This easy double chocolate sour cream cake is super easy to mix together and bakes up the same every time. It starts with a box mix, but you add other ingredients which really makes the difference. If you are hesitant to use a box mix, don’t be. They are so predictable, unlike a scratch cake…which is a good thing. With all the added ingredients, it doesn’t taste at all like a cake mix cake, but you get the ease of using a mix.
I will admit, when I was taking cake orders, I used a scratch cake recipe. It was truly awesome, but I will tell you no matter how good you are, sometimes a scratch cake just doesn’t turn out the same every single time.
This cake is a ‘no-worries’ cake. Try it out! I think you’ll love it.
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Confession time: Chocolate cake isn’t my favorite. I’m more of a vanilla kind of person, but this chocolate cake is amazing and if I’m saying that, then it REALLY means something. Make this cake using my Double Chocolate Buttercream recipe and you will be in chocolate heaven.
Also, check out this post to see how to freeze cakes and cupcakes. Oh, and this recipe also makes great cupcakes!
Now for the Easy Double Chocolate Sour Cream Cake Recipe:
Easy Double Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate Cake Mix I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge
- 1 cup all Purpose Flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cup luke warm coffee make sure it isn't super hot
- 2 Tbls oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 4 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate I use a baking bar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Melt the semi sweet chocolate and set aside to cool.
- Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
- In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients (except the chocolate), then pour onto the dry ingredients.
- Beat on medium speed for about one minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again on medium for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the melted chocolate and mix on medium, just until combined.
- Pour into greased and floured pans. This recipe will be enough for 2, 8" round pans that are 2" deep.
- Bake at 325 for about 45 minutes.
- Set the cake layers on racks for 10 minutes, then turn out of the pans onto the wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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Louise
I would like to thank you for this recipe. I bought about 20 boxes of PME cake mix which only requires water. The taste is to put it mildly, absolutely terrible. Thanks to your recipe, I could camouflage the taste.
Kara Jane
Awesome! I’ve never tried PME cake mix, but thanks for the warning! 😉 So happy I could help and glad you didn’t have to throw out all 20 boxes of mix!
Pang
Can I do this with a box of vanilla cake mix? Except omitting the coffee and melted chocolate?
Kara Jane
I do actually have a recipe for an easy vanilla cake using a cake mix. You can find that here: https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/easy-white-sour-cream-cake/
Hope that helps!
Kristina
Does this chocolate cake recipe work well for stacked wedding cakes?
Kara Jane
I haven’t used it to stack cakes, but there is no reason why it shouldn’t work. It has a tighter crumb and not too soft for stacking.
PAULA A STEMBERGER
Yes, it does. I use it all the time – as well as the Easy White Sour Cream Cake recipe.
Meghan
Would doubling this recipe make a 1/2 sheet cake? Any advice about the difference in baking time?
Kara Jane
Yes I think that would be plenty of batter. One recipe will make a 13 x 9, so double should be plenty for a 1/2 sheet cake size…actually you might have a bit extra for some cupcakes depending on how deep your pan is.
Ana
Hi Kara, if I want to make cupcakes with this mix, what changes do I need to make? TIA!
Kara Jane
Hi Ana, I haven’t tried cupcakes with this recipe, or at least it’s been a long time since I have and I don’t remember it. 😉 But anyway, I wouldn’t make any changes to the actual recipe, but you won’t have to bake them as long as you would the cake. I’d start checking them at about 20 -25 minutes. You can try the toothpick test, or just barely tap on the top of one of the cupcakes and it should spring back a bit. Hope this helps!
Ana
It does! Thank you so much Kara for taking the time to reply! Can’t wait to eat some!
Kara Jane
You’re so welcome! 🙂
Kaitlyn McMaken
Does it matter what kind of coffee? Like instant coffee or another kind?
Kara Jane
Hi Kaitlyn, no it shouldn’t matter what type it is. Instant should be fine as long as it’s all dissolved. If you don’t have coffee, you could even just use hot water.
Michele
Hello Kara,
I live in the Rocky Mountains. Are there any adjustments needed for high altitude?
Kara Jane
Hi Michele, I bet it’s beautiful where you live. I really should see the Rockies for myself some day. As far as high altitude goes, I’m not an expert and I don’t really have a way to test it down here. I usually refer people to the King Arthur website. They have a handy chart that talks about adjustments that might be helpful. Here’s the link if you want to check it out: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Anthony
Hi Kara Jean,
This may be a weird request. I am celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a party. Always want to use one of your recipes.
I would like to use one of your chocolate cakes with a creame de month buttercream. Would you have a recipe in your great bag of tricks?
Kara Jane
Hi Anthony, I don’t have a recipe for creme de menthe, but I suspect you could probably just use that in place of the liquid you’d add when making buttercream. For example, you could use the vanilla bean buttercream recipe and instead of the milk, just use creme de menthe. Taste it and see if it needs more and then add a bit more confectioner’s sugar if they consistency gets a little too thin. Hope this helps and you’ve definitely given me a great idea for a future cake!
Robin
Hi there! How would you adjust this recipe for two 10″ round cake layers? I want to use it in my tiered cake. Thank you for your awesome recipes!!
Kara Jane
Since this recipe is a cake mix based recipe, it’ll be hard to adjust it for two 10″ round cake pans. You could perhaps mix up two recipes, fill your two 10″ pans 2/3 full and then use the leftover batter for cupcakes.