This chocolate pound cake with sour cream is pure indulgence in every bite! Dense and buttery with deep cocoa flavor, I finish this super-moist bundt cake with a velvety chocolate glaze that seeps into every curve and crevice. If you’re after an easy chocolate pound cake that still feels special enough for a celebration, this is the one you’ll keep coming back to!
Top Reader Reviews
- “So decadent and delicious. Easy enough for any day of the week and yummy enough for celebrations.” –Milisa
- “Awesome, love this recipe!” –Linda Joyce
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Sour Cream
I’ve always loved the dense, buttery heart of a classic pound cake, but for my chocolate pound cake recipe, I wanted the foolproof tenderness that only a bundt pan provides. By baking this cake from scratch in a bundt pan, I get more airflow for a perfectly even bake every time.
But the real secret sauce here is the sour cream. Aside from making this cake ultra-moist, it actually breaks down the gluten for a more tender crumb and adds a subtle tang that balances the deep, double-chocolate richness. I top it all off with a glossy fudge glaze that adds an extra layer of silky decadence. It’s an easy, one-pan masterpiece that tastes even better the next day!
Got a lot of zucchini and a hankering for chocolate? Check out my chocolate zucchini bundt cake or my chocolate zucchini cupcakes!
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Use Room Temperature Ingredients for the Best Crumb
One of my best tips for a truly flawless, bakery-worthy crumb? Bring all your ingredients–especially butter, eggs, and sour cream–to room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients won’t blend properly with the sugar and can lead to uneven texture or tunnels in your finished cake. Letting everything warm up ensures the batter emulsifies smoothly, trapping air for that perfect, fine-crumbed result.
Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Bundt cake pan
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups unsalted butter room temperature (3 sticks)
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature*
For the Fudge Glaze:
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup **
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare a 10-inch bundt pan by spraying it with a nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In a larger bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar for 5 minutes.1½ cups unsalted butter, 3 cups granulated sugar
- Add in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.5 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pour half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the sour cream, then mix in the remaining flour mixture until well combined.1 cup sour cream
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 80 minutes, or untl baked through. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before inverting the cake onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before pouring the glaze.
For the Fudge Glaze:
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine all of the glaze ingredients. Cook in the microwave for 30 seconds, take the bowl out, and stir. If there are lumps still remaining, cook for another 10 seconds. Stir everything until well combined.¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour the glaze onto the cake and allow it to set.
Notes
- The secret to a good pound cake is to mix gently. If you overmix the ingredients, the cake will turn out tough and rubbery.
- If you don’t alternate between wet and dry ingredients, it’s likely that the batter will curdle once baked.
- I prefer to bake my pound cakes in a Bundt pan because it allows for more airflow around the dense cake batter, leading to a more even bake. You can bake it in a loaf pan, but you risk having an underdone middle.
- These three words will save your pound cake: Prepare. Your. Pan! Spray a thin, even layer of nonstick spray all over the inside, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess over a garbage can.
- Once the batter is in the pan, firmly tap the Bundt pan on the counter 3-4 times. Then, use a spatula to push the batter slightly up the sides of the pan. This helps the cake climb evenly and prevents a domed bottom.
- Double-check that the pound cake is done before letting it cool off on a cooling rack. You can do this easily by inserting a clean toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, it’s done.
- If your pound cake sinks in the middle, it is either too dry or too moist. I always recommend measuring your ingredients with a food scale for the most accurate results. Be sure to place your cake in the center of the oven, and do not open the oven during the bake!
- Wait 10 minutes before inverting the pan. If you flip it too soon, the cake is too fragile and will break. If you wait too long (more than 15-20 minutes), the sugar in the cake begins to solidify and glues the cake to the pan. Set a timer!
- This glaze does not get hard. It’s more of a creamy fudge frosting after it’s set and pours on like a glaze.
How to Make Chocolate Pound Cake in a Bundt Pan Step-by-Step
Prep the Pan: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Bring the butter, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. This will ensure your cake turns out perfect! Grease a 10-inch bundt pan by spraying it with nonstick baking spray. You can also dust it with a thin, even layer of cocoa powder for extra assurance. Set aside.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ¾ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. If your cocoa powder is lumpy, I recommend sifting it so you don’t end up with dry pockets in your cake. Alternatively, you can whisk it into the sour cream to achieve the same result without the need for a sieve. Set this mixture aside.
Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a larger bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together 1½ cups of room-temperature unsalted butter and 3 cups of granulated sugar for 5 minutes, or until lighter in color and fluffy.
Add the Eggs and Vanilla: Add in 5 large, room-temperature eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Once all of the eggs have been incorporated, mix in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Alternate the Wet and Dry: Pour half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in 1 cup of room-temperature sour cream, then mix in the remaining flour mixture until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan. Firmly tap the pan on your counter a few times to pop any air bubbles, then spread a bit of the batter up the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. This will allow for a more even bake with less doming.
Bake the Cake: Bake your chocolate pound cake in the preheated oven for 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool for exactly 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. If you do this too early, the cake will crumble apart; too late, and it may stick to the pan like glue. Cool completely before pouring the glaze over top. If you pour the glaze over a hot cake, it will melt off!
Make the Glaze: While the cake cools, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine ¾ cup of semisweet chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup, and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cook in the microwave for 30 seconds, take the bowl out, and stir. If there are lumps still remaining, cook for another 10 seconds. Stir everything until well combined.
Glaze the Cake: Pour the chocolate glaze onto the cooled pound cake and allow it to set before serving. The glaze will not fully harden, but it should turn matte when set.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover chocolate sour cream pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying at room temperature.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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