This easy sour cream chocolate cake uses a cake mix as the base and a few extra ingredients to make it extra moist, and to give it that from scratch, homemade taste but in much less time.
I feel like the great thing about this cake is that it’s so easy and quick to mix up, because you’ll start off with a cake mix and you’re only going to use one bowl. Win!
Table of Contents:
This recipe is a doctored chocolate cake mix with sour cream type recipe. Doctoring up a cake mix is really the easiest way to make a really delicious, homemade chocolate cake without having to spend a ton of time in the kitchen.
You can top this chocolate cake with homemade chocolate buttercream, and no one will know you started it all off with a box mix. Don’t worry though, if you don’t feel like making your buttercream from scratch, you can always use canned frosting. No judgment here.
This recipe is just one that you’ll turn to over and over. It makes the best chocolate birthday cake and it’s a favorite with kids and adults alike.
Ingredient Notes:
Now let’s talk about some of the ingredients that are in this one-bowl chocolate cake. (The list of all ingredients are in the recipe card below.)
Chocolate cake mix: You’ll start this cake off with a cake mix, but you’ll doctor it up to make it taste more homemade. I used Betty Crocker’s Chocolate Fudge Cake, but any 15 oz. chocolate cake mix should work.
Instant chocolate pudding mix: Adding in a dry chocolate pudding mix will pump up the moistness and the chocolate flavor.
Sour cream: Sour cream just makes cakes taste better and makes the texture amazingly soft and moist. It also helps bring out the other flavors.
Oil, milk and eggs: This cake turns out moist partly because of the sour cream and partly because of the oil, milk and eggs that are added.
Vanilla extract: It may sound weird to add vanilla extract to a chocolate cake, but I promise it’s good. The vanilla isn’t overpowering, it just brings out the flavor of the chocolate and helps to give this cake a homemade taste.
Butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, confectioners sugar and milk: These ingredients will be used to make the homemade chocolate buttercream. Adding scratch frosting onto a doctored layer cake makes it a classic cake that people will absolutely love.
If you want to go an even easier route, you could always use canned chocolate frosting, although personally, I think homemade chocolate buttercream is worth the effort.
How to Make this Cake:
Let’s talk about how to make this easy chocolate sour cream cake. (The exact instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, then grease and flour or spray two, 8-inch round cake pans very well.
Step 2:
Add all the cake ingredients to a large bowl.
Step 3:
Mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for about two minutes. The batter will be thick.
Step 4:
Next, spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. The cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs or clean, but no raw batter.
Step 5:
Once baked, set the warm cake layers onto a cooling rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 6:
After 10 minutes, turn the cakes out onto the cooling racks to cool completely before adding frosting.
Step 7:
Next, make the frosting. Mix the butter, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract well with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until very smooth.
Step 8:
Add three cups of the confectioner’s sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk and mix on low until incorporated, then on medium until well mixed.
Step 9:
Add the other two cups of the confectioner’s sugar and mix on low until incorporated, then on medium until well mixed.
Check the consistency. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. If it’s too thin, add another 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar and mix well.
Once the desired consistency is reached, mix on medium-high speed for about a minute, so the icing becomes fluffy.
Step 10:
Set one cooled cake layer onto a cake plate and add frosting on top.
Step 11:
Set the other cake layer on top, then cover it all with the chocolate buttercream frosting.
Step 12:
Serve at room temperature.
Easy Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Cake Mix (+ Chocolate Frosting)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 (15.24 ounce) box chocolate cake mix, dry (I used Betty Crocker's Chocolate Fudge Cake)
- 1 (3.9 ounce) box Jello instant chocolate pudding mix, dry
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (4 sticks)
- 2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour or spray two, 8 inch round cake pans very well.
- In a large bowl, mix all the cake ingredients with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for about two minutes. Batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter evenly into the pans and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs or clean, but no raw batter.
- Once baked, set the warm cake layers onto a cooling rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the cooling racks to cool completely before adding frosting.
For the frosting:
- Mix the butter, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract well with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until very smooth.
- Add three cups of the confectioner’s sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk and mix on low until incorporated, then on medium until well mixed.
- Add the other two cups of the confectioner’s sugar and mix on low until incorporated, then on medium until well mixed.
- Check the consistency. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. If it’s too thin, add another 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar and mix well.
- Once the desired consistency is reached, mix on medium-high speed for about a minute, so the icing becomes fluffy.
- Add frosting to cooled cake.
Notes
*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
How to Share
I’d love for you to share this recipe link or tag it, but please do not share screenshots or copy/paste the recipe to social media as the content and photographs are copyright protected and we (bloggers) work really hard on our content. Sharing the link, tagging us on socials and pinning it is super appreciated though!
Tips & FAQs:
You could most likely use any 15 oz. box of chocolate cake mix. I used Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix. I personally prefer using Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines.
You most likely can, but it will change the flavor slightly depending on which chocolate cake mix you use.
No, just add the cake mix dry and add in the other ingredients called for in the recipe card, but not from the back
No, don’t prepare the pudding. It needs to be added dry.
Sour cream is best, but if you can’t get it, you can use plain yogurt instead. You can also use plain Greek yogurt.
Make sure to pre-heat the oven. It’s important that the oven be the correct temperature when the cakes are put in to bake, so that they’ll rise properly and not turn out dense.
This cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the middle of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean.
If you don’t want to make homemade frosting, you can just use a can or two of pre-made, store-bought chocolate frosting or your preferred frosting flavor.
Unsalted is really best, but if you can’t get it, use the salted, but omit the salt that’s called for in the recipe.
It’s best to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. You can use Dutch-processed if that’s all you have, but the natural cocoa powder has more of a chocolaty flavor to it.
Do not use chocolate drink mix though as that is not the same thing as cocoa powder. Cocoa powder can be found on the baking aisle at your local grocery store.
This cake can be made ahead of time and frozen if desired. Let the baked cake cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer for up to a month.
To thaw, place the wrapped cake on the counter at room temperature and let thaw completely, then remove the wrapping. Once defrosted, add the buttercream.
This cake can be stored, well covered, at room temperature for approximately 4 days, then stored in the refrigerator for another 2 days to prolong freshness. This cake can last up to 6 days when stored properly.
This cake is best served at room temperature. If cold, allow it to come to room temperature before serving or pop a slice in the microwave and warm for about 10 seconds.
I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Fill 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with cupcake liners and fill each liner with batter about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F and start checking for doneness at around 20-25 minutes.
Video:
Supplies used for this recipe:
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Easy Lemon Cream Cheese Swirl Cake (using a cake mix) - April 2, 2024
- Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread (using a cake mix) - April 2, 2024
- Easy Lemon White Chocolate Cookies (using a cake mix) - April 2, 2024
This cake is soooo good! And it’s easy!
I made it in two 9-inch rounds. My pans are dark, non-stick, so I baked them at 325° for 25 min… perfect.
My cake mix said it has “pudding in the mix” and I wasn’t sure if I should still add the pudding mix listed in the recipe. I did some googling and read that adding a pudding mix to a cake that already has pudding would make the cake too heavy. So I left it out.
I halved the frosting recipe, and it was exactly enough for my 2-layer 9″ cake. It’s really yummy frosting!
Oh yay!!! So glad it turned out! I’m also glad you knew about turning the temp down for dark pans. Thanks for the great review! 🙂