This moist, dense, and delicious chocolate sour cream pound cake will make you the preferred guest at all your Southern gatherings.
Everyone loves a pound cake.
Am I right?
One of my childhood friend’s grandmother wrote a book once.
A recipe book.
Know what the name was?
My Pound Cake Is Better Than Yours
You can’t make this stuff up.
Love you, Mrs. Edna Mae!
Watch How to Make Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
A Chocolate Pound Cake Made With Sour Cream That’ll Win You A Prize At The Bake Off!
In the South we LOVE our butter and our pound cakes!
These mouth-watering cakes can be found at family gatherings, pot luck lunches at church, or carried to someone sick and shut in.
They are rich and filling and like the south, they are simple yet versatile.
Are There Any Substitutions For Pound Cakes?
While you can substitute shortening for butter, it won’t be an equal conversion and won’t have that buttery pound cake signature taste.
See some conversions below:
- 2 sticks: 1 cup, 225 grams, or 8 ounces
- 1 stick: 1/2 cup, 113 grams, or 4 ounces
- 1 tablespoon: 14 grams or 1/2 ounce
- 1 teaspoon: 5 grams
You can also substitute several things for cocoa but be careful when choosing a cocoa powder substitute. You want to retain that chocolate flavor as much as possible.
- Your best choice: Unsweetened baking chocolate. …
- A decent second option: Carob powder. …
- In a Pinch or last resort: Hot cocoa mix. …
You can also substitute cake flour for all purpose flour. Use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for each cup of all-purpose flour. You can make your own. One cup sifted cake flour can be substituted with 3/4 cup sifted bleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
Just remember with any substitute that deviates from the original recipe, the overall taste, texture, and appearance may not be the same.
How Far In Advance Can You Make Pound Cakes?
Another wonderful thing about pound cakes is that you can enjoy them now or later. Store your pound cake in an airtight sealed container for several days.
You can wrap your cake with plastic wrap and foil, then refrigerate up to seven days or keep frozen up to six months.
For best results, always thaw your pound cake on the counter without unwrapping.
Then it is delicious served alone or can be highlighted with strawberries and whipped topping. Serving it with a hot chocolate, chocolate ganache, or caramel sauce drizzled over the top makes a bold statement as well!
How Do You Get The Yummy Crispy Top On The Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake?
Pound cakes can have cracked tops because the batter is so dense. The outside of the cake cooks first, which can make the batter to rise up and crack in the middle.
If you ask most Southerners, they will tell you that is their favorite part. You can catch many a pound cake lover cutting the top off and munching down on that crispy decadent top.
My great grandmother was diabetic but made (and never ate) the most delicious pounds cakes you could imagine.
They all had that crunchy, crispy top that the family would fight over. The cracks made the cakes special!
However, if you really can’t stand cracks, you can bake the cake in a tube pan, instead of a loaf pan.
What Can I Do With Leftovers From The Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake?
Pound cakes are dense which makes them easy to be used in a variety of creative recipes. You can make bread pudding, a trifle with fruit, a twist on strawberry shortcake, or even toasted with jam.
Let imagination be your culinary guide.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 (8 oz.) container of sour cream
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions For The Chocolate Pound Cake With Sour Cream
- Preheat the oven to 325 F.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, gradually add sugar, beating well.
- Add the room temperature eggs, one at a time, beating well with the electric mixer after each addition.
- Combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt.
- Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Mix well after each addition.
- Add boiling water and mix well.
- Add and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour cake batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan.
- Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes (depending on your oven), or until cake tests done.
- Cool cake in pan for 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan and cool cake completely on wire rack before serving or serve immediately with your favorite ice cream or hot chocolate sauce or icing. It will melt in your mouth.
Optional: Chocolate Ganache Icing
Ingredients
- 8 oz (1/2 lb or about 1 1/3 cup of ) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
- Stirring occasionally, bring heavy cream to simmer on stove top.
- Once it starts to simmer, remove from heat and poor over chocolate chips.
- Make sure all chips are covered.
- Put lid on chocolate chips to retain heat and let sit without mixing for 5 minutes.
- Remove lid and using a whisk start swirling the chocolate chips in the center, moving outward until smooth.
- Once velvety, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes (uncovered) before pouring over the pound cake.
It is the perfect finish to a southern dessert delight.
You can probably make this chocolate pound cake with stuff you already have on hand at home but if not, it is worth a drive to the grocery store!
WINNER WINNER CHICKEN CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE DINNER.
Enjoy!
Also, try our Pea Pickin’ Cake... it’s a crowd pleaser!
This recipe was first published in Cancer Freeze: Cookin’ For A Cure. Recipe developed by Doug Keegans. Printed with permission.
Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup butter softened
- 3 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Ganache
- 8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour 10 inch tube or bundt pan
- In large bowl cream the butter, gradually add sugar, beating well.
- Add the room temperature eggs, one at a time, beating well with the electric mixer after each addition.
- Combine flour, cocoa, soda, and salt.
- Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Mix well after each addition.
- Add boiling water and mix well.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Pour batter into tube or bundt pan.
- Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes (give or take 5 minutes depending on your oven) or until cake tests done.
- Cool cake in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, remove from pan and cool cake completely on wire rack before serving or serve immediately with your favorite ice cream or hot chocolate sauce or icing. It will melt in your mouth.
For Optional Ganache
- Stirring occasionally, bring heavy cream to simmer on stove top.
- Once it starts to simmer, remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips.
- Make sure all chips are covered.
- Put lid on chocolate chips to retain heat and let sit without mixing for 5 minutes.
- Remove lid and using a whisk start swirling the chocolate chips in the center, moving outward until smooth.
- Once velvety, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes (uncovered) before pouring over the pound cake.
The amount of batter is too much for a 12-cup Bundt pan. The batter overflowed the pan into the oven and burned. I measured out all the ingredients carefully, so I know I didn’t make a mistake. I’m hoping I can salvage the cake to take to church tomorrow. It could make a Bundt pan and a loaf pan I would guess. The batter looked awesome. I can’t comment on the taste because I’m gluten intolerant and I made this cake for others.
This cake was amazing! So moist and delicious! There is an error in the directions on when to add the eggs and I almost forgot to add them. Glad I caught it before I poured the batter into my pan. I did add mini chocolate chips to the batter and I did do the ganache glaze which was so delicious. Everyone at the party loved the cake including the birthday girl who is a phenomenal cook/baker! Will definitely make this cake again!
This cake was amazing! So moist and delicious! There is an error in the directions on when to add the eggs and I almost forgot to add them. Glad I caught it before I poured the batter into my pan. I did add mini chocolate chips to the batter and I did do the ganache glaze which was so delicious. Everyone at the party loved the cake including the birthday girl who is a phenomenal cook/baker! Will definitely make this cake again! Also this batter does make a lot so I used a Bundt pan and a loaf pan.
Rachel!! You forgot to say WHEN to add eggs!!
I’m making this for first time now for Thanksgiving!!
Ann..thanks for the heads up. I included where to add the eggs in the main body of the post but forgot to put that step on the recipe card. I know a lot of people just use it to prepare the dish, so I appreciate your catching the slip up. I hope the cake was delicious.
This recipe is fantastic. I did make a couple of changes. I used melted German Chocolate bar then added when I added the boiling water. I also added 1 cup of sweetened coconut to the batter. Everyone wanted the recipe . I made it for a church function and the ladies added it to their yearly cookbook.
Added 1tsp instant coffee and 1tsp of cinnamon. Delicious!
Linda, those sound like really tasty additions to the recipe! We’re glad you enjoyed!