

    Would like to try this! I don’t have a bundt cake pan, can I still bake it in either a regular size pan or like a meatloaf size pan perhaps? Thanks! Do you also think these would make great cupcakes?

    • olgak7

      You can bake it in any other baking dish that will be the correct size to fit all of the batter, Alina. I think a meatloaf size pan would be too small.
      I have never used this batter to make cupcakes, although in my opinion, I think the cupcakes will turn out too dense.

    • SvetKa

      Did you (or anyone else?) end up making this in a regular (9×13?) pan? I’m looking for a dense chocolate cake to use for construction of a pirate chest…

  • Tina

    This looks so yummy! Do you think I can substitute sour cream with buttermilk? Would that change the texture/taste at all?

    • olgak7

      I don’t know, Tina. I posted the recipe that I made myself. I can’t south for something that I haven’t personally tested. In most cases, I know that buttermilk and sour cream or even yogurt can be substituted for each other, but I can’t say for sure in this recipe.

  • Tzivia

    Mmmmm wow chocolate and cream what could be better olya gotta make this cake really soon thanx for the post sweetheart such a chocholic lmao my dad will totally love this instead of entemans homemade anything is the best have a gr8 fantastical blessed weekend cheers

  • Tzivia

    Hey ya olichka gurl I made this cake today gave half to my old sweet neighbor lady two floors above me and she loved it I had a slice a few hours ago skipped putting on any confectioners sugar (don’t have powdered) and omg babes it came out so very heavenly didn’t have coffee liquor in hand but used a tsp of frangelico and whoa that one slice totally blew me away will definitely be making this cake again thanx tons job well done keep em comin yahoooooo

  • Lana

    Hello Olga! Thank you so much for your recipes. I tried a lot of them. I enjoy baking a lot. I like to try new recipes. I was wondering if this cake can be turned into cupcakes. I hope you understand. Also, I was wondering if you can make this as a cake mix to make it as a gift. If I were to make it a cake mix how long could it stay till it goes bad?

    • olgak7

      Hi Lana.
      I have never tried making this cake into cupcakes or as a cake mix, so I can’t be sure that they will work out. I don’t see why not, but since I haven’t tested either myself, I can’t offer any advice.
      If you try either, let me know how it works out.

  • Karina

    Hi Olga, Thank you for all of your amazing recipes!
    This Bundt cake turned out so delicious and moist, my family and I loved it.

  • Olga

    Olechka,
    Thank you so much for this recipe! This cake is delicious and not hard to make it. I made it for our family get together, and everyone was asking for the recipe:)
    Thank you again!

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