This super moist sourdough chocolate cake has a moist and tender chocolate cake base topped when warm with fudgy chocolate frosting!
Ditch the Box: Homemade Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Calling all chocolate lovers and sourdough bakers! This decadent Sourdough Chocolate Cake is about to become your new favorite way to use up leftover discard or active starter. Packed with rich cocoa flavor and boasting a moist, tender crumb, this cake is everything you’ve ever dreamed of and more.
We’ve included a handy long fermentation option for those who want to develop a deeper sourdough tang, and the easy fudgy frosting comes together in a snap using a double boiler – perfect for beginner bakers!
This moist chocolate cake recipe is easily adaptable to a 9×13 pan for a crowd-pleasing sheet cake or split between two round pans for a classic layered dessert. So ditch the boxed mix and get ready to experience the magic of sourdough in this delicious homemade chocolate cake!
Key Ingredients & Why
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and tenderize this chocolate cake crumb. Plus it balances the richness of the cocoa powder and sourdough for a delightful sweetness.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: The heart of the chocolate flavor! This recipe uses a good amount of cocoa powder to deliver a deep, decadent chocolate taste!
- Baking Soda: This is the main leavening agent. It reacts with the acidity in the sourdough starter or discard and makes a light fluffy crumb;)
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor by balancing the sweetness of the sugar and the bitterness of the cocoa. Just a teaspoon is enough to bring out all the other flavors without making the cake taste salty.
- Sourdough Discard or Active Starter: The secret weapon… Sourdough starter adds a subtle tang and incredible moisture to the cake! The fermentation process in the sourdough also contributes to a complex flavor profile that you can’t get any other way. (This recipe is designed to work with either discard or active starter, reducing waste and making it convenient for sourdough bakers.)
- Eggs: They bind the ingredients together, add moisture.
- Heavy Cream: Adds a touch of fat and richness, adds moistness and decadent texture to this cake, instead of oil.
- Hot Water: Hot water does 2 important things in this recipe: it activates the cocoa powder, intensifying the chocolate taste. And, more importantly, hot water helps create a moist crumb!
For the Fudgy Frosting:
- Chocolate Chips: Melted chocolate chips are the base for this simple frosting, allowing you to customize the flavor by using your favorite type of chips (dark, semi-sweet, milk chocolate, etc.).
- Heavy Cream: Heats up with the chocolate chips to create a smooth and fudgy frosting consistency. The fat content in the cream also adds richness to the frosting!
Make this into a layer cake:
Sourdough Chocolate Cake is surprisingly easy to make, even for beginner bakers! No need to worry about a grocery store full of fancy ingredients – you likely have everything you need on hand already.
This recipe is truly fuss-free and uses simple ingredients to create a moist and delicious chocolate cake that everyone will love. It’s the perfect way to use up sourdough discard and create a homemade cake that rivals anything you’ll find at the bakery!
Here’s the rundown to make this without long fermentation:
- Dry Ingredients: Simply whisk together the all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, use a whisk to combine the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream (or your favorite yogurt!) until smooth.
- Combine & Conquer: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed with a hand mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until just combined. Don’t overmix!
- Hot & Steamy: Slowly add the hot water and mix until you have a smooth, pourable cake batter.
- Bake Time: Preheat your oven and grease two 9-inch cake pans (parchment paper for easy removal is a good idea!). Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Completely: Let the cake layers cool completely on wire racks before frosting. This helps prevent the frosting from melting and ensures a nice, neat finished product.
- Frosting Magic: While your cake cools, whip up your favorite chocolate frosting with chocolate chips and cream in a double boiler. Spread a generous layer over the top of one cooled cake layer, then carefully place the second layer on top. Frost the sides and top of the entire cake and admire your creation!
Print Recipe Card
Moist Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- For the Cake: 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard or active starter both work well
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup hot water
- For the Frosting: 2 cups of your favorite chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- To a large mixing bow add: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder, and mix till all ingredients are well combined. (If you want to long ferment this batter, do NOT add the baking soda till the next day.)
- make a well in the middle of dry ingredients and add the eggs, cream, sourdough starter or discard, and hot water, then whisk till well combined. It will be a thinner batter, and that is correct. (If you are long fermenting this batter cover it now with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4-12 hours. Then add your baking soda and stir till combined.)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. And generously butter a 9×13 baking dish.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
- Bake 9×13 cake pan at 350 for 35-37 minutes… Just till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While cake is baking make the fudgy frosting: Use a double boiler or Make a double boiler: add 1 inch water to a small sauce pan, and place a glass mixing bowl on top (it should fit into the sauce pan an inch or two.)
- Add 2 cups chocolate chips and 1 cup heavy cream and stir, or whisk, till well combined and fudgy.
- After cake is done, remove from the oven to a cooling rack. Pour warm frosting over hot cake and gently smooth to evenly coat the top.
- Let cake cool. And Enjoy!
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About Juliea
Juliea Huffaker is the creator of Farmhouse Harvest, and dedicated to teaching from-scratch cooking, sourdough baking, gardening, and food preservation. With over 25 years of hands-on experience she has preserved hundreds of jars of produce, mastered the art of meats and sourdough baking, and nurtured a thriving organic garden. Her recipes and articles have been featured across the web. And she’s passionate about inspiring others to embrace a simpler, self-sufficient life style.
