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A Birdseye view of a chocolate sourdough bundt cake that has a few slices removed to show the inside of the cake.

Sourdough Chocolate Cake

This is a fudge sourdough chocolate cake that is rich and decadent and super easy to make!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
resting time 12 hours
Total Time 13 hours 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 319 kcal

Equipment

  • 12 cup bundt pan or see substitutions
  • Mixing bowl
  • spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup butter melted
  • ½ cup sourdoughs starter active
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions
 

Day 1: The night before

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, sourdough starter, and water.  Stir well and cover.  Let it sit on the counter overnight or for up to 24 hours.

Day 2: Baking day!

  • In a large bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and instant coffee.
  • Add the eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, and whole milk.  Stir to combine.
  • Pour the sourdough mixture into the bowl with the egg mixture and whisk until smooth.  I like to use the batter attachment and my stand mixer.
  • Add the baking soda and stir well.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare your desired pan: either two 9” cake pans or a 9X13 baking dish, bundt pan or a sheet pan. Grease the edges with butter and dust with flour. I recommend mixing the flour 1:1 with cocoa powder to make it a little darker.  Make sure not to over fill your cake pans or they will overflow during baking! I found this out the hard way when I used 8” pans the other day and had to deep clean my oven.
  • Bake the fudgy chocolate sourdough cakes as directed below.  Resist the urge to open the oven door before the timer goes off! Opening the door before the center has had a chance to cook through will result in a cake that has ‘fallen’ in the middle.  Once the timer goes off, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to test for doneness.  I toothpick that comes out clean is done, if there is visible batter add 3-5 minutes to the cook time and test again.
  • Let cool for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

how to store a sourdough cake

Sourdough chocolate cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, like a cake carrier, for up to three days at peak freshness. It can still be enjoyed for up to a week, but it will begin to get extra moist and be less fresh.
This chocolate cake can be made ahead of time and frozen. To freeze the cake, bake it according to the instructions and let it cool fully. If it is a bundt cake, remove it from the bundt pan. If it is a cake in a baking pan, leave it in the pan. Do not add powdered sugar or icing. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and tin foil. Store it in the freezer for up to three months.

Variations for sourdough chocolate cake

This recipe is decadent and delicious on it's own, but here are a few ways it can be customized for an even more delicious dessert!
    • toffee - add a cup of toffee bits to the batter before baking
    • pecans - for a nuttier cake, add 1 ½ cups of crushed pecans to the batter before baking
    • marshmallow cream - think Little Debbie's chocolate cupcake with marshmallow filling. You will need a container of marshmallow cream and apply it like frosting!

baking times for different cake pans

  1. Two 9” cake pans: 30-35 minutes: really really grease and flour your pan well, same with the bundt pan! This is a delicate and airy cake batter. Once the cake is baked, set it in the pan on a cooling rack for ten minutes.  Invert onto the cooling rack and let it release naturally without shaking the pan. This may take a few minutes.
  2. 12-cup Bundt pan: 1 hour, then open the door and toothpick test. Follow step one for removing the cake from the pan. If you do not have a large 12 cup bundt pan, use a smaller bundt pan but remove 1-2 cups of batter and bake it separately to prevent the cake from spilling over the top of the pan.
  3. 9X13 baking dish: Bake 35-40 minutes. I strongly recommend using a baking dish or sheet pan! No need for inverting the cake, which is so much easier and saves time. The pieces of cake will be a little taller and more generous servings.
  4. 11X15 sheet pan: Bake 20-25 minutes. This is a great method for baking for a crowd! It’s quick and easy and everyone will get a nice sized slice of cake.
Hint: Resist the urge to open the oven door before the timer goes off! Opening the door before the center has had a chance to cook through will result in a cake that has ‘fallen’ in the middle.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 458mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 3gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 309IUCalcium: 43mgIron: 2mg
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