This easy chocolate sour cream pound cake is incredibly moist, deeply chocolaty, and finished with a silky smooth chocolate ganache.
If you're a serious chocolate lover, this chocolate sour cream pound cake is about to become your new obsession.
It’s ultra-moist, incredibly dense in the best possible way, and finished with a rich, glossy chocolate ganache that makes every single bite feel a little bit luxurious.
Whether you're baking it for a weekend gathering or just need a proper chocolate fix with your afternoon coffee, this loaf cake never disappoints.
One reader, Min Jie, commented: “Thank you for this recipe!! The cake is dense and tastes so good! ★★★★★”
One reader, Darlene, commented: “Perfection on a plate! This cake is amazing, a goldilocks cake — not too sweet, not dry, but dense, rich and delicious. ★★★★★”
One reader, Kathie, commented: “Finally a chocolate cake recipe void of oil. This cake is so delicious! ★★★★★”
For more delicious chocolate cake recipes, check out my chocolate Brooklyn Blackout cake, chocolate caramel cake, and Matilda's chocolate cake.
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Why this recipe works
- Intense Chocolate Flavor: The combination of Dutch-process cocoa powder and espresso powder creates a deep, complex taste, while sour cream adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness.
- Unmatched Moisture: Sour cream and buttermilk lock in moisture, ensuring the pound cake remains incredibly tender and fresh days after baking.
- Luxurious Ganache Topping: A smooth, glossy chocolate ganache adds an extra layer of richness and a stunning glossy finish.
- Long Shelf Life: Thanks to its dense, sturdy structure, this pound cake stays fresh longer, making it an ideal make-ahead dessert.
Ingredients
Before you begin, measure and prepare your ingredients so the baking process goes smoothly. You can find the full measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For the Cake
Butter: Unsalted butter is essential. Avoid margarine or coconut oil, as their texture and flavor will alter the cake.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the ideal structure (self-rising or cake flour works wonderfully as well).
Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder: Delivers a rich, deep chocolate flavor (natural cocoa powder works too).
Sour Cream: Adds moisture, richness, and a tender crumb (full-fat Greek yogurt is a great substitute).
Buttermilk: Enhances moisture and tenderness. (If you don't have buttermilk on hand, mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes).
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The leavening agents that give the cake its lift.
Espresso Powder: Enhances the chocolate flavor without adding a distinct coffee taste.
Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and structure.
Eggs: Large room-temperature eggs bind the batter and provide stability.
Vanilla Extract: Essential for rounding out the rich chocolate notes.
Kosher Salt: Enhances the overall flavor profile.
For the Chocolate Ganache
Chocolate: High-quality 60% to 70% dark chocolate or semisweet baking bars yield the smoothest, best-tasting ganache.
Heavy Cream: Full-fat heavy cream creates a silky, glossy texture when combined with the chocolate.
Instructions
Prep and Cream: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients & Cocoa: Add the buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs, mixing until well combined. Sift in the cocoa powder and mix until fully incorporated.
Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing on low speed just until combined and no flour pockets remain.
Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake at 180°C (320°F) for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the Ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. Pour the hot cream over finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then whisk gently from the center outward until glossy and smooth.
Glaze and Serve: Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled cake, spread evenly with an offset spatula, slice, and enjoy!
Expert tips
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk are fully at room temperature so the batter emulsifies properly into a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Fluff your flour with a spoon, scoop it into your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife to avoid packing too much flour and drying out the cake.
- Cream Thoroughly: Beating the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy is crucial for building a tender, velvety crumb.
- Do Not Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined to prevent developing excess gluten, which can make the cake dense.
- Cool Completely Before Glazing: Ensure the cake is fully cooled on a wire rack before pouring the warm ganache on top so it doesn't melt or thin out incorrectly.
Faq's
Dry pound cake is usually caused by overmeasuring flour, overmixing the batter, overbaking, or storing it uncovered. Measuring accurately and pulling the cake as soon as a toothpick comes out clean will keep it moist.
Sour cream adds moisture, richness, and a subtle tang. Its acidity also reacts with baking soda to help the cake rise while keeping the crumb ultra-tender.
Storing
Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. Keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
If refrigerated, let slices come to room temperature before serving so the ganache softens and melts in your mouth.
Freezing
You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices for up to 3 months:
- Freeze the whole cake: Cool completely, then freeze uncovered for 1 hour to set the ganache. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
- Freeze individual slices: Chill the cake, slice into portions, wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, and store them together in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.
Substitutions
Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
Dairy-Free: Substitute the butter with vegan butter, use a dairy-free heavy cream alternative for the ganache, and choose dairy-free chocolate bars.
Serving Tips
Whipped Cream: Top each slice with a fresh dollop of homemade whipped cream.
Vanilla Ice Cream: Serve next to a cold scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Fresh Berries: Add fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries to cut through the rich chocolate.
How to Scale This Recipe for Different Pans
To adjust your ingredients, multiply every single ingredient in the recipe by the percentage listed below for your chosen pan setup:
- Mini Loaf Pans: Divide the standard batter evenly across 3 to 4 mini loaf pans. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Bundt Pan (Double Batch): Multiply the entire recipe by 200 percent (or 2.0) to fit a standard 10-to-12-cup Bundt pan. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 55 to 65 minutes.
Equipment
More chocolate recipes
Small chocolate cake- Baked in an 8x8-inch pan for when you want a rich chocolate treat without making a massive cake.
Double chocolate banana bread- Extra moist, packed with chocolate chips, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Best ever chocolate cake- Decadent two-layer chocolate cake paired with the easiest, most chocolaty frosting.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter room temp, unsalted
- 4 Eggs
- 1 ½ cups Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup Sour cream or greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ cup Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup Buttermilk
Chocolate ganache
- 3.5 oz Dark chocolate or semisweet
- 3.5 oz Heavy cream
Instructions
- Prep and Cream: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients & Cocoa: Add the buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs, mixing until well combined. Sift in the cocoa powder and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing on low speed just until combined and no flour pockets remain.
- Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake at 180°C (320°F) for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. Pour the hot cream over finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- Let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then whisk gently from the center outward until glossy and smooth.
- Glaze and Serve: Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled cake, spread evenly with an offset spatula, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk are fully at room temperature so the batter emulsifies properly into a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Fluff your flour with a spoon, scoop it into your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife to avoid packing too much flour and drying out the cake.
- Cream Thoroughly: Beating the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla together until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes) is crucial for building a tender, velvety crumb.
- Do Not Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just on low speed until combined to prevent developing excess gluten, which can make the cake dense.
- Cool Completely Before Glazing: Ensure the pound cake is completely cool on a wire rack before pouring the warm chocolate ganache over it to prevent the topping from melting or sliding off.
Nutrition
Looking for more chocolate recipes? You should check this chocolate zucchini cake recipe by my friends over at Chef Lindsey Farr. It's a rich, moist chocolate cake made with zucchini!
Min Jie says
Thank you for this recipe!! The cake is dense and tastes so good!
Darlene says
Perfection on a plate! This cake is amazing, a goldilocks cake, not to sweet, not dry, but dense, rich and delicious. I made a chocolate mousse instead of the ganache, mmmm, a few raspberries, sides of vanilla iced cream for those who need it, and it’s just wow! Thanks!
Nadine says
Easy peasy, very good. Thank you!
Kathie says
Thank you thank you thank you!!! Finally a chocolate cake recipe void of oil. I am not a fan of chocolate cake made with oil. This cake is so delicious. I am not a lover of sugary sweet desserts so I reduced the sugar amount by 50g. The flavour was perfect. The butter flavour came through. I used salted butter and eliminated the 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. I made cupcakes and the recipe yielded 24 standard size cupcakes. They were moist and spongy, not dense at all. I also skipped the ganache. It reminds me of a chocolate cake I made regularly many years ago but when I wanted to make it recently I could not find the right recipe. This recipe is a keeper.
Linda Berggren says
I made this cake this morning in a bundt pan because there was too much batter for a loaf pan. It was perfectly baked at 45 minutes. So glad I checked before the timer went off! I greased the pan with butter and coated with granulated sugar. I also used GF flour, and the cake turned out moist and delicious! No need for the ganache. Thanks for a great recipe!
Roby says
Hi, what about giving th recipes as well in Grams. I leave in Europe thus have no notion of Cups
RichandDelish says
Hi! You have the option to convert the measurements into grams in the recipe card below! Click on 'metric'.
ida says
hello, what is the size of the loaf pan?
Shamistha says
Hi can I use vegetable oil instead of butter or half butter half oil? Will it affect the taste and texture ?
Diane Patnode says
I don ‘t see how much kosher salt on the list of ingredients. Thank u
RichandDelish says
Hi! you will need 1/2 tsp of kosher salt for this recipe.
Ani says
Just made this today. It was a really good moist cholocatey cake & an easy recipe which I followed closely . The only issue was, it was dense/uncooked in the centre bottom, despite testing with skewer in 3 places. Please advise coz the fmly & I really loved the cake.
RichandDelish says
Hi there! It sounds like the cake needed to bake for a little more. This cake does take a long time to bake. Hope this helps!