Classic Chocolate Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

This cake uses two 8-inch round pans and bakes at 350°F for 30 minutes. That's it for the oven. The rest is a bowl of dry ingredients, a bowl of butter and sugar, and a frosting that comes together in about five minutes.

Sour cream shows up twice here, once in the batter and once in the frosting. In the cake it keeps the crumb soft and slightly tangy against all that cocoa. In the frosting it loosens the butter and powdered sugar into something spreadable instead of stiff.

You'll want your butter and eggs at room temperature before you start. Cold butter won't cream, and cold eggs can make the batter look curdled even when nothing is wrong. Set both out about an hour ahead.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven

Set the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch (22 cm) round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. Whisk the dry mix

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder until no cocoa streaks remain.

3. Cream butter and sugar

Beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high for about 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Doneness cue: the mixture looks lighter in color and holds a ridge from the beaters.

4. Beat in the eggs

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one disappears into the batter before adding the next.

5. Add vanilla and sour cream

Stir in the vanilla and sour cream with a rubber spatula to get it started, then beat with the mixer until fully combined.

6. Fold in the dry mix

Add the dry ingredients in a few additions, beating on low between each one. Stop as soon as the last streak of flour is gone. Overmixing makes a tough cake.

7. Bake 30 minutes

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

8. Cool the layers

Leave the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely.

9. Make the frosting

Beat the butter, sour cream, vanilla and pinch of salt in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then beat until the frosting is even and glossy.

10. Fill and frost

Set one layer on a cake stand or platter, with strips of parchment tucked under the edges to catch drips. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over it, set the second layer on top, then frost the top and sides with the rest.

11. Slice and serve

Slide the parchment strips out and cut with a sharp knife dipped in warm water between slices.

How to Store Classic Chocolate Cake

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients for a deeper chocolate flavor. It won't taste like coffee.
• Swap the sour cream in the frosting for full-fat Greek yogurt if that's what you have. Keep the amount the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Classic Chocolate Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

Two tender cocoa layers and a tangy sour cream chocolate frosting, made in two 8-inch pans and baked at 350°F for 30 minutes.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time45 minTotal8Servings

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Ingredients

• nonstick cooking spray (for greasing)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups sour cream
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 ½ cups sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder

Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven — Set the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch (22 cm) round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. 2Whisk the dry mix — In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder until no cocoa streaks remain.
3. 3Cream butter and sugar — Beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high for about 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Doneness cue: the mixture looks lighter in color and holds a ridge from the beaters.
4. 4Beat in the eggs — Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one disappears into the batter before adding the next.
5. 5Add vanilla and sour cream — Stir in the vanilla and sour cream with a rubber spatula to get it started, then beat with the mixer until fully combined.
6. 6Fold in the dry mix — Add the dry ingredients in a few additions, beating on low between each one. Stop as soon as the last streak of flour is gone. Overmixing makes a tough cake.
7. 7Bake 30 minutes — Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
8. 8Cool the layers — Leave the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely.
9. 9Make the frosting — Beat the butter, sour cream, vanilla and pinch of salt in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then beat until the frosting is even and glossy.
10. 10Fill and frost — Set one layer on a cake stand or platter, with strips of parchment tucked under the edges to catch drips. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over it, set the second layer on top, then frost the top and sides with the rest.
11. 11Slice and serve — Slide the parchment strips out and cut with a sharp knife dipped in warm water between slices.

Cook's note: Use full-fat sour cream, not the light kind. The fat is doing real work in both the batter and the frosting.

Servings: 8

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes45 minutes

Written by Maya Whitfield
Maya writes about easy American cookies and bars, plus eggs and breakfast casseroles for busy mornings. She focuses on pantry-friendly ingredients, reliable bake times, and make-ahead steps that fit real weekday schedules. Her recipes keep instructions short and checkpoints clear so nothing gets overbaked or underdone.