The Best Moist Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe with Rich Ganache Glaze
Prepare yourself for an extraordinary chocolate experience with this incredibly moist, deep chocolate sour cream pound cake, generously adorned with a luscious ganache. This isn’t just any old-fashioned chocolate pound cake; it’s the ultimate showstopper for any gathering, a perfect dessert that promises to be addictively delicious and remarkably easy to make. Its rich flavor and tender crumb will make it an instant favorite, whether you’re a devout chocoholic or simply appreciate a truly well-made cake.
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For those who simply can’t get enough chocolate, this recipe is a must-try. If you’re looking to explore more decadent chocolate desserts, be sure to also check out my Chocolate Walnut Brownies, my Mini Chocolate Cake, and my Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Crystallized Ginger!
Indulge in this Old Fashioned Chocolate Pound Cake Perfection
There are cakes, and then there is this cake! Frankly, I had a tough time photographing it because the temptation to devour it immediately was overwhelming! If the mere mention of “chocolate sour cream pound cake” sends you racing to your pantry for ingredients, you’re in good company. But even if you’re not easily swayed by chocolate, trust me, this recipe will convert you into a believer. It truly is the best chocolate pound cake for any occasion, from casual family dinners to elegant celebrations.
What makes this chocolate bundt cake so irresistible? It boasts a soft, dense-yet-fluffy crumb that melts in your mouth, delivering an incredibly rich chocolate flavor. This depth is further enhanced by a touch of espresso powder – a secret ingredient that amplifies the cocoa without making the cake taste like coffee. And crowning it all is a luscious, satin-smooth chocolate ganache glaze, cascading down its sides for an extra layer of pure chocolate bliss. If you prefer a thicker frosting, my Chocolate Fudge Frosting would also be a fantastic option.
Even as someone who wouldn’t necessarily label myself a full-blown chocoholic, I could honestly enjoy this moist chocolate pound cake all day long. The feedback speaks for itself: when I recently shared slices with my neighbors, their unanimous verdict was that it was the BEST chocolate cake they had ever tasted! That kind of endorsement is hard to beat.
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Unlocking the Secret to the Best Pound Cake
Crafting a truly exceptional pound cake involves several crucial steps, and I’ll guide you through each one to ensure your chocolate creation is nothing short of perfect. Key to success are precise measurements – always use a kitchen scale for your flour to avoid a dry cake. Equally important is ensuring all your ingredients, especially butter and eggs, are at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify properly, creating a smooth, homogenous batter that traps air efficiently, leading to a lighter, more tender crumb.
However, my absolute favorite technique for elevating any pound cake is the addition of a rich, tangy dairy product. Think buttermilk, cream cheese, or, in this case, the star of our show: sour cream! These ingredients introduce a subtle acidity and extra fat content that transform a good pound cake into a truly great one. So, if you’re seeking that signature southern chocolate pound cake with incredible moisture and a tender texture, you’ve come to the right place.
If you’re eager to explore other delightful pound cake flavors, don’t miss this vibrant Peach Cobbler Pound Cake, my irresistibly rich Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake, or this unique German Nut Pound Cake. For those curious about the nuances of different cake types, I also have a helpful post detailing the differences and similarities between pound cake vs. Bundt cake!
The Magic of Sour Cream in Cake Baking
Sour cream is an unsung hero in many baking recipes, especially for pound cakes. Its inclusion introduces a wonderful acidic element into the batter, performing a similar function to buttermilk or cream cheese. This acidity does wonders for sweet treats, not only giving them a more complex and nuanced flavor profile but also significantly enhancing the richness and moisture content. By contributing dairy protein and fat, sour cream ensures that cakes remain incredibly moist, tender, and velvety for days.
One of the most remarkable benefits of sour cream’s acidity is its ability to tenderize the gluten in the flour. This process results in a finer, more delicate crumb – precisely what we aim for in an old-fashioned sour cream chocolate cake. We want a tight, structured crumb, but without any hint of heaviness or excessive density. The perfect balance is achieved, much like in my Blueberry and Lemon Pound Cake, where the cake is substantial yet wonderfully tender. This balance is key to a truly superior pound cake.
Should you wish to experiment with cream cheese instead of sour cream in your pound cake, you’ll adore my Peach Cobbler Pound Cake and my Carrot Pound Cake. And for a playful twist, my Oreo Pound Cake incorporates crushed Oreos for an extra layer of flavor and texture!
Optimal Sour Cream Quantity for a Perfect Pound Cake
For this moist chocolate pound cake, you’ll need precisely one cup of sour cream, which is equivalent to one whole 8-ounce container. This amount is carefully calibrated to achieve that desired moist, close, and incredibly tender crumb, without venturing into gummy or overly dense territory. The ratio ensures the perfect balance of richness and lightness.
While I strongly recommend using full-fat sour cream for the most decadent results and optimal moisture, you can certainly use light sour cream or even Greek yogurt as a substitute. Keep in mind that using lower-fat alternatives might slightly alter the texture and richness, but the cake will still be delicious. Now, let’s delve into the other essential ingredients that come together to create this magnificent dessert.
Essential Ingredients for Your Moist Chocolate Pound Cake
Every ingredient in this recipe plays a vital role in achieving the perfect flavor and texture. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need:
- Salted Butter: Ensure your butter is at proper room temperature – not melted, but soft enough to leave a slight indent when pressed. This allows it to cream effectively with sugar, incorporating air for a lighter cake. If you only have unsalted butter, simply add a pinch more salt to the dry ingredients.
- Granulated Sugar: Provides the ideal amount of sweetness to beautifully balance the intense cocoa flavor, contributing to a tender crumb.
- Eggs: Like butter, eggs should be at room temperature. This helps them emulsify better with the fat, creating a smoother batter and a more even texture.
- Vanilla Extract: For the most exquisite vanilla flavor that complements chocolate perfectly, I highly recommend investing in a high-quality pure vanilla extract. Or, even better, discover how simple it is to make your own vanilla extract at home with just two ingredients!
- Sour Cream: As the star ingredient, sour cream is indispensable! It functions similarly to buttermilk, yogurt, or cream cheese by adding crucial moisture, creating a tight and tender crumb, and imparting a rich, complex flavor that elevates the entire cake.
- All-Purpose Flour: Accurate measurement of dry ingredients is paramount for successful baking. I cannot stress enough the importance of using a kitchen scale to measure your flour by weight. For this recipe, you’ll need precisely 256 grams of flour to ensure the perfect cake consistency.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I typically use Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa, but any quality unsweetened cocoa powder (regular, not Dutch-process, which reacts differently with leaveners) will yield fantastic results. For more chocolate cake inspiration, try my delightful Chocolate Blueberry Cake!
- Instant Espresso Powder: This is truly the secret weapon that deepens and intensifies the chocolate flavor in this sour cream pound cake to an incredible degree! While the rich coffee flavor itself won’t be detectable, it acts as a powerful enhancer, making the chocolate taste even more pronounced and luxurious. It’s what makes this chocolate bundt cake undeniably the best!
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These two leavening agents work in harmony to provide the perfect lift and structure to the cake batter, ensuring a light yet dense texture and a beautiful rise.
- Boiling Water: Adding hot, boiling water to the cocoa powder is a crucial step to “bloom” the cocoa. This process unlocks and maximizes its rich chocolatey flavor, making your cake taste even more intensely chocolatey.
- Baking Spray: Essential for preparing your bundt pan to prevent sticking and ensure a clean release.
And for that utterly amazing, glossy chocolate ganache glaze, you’ll need these three simple ingredients:
- Bittersweet Chocolate: I prefer a Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Bittersweet Baking Bar for this glaze. It strikes a wonderful balance between deep, intense chocolate flavor and just the right hint of sweetness, ensuring the glaze isn’t cloyingly sweet.
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream is key to achieving that creamy, smooth richness in the ganache. It helps the chocolate melt beautifully into a pourable consistency.
- Light Corn Syrup: This ingredient is vital for adding a beautiful shine to your ganache glaze and ensuring it has a thin, pourable consistency that drapes elegantly over the cake. I find Karo light corn syrup works perfectly. If corn syrup is unavailable, you can substitute it with agave nectar or even honey for a similar effect on shine and texture, though honey might impart a slight flavor.
Essential Equipment for Your Chocolate Pound Cake
Having the right tools can make all the difference in your baking journey. Here’s what I recommend for this recipe:
First and foremost, you’ll need a suitable cake pan. I personally love using this Nordicware Elegant Party Bundt Pan for its distinct and sleek design, which always results in a beautifully shaped cake. However, any high-quality 10-12 cup tube pan or Bundt pan you own and love will work perfectly. I’m also quite fond of the elegant contours of the Nordicware Heritage Premier Bundt Pan, which I imagine would look absolutely stunning with the ganache glaze artfully drizzled over its intricate design.
To ensure your cake is baked to perfection without over-drying, I always rely on an instant-read thermometer. Insert it into the center of the cake; it should register 210℉ when done. This takes the guesswork out of baking and guarantees a consistently moist result every time. Here are all the tools I’d recommend for this dark chocolate sour cream pound cake recipe to make your baking experience smooth and successful!
Expert Tips for Success & Recipe FAQs
To ensure your chocolate sour cream pound cake turns out perfectly every time, here are some invaluable tips and answers to common questions:
Pound cake originates from traditional recipes that famously called for a pound each of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. This classic ratio created a dense, rich cake with a distinctive buttery flavor. While modern pound cake recipes, like my delightful lemon sour cream pound cake, often feature slightly adjusted ratios and additional ingredients for enhanced flavor and texture, they maintain that signature dense, moist quality. It’s a testament to its enduring appeal.
Preventing your Bundt cake from sticking can be tricky, but with the right method, you’ll achieve perfect results every time. First, ensure you’re using a well-made Bundt pan with a high-quality nonstick coating that is free of any scratches or scuffs. Next, and this is crucial, just before pouring in the batter, thoroughly spray your Bundt pan with baking spray (the kind that contains flour). Be meticulous and get into every intricate crevice of the pan. Finally, once your chocolate sour cream pound cake is out of the oven, let it rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes. This cooling period allows the cake to firm up slightly and pull away from the sides. After resting, immediately turn it out carefully onto a wire rack to cool completely. If it resists, a gentle tap or jiggle of the overturned Bundt pan can help loosen it. Following these steps consistently yields excellent, clean releases.
Pound cake generally distinguishes itself from typical layer cakes in several ways. It is often served with a thinner glaze, a dusting of powdered sugar, or no topping at all, rather than thick frosting. Its hallmark is a denser, richer, and more buttery texture and flavor compared to lighter, fluffier regular cakes. Furthermore, pound cakes are traditionally baked in loaf pans or elegant Bundt pans, not typically in round layer cake pans. This moist chocolate pound cake is an excellent recipe to begin your journey into the delicious world of pound cakes!
To prevent your delicious sour cream pound cake from falling, keep these crucial tips in mind. First, resist the urge to open the oven door during baking, especially in the first three-quarters of the baking time. Temperature fluctuations can cause the cake to collapse. If you must check for doneness before the estimated time, do so quickly and close the door immediately to retain heat. Second, precise ingredient measurement is vital. Too much sugar can weaken the cake’s structure, and excessive baking soda or baking powder can cause it to rise too quickly and then fall. Always measure carefully!
The most common culprit for a dry chocolate pound cake is inadvertently adding too much flour. Many home bakers measure flour by volume (with measuring cups), which often results in compacting the flour and using more than intended. To avoid this, always measure your flour by weight using a kitchen scale. Another frequent cause of dryness is overbaking. Begin checking your cake for doneness around 50 minutes, and use an instant-read thermometer to confirm it has reached 210℉, pulling it from the oven promptly once it hits that mark.
Absolutely! This easy chocolate pound cake is a fantastic candidate for freezing and maintains its deliciousness for up to two months. Once the ganache glaze has fully cooled and set, you can freeze the cake either whole or, my preferred method, in individual slices. Freezing in slices allows you to thaw just one piece for a perfect single-serving treat anytime the craving strikes! To prepare for freezing, place the cake (whether whole or slices) uncovered in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This step solidifies the glaze, preventing it from sticking to the wrapping. Then, carefully wrap each slice or the whole cake first in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw the wrapped cake or slices on your countertop at room temperature, and savor every moist bite!
Achieving a supremely moist pound cake involves a few key techniques. Firstly, incorporating a tangy ingredient like buttermilk, sour cream, or cream cheese is incredibly effective. The acidity in these dairy products works to neutralize and tenderize the gluten in the flour, resulting in a wonderfully soft and moist cake – which is precisely why sour cream is a star in this chocolate sour cream pound cake! Secondly, and just as important, is to avoid overbaking. Always start checking your cake for doneness about 5 minutes before the suggested bake time ends. Using an oven thermometer is also highly recommended to ensure your oven temperature is accurate and not running too hot, which can quickly dry out a cake.
If you’re a devoted chocolate cake lover, you’ll be thrilled with my other creations! Indulge in my unique Chocolate Orange Cake, the classic comfort of my Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, and the delightful simplicity of my Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake. For brownie enthusiasts, don’t miss my wholesome Dairy-Free Brownies, the fruity decadence of my Raspberry Chocolate Brownies, and the nostalgic fun of my S’mores Brownies!
And if cookies are your weakness, you’ll adore my chewy Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies, my surprisingly delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar, and the whimsical Cookie Monster Cookies!
If you’ve had the pleasure of trying this exquisite chocolate sour cream pound cake recipe, I would be absolutely thrilled if you could leave a star review rating and a comment below! Your valuable feedback truly makes my day and helps other bakers discover this incredible recipe. And please, don’t be shy – share your magnificent baking creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram! I love seeing your beautiful results.
📖 The Ultimate Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe
Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
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Equipment You May Need
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10-12 cup Bundt pan
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Measuring cups and spoons
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Mixing bowls
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Whisk
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Rubber spatula
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Food scale
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Stand mixer
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Cooling rack
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Hand mixer
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Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter – room temperature (2 sticks)
- 4 large eggs – room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) pure vanilla extract
- 8 oz. (227 g) sour cream – room temperature (1 cup)
- 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (58 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons (2 g) instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
- ¾ cup (177 g) boiling water
- baking spray
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- 4 oz (113 g) bittersweet chocolate – chopped
- ½ cup (119 g) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (44 g) light corn syrup
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
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In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar for 3-5 minutes on medium speed. The mixture should become noticeably light in color and fluffy in texture.2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup salted butter
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Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate. Follow with the pure vanilla extract, mixing until just combined.4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
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Gently mix in the sour cream until it is thoroughly combined with the wet ingredients.8 oz. sour cream
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In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold them in until the mixture is just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough cake.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
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Carefully pour the boiling water into the batter and gently mix until just combined. Be cautious to avoid splashing the hot water. Mix only until the batter is homogeneous.¾ cup boiling water
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Generously spray a 10-12 inch fluted tube or Bundt pan with baking spray, ensuring every crevice is coated. Pour the prepared batter evenly into the pan. To eliminate any trapped air bubbles, carefully lift the pan an inch or two above the counter and gently drop it once or twice.baking spray
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Bake in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes. The cake is done when a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the cake registers 210℉ (99°C). Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
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Combine the chopped bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate begins to melt.4 oz bittersweet chocolate, ½ cup heavy cream
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Continue stirring gently until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth and uniform.
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Stir in the light corn syrup until the ganache becomes beautifully glossy and has a pourable consistency.2 tablespoons light corn syrup
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For a slightly thicker ganache, suitable for a more pronounced drizzle, you can allow it to cool in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency.
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Once the cake is completely cooled, pour the prepared ganache glaze evenly over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides for a beautiful presentation. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy your decadent chocolate sour cream pound cake!
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