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The secret ingredient to this incredibly rich and moist chocolate cake is sour cream!

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

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Incredibly rich and moist chocolate cake. The secret ingredient in both the cake and the icing is sour cream!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Assembly Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 824
Author Annalise Sandberg

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups sour cream
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 ¼ cup coffee

For the icing:

  • 15 ounces semi-sweet chocolate , chopped
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon instant espresso , optional
  • 2 cups sour cream , at room temperature
  • ¼-½ cup light corn syrup
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup icing (above)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make cake layers:

  • To make the cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
  • In another bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Add coffee and whisk until smooth.
  • Add wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients and whisk until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Do not overmix.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make filling and frosting:

  • Melt the chocolate and instant espresso (if using) in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
  • In another bowl, combine the sour cream, vanilla extract, and ¼ cup corn syrup. Add the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Taste for flavor and add additional corn syrup a tablespoon at a time to reach the desired sweetness. (¼ cup was just the right amount for me.) The icing will have a thin consistency, but will continue to thicken as it cools to room temperature.
  • To make the filling, beat whipping cream to medium peaks. Fold together with 1 cup of the chocolate sour cream frosting until combined.

To assemble the cake:

  • Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and cover the top with half of the filling. Place another layer on top, followed by the rest of the filling.
  • Frost cake with chocolate sour cream frosting as desired.. Store the cake in the fridge until ready to serve, along with any leftovers.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 824kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 665mg | Potassium: 566mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 908IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 6mg