This chocolate sour cream pound cake is decadent, fudgy, and delightfully dense. And best of all, it's incredibly easy to make!
This chocolate sour cream pound cake is a riff of the classic buttery pound cake, but loaded up with chocolate flavor and drenched in even more chocolate! My version doesn't actually have a pound of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, but it definitely is heavy on the butter and sugar. Since this cake is meant to be dense in nature, it can be difficult to nail that perfect balance of dense texture and moist & flavorful. But this recipe, oh man. It's dense, fudgy, chocolatey, and moist. It's the most perfect chocolate pound cake on the block. And trust me, it's totally worth the chocolate coma.
For more chocolate cake recipes, try Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Cake, Chocolate Tiramisu Cake, Fudgy Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake, and Dairy Free Chocolate Cake.
Jump to Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: You'll need just one cup of flour. I strongly encourage you to weigh your flour to avoid adding too much, which would result in a dry pound cake.
- Cocoa Powder: I use a combination of dutch process and black cocoa powders, but you can use just dutch process if you'd like.
- Leavener: All you need is baking powder for this recipe.
- Butter: No, there isn't a whole of butter in this recipe, but there's still enough to get that classic buttery pound cake flavor!
- Sugar: You'll need just granulated sugar.
- Eggs: To achieve that signature dense pound cake texture, you'll need 4 whole eggs.
- Sour Cream: Use full fat sour cream for optimum flavor and texture.
- Heavy Cream: For the chocolate glaze, you'll need a half cup of heavy cream.
- Chocolate: Use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks for the chocolate glaze.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
This chocolate sour cream pound cake recipe is incredibly easy as it only requires a basic creaming method of butter and sugar, and alternating dry & wet ingredients at the end. Once the batter is made, sit back and relax as it bakes! Before you know it, you'll be enjoying a thick slice of chocolate heaven.
STEP 1: Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powders, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
STEP 2: Cream butter & sugar; Alternate dry & wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed until light & fluffy. Add vanilla extract and one egg at a time, mixing to fully incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl, add mix in half of the flour mixture on low speed. Mix in the sour cream until mostly combined. Then, add the rest of the dry ingredients until everything is fully combined. Do not over-mix.
STEP 3: Pour batter into pan. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, then spoon the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
STEP 4: Bake. Bake the pound cake for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Use a knife to loosen the cake, then remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before topping with glaze and cutting.
STEP 5: Make the chocolate ganache & drizzle on cake. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer or about 190 degrees F. Once simmering, remove from heat and add the chocolate. Use a small rubber spatula or spoon to gently stir until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is homogeneous. Pour the ganache over the cooled pound cake, then slice and enjoy!
STEP 6: Serve. Slice & enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- If you do not have black cocoa powder on hand, you can sub for an additional 2 tablespoon of dutch process cocoa powder.
- Use full fat sour cream for best flavor and texture! You can also sub for whole milk plain greek yogurt.
- Store this pound cake in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Dutch process cocoa powder is THE best cocoa powder for baking. Because it's neutralized with an alkalizing agent, it has a smoother flavor and creates the most fudgy and chocolatey baked goods! Black cocoa powder is similar to dutch process, but richer in flavor and darker in color. It is typically used in small amounts alongside another cocoa powder to enhance the color and flavor of the baked good. It smells like actual chocolate cake and is just magical to bake with!
Store this pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Baking in grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other chocolate related recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chocolate sour cream pound cake:
- 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 42 g (½ cup) dutch process cocoa powder
- 21 g (¼ cup) black cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 198 g (14 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 250 g (1 ¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 227 g (1 cup) sour cream, room temp
For the chocolate glaze:
- 113 g (½ cup) heavy cream
- 85 g (3 oz) semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
For the chocolate sour cream pound cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powders, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes until light & fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and one egg at a time, mixing to fully incorporate each one before adding the next.
- Scrape down the bowl, add mix in half of the dry ingredients on low speed. Mix in the sour cream until mostly combined. Then, add the rest of the dry ingredients until everything is fully combined. Do not over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
- Bake the pound cake for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack and allow the pound cake to cool completely.
For the chocolate glaze:
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer or about 190 degrees F. Once simmering, remove from heat and add the chocolate. Use a small rubber spatula or spoon to gently stir until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is homogeneous.
- Pour the ganache over the cooled pound cake, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
- If you do not have black cocoa powder on hand, you can sub for an additional 2 tablespoon of dutch process cocoa powder.
- Use full fat sour cream for best flavor and texture! You can also sub for whole milk plain greek yogurt.
- Store this pound cake in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to to 3 months.
Adelaide Miller says
This is SO good! I have never once made a pound cake that was not dry, and it's not for lack of trying! This cake though... it is moist and dense and fudgy like a brownie in pound cake form! The chocolate flavor is super intense and then the ganache on top just takes it to the next level. I can't wait to make this again!
Marissa says
I just made a keto version of this recipe. I used King Arthur keto flour and best sugar replacement granulated using the same measurements. This is my first keto cake and I like it better than my keto cheesecake. Of course you can’t compare but the flavor is good and it is really moist. Will make it again.
Katie says
The pound cake turned out rich, chocolatey and dense, sooo delicious especially with the chocolate glaze. Perfect with icecream or whipped cream.
Emma says
Dutch processed cocoa is not available easily in my area. Can I sub it for regular cocoa powder?
Sloane says
Yes, of course! But keep in mind that the chocolate flavor will likely not be as rich.
Jessica says
I'm an experienced baker but currently I did something wrong. the edges are crunchy? thoughts?
Sloane says
Hi! The outside of the cake is meant to be similar to the edges of a brownie, but not crunchy. There are so many variables when it comes to baking, so it's difficult for me to know exactly what went wrong. My best guess is that you may have over-baked it. I hope it still tasted delicious!
Paula says
what size eggs did you use in this chocolate sour cream pound cake, thanks
Sloane says
I use large eggs, which weigh about 50g each!
Lucia says
Love this cake so fudgy and delicious! One thing I wanted to ask is this 325 degrees on a fan oven?? When baking the outer edges seemed to be much crisper and firmer than I was expecting!
Sloane says
Hi Lucia,
So glad you love the recipe! I always use convection, so 325 F with the fan, yes.
Luiselena says
I just baked this cake with my sister to a party, but it just smelled so delicious that we keep it, and baked anotherone!! Is just the perfect chocolate cake!!
Libby says
This pound cake was delicious! So chocolatey and moist
Cambrea says
This chocolate pound cake was everything my chocolate craving asked for and more!! I can't recommend this recipe enough, it's super moist and has a rich chocolate flavor without being too sweet.
Babs says
Delicious ! Nice chocolate flavor ! Did not glaze , but wonderful without the glaze. Will definitely make again . Thanks !!
Margaret says
This is a really lovely cake, so easy to make and such great results. This will be my standard recipe from now on! Thank you!
Pam McWaters says
Can you make this in a Bundt pan or is there not enough batter to do so?
Sloane says
I would not recommend baking this recipe in a bundt pan. There would not be enough batter, and I'm not sure what the correct quantities would be to make it as a bundt cake. Hope you get to try it as a loaf!
Natalie says
Hands down the most moist chocolate pound cake I’ve ever had! Love how easy it is to make too!