I've changed. I used to thrive on complicated. I used to really enjoy the meticulous nature of a well designed recipe. I still love a challenge... but lately, all I want is easy and this One Bowl Sour Cream Chocolate Cake is certainly easy!
Maybe it's age (or, ahem, getting wiser)...
Maybe it's experience, or maybe it's just life getting way too busy (Is it though? Or have our priorities changed?.. But then again most of us commute to work which takes away at least 2 hours of each day that we can't get back... so maybe yes - too busy. I'll let you sit on that for a while...).
Now I appreciate the true simplicity of a recipe, and I believe that a recipe that is simple AND still 110% successful is a well designed one!
WHAT MAKES THIS ONE BOWL SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE CAKE SO EASY?
To me, simplicity means a few things:
- staple ingredients (or easily accessible)
- few dishes (v. important!!)
- one baking pan
- few steps
- delicious without any other complicated counterparts (ie. frosting, sauce, etc.)
Get ready for it, because this chocolate cake delivers!
It's a One Bowl Sour Cream Chocolate Cake, and it is the best chocolate cake if not for that reason alone! It makes one tall layer that is striking topped with whipped cream alone.
It contains chocolate in two forms: pure unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder.
It stays moist with the addition of honey and has the perfect balance of sweetness with the addition of salt and sour cream.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). First melt together the chocolate and butter until smooth (I guess that's one extra bowl so maybe this is a TWO BOWL chocolate cake)
- STEP 2). Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and blend well.
- STEP 3). Add the liquid ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients in the order specified and whisk until smooth.
- STEP 4). Add the melted chocolate mixture and whisk it through.
- STEP 5). BAKE just until set -- a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.
RECIPE FAQ
What is a substitute for sour cream?
If sour cream is not available to you where you live, you can also make this recipe using an equal amount of full fat Greek yogurt. I have tested this and it worked well!
Another suitable substitution is crème fraîche — a type of fermented dairy product somewhere between yogurt and sour cream.
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes! You can make this cake 1 or 2 days in advance since it keeps so well. The honey helps it stay moist. Just don't make the whipped cream until you plan to serve it.
How do I store this chocolate cake?
Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. If you plan to serve it the next day, then you can store it at room temperature, and then keep any leftovers in the fridge.
BEST One Bowl Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon 84g unsalted butter
- 2 oz 56g unsweetened chocolate
- ¼ cup 60ml honey
- 1 cup 142g all-purpose flour
- ½ cup 45g cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup 200g granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup 150ml sour cream
- ⅓ cup 80ml milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup 180ml 35% whipping cream for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the base of an 8-inch round cake pan or springform pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the sides.
- Melt butter, chocolate and honey together in a small saucepan over very low heat. Stir constantly until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend. Add eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla and begin to whisk together. Soon after add the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Continue stirring with a whisk starting from the center and working your way out to the edges just until the batter is smooth.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before turning out.
- Once completely cooled, top the cake with freshly whipped cream and dust with cocoa! That's it!
Kim Newsom
Could I use a tube pan instead? Or could it also fit in a six cup Bundt?
Debra Ashmore
This recipe needs an award!!...A big gold one... by far the most amazing cake ever!!!
christina.marsigliese
THANK YOU so much Debra!
causing stir
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Neha
O M G! ! !
The first bite I took of this cake took me right back to childhood…
You are a genius 🤩🤩
What a cake!!!
Didn’t even need any of the frosting … simply yummmm
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Neha! I agree - it's so rich and moist that it doesn't even need frosting!
Sarah
Absolutely love this cake!! It was so easy and is now my favorite chocolate cake.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Sarah!
angela
Such a simple and delicious recipe. I love how moist it is that it doesn't even need frosting.
christina.marsigliese
I agree Angela! It doesn't even need frosting, but a little cream doesn't hurt 😉
Toni
I make this cake all the time! It’s so moist and fudgy and stays that way for a while too.
christina.marsigliese
It's stays so moist doesn't it? I'm glad you like it Toni.
Mar M
How much less should I cook with a nine inch pan? 10 minutes?
christina.marsigliese
Sure, you can check at 10 minutes less but use a skewer to know for sure.
Charmaine
Hi Christina
Would full fat yoghurt work for this recipe as a replacement to sour cream ?
christina.marsigliese
Hi! You can find substitutions for sour cream written in the blog post.
Meredith
Can we use semi sweet chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Meredith, you can. It will be less intensely chocolatey and more sweet, but it will still work.
Alexis
I made this with GF blended flour + 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Looks great! It sunk in the middle a little bit but I will call it a win for a GF cake!
christina.marsigliese
That's great Alexis! Yes with GF flour it will sink since it lacks enough structure, but that's great that it still turned out ok anyway!
Christina Tan
Hi Christina, I do not have an 8" springform pan. Can I use the same amount Ingrediets and bake in a 7" springform pan? If so, how long should I bake the cake? I can't wait to try this recipe. Many thanks for sharing.
christina.marsigliese
Hi! You will need to bake it about 10 minutes longer and it may sink in the middle since the volume of batter is too much for the pan.
Irene
Do you use regular cocoa powder or Dutch processed?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Irene, I prefer natural cocoa but either will work in this recipe.
Marilyn Climo
Looks good. I wonder, could I replace the sour cream with full cream yoghurt?
christina.marsigliese
Yes that would work!
Jason
I’ve made this cake over and over again! I love that it’s just one layer and it’s so fudgy that it doesn’t even need any frosting.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Jason! It's one of my go-to recipes too.
Valerie
Made this and absolutely love how easy it is! Top with whipped cream and strawberries. It was so lovely! Even my husband who doesn't love chocolate fell in love with this cake! My 3.5 yrs old keep asking for more. ♥️
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Valerie! I'm glad you love it as much as I do. It's one of my go-to recipes!
Jacqueline Thorpe
Made it for the first time today and it was delicious!! My daughter gave me a 10/10, so I will give you a 100/100!! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you so much Jacqueline! This makes me very happy!