This super moist sourdough chocolate cake can be made with active starter or discard. It’s made with simple pantry ingredients you probably have on hand, so it’s perfect when you need a delicious sourdough dessert in a pinch!
Quick Recipe Overview: Sourdough Chocolate Cake
🕒 Ready In: ~55–70 minutes (plus cooling time)
👪 Serves: 12 slices (2-layer 9-inch cake)
🍽 Calories: 822 kcal per slice
🥣 Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour (or fresh-milled soft white), natural cocoa powder, sourdough starter/discard, buttermilk, butter + avocado oil, eggs, vanilla, hot coffee.
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, sourdough discard friendly (or active starter), fresh-milled flour option, freezer-friendly (whole cake, layers, or individual slices)
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: This sourdough chocolate cake is rich, sweet, and deeply chocolatey (not sour), with an ultra-moist, tender crumb thanks to discard and hot coffee. It’s made with simple pantry staples and comes together quickly.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Sourdough and chocolate can easily clash in recipes because both are acidic, and too much acid results in a harsh flavor. This sourdough chocolate cake gets the ratios just right, so the flavor is sweet and rich! If you love chocolate, check out my sourdough chocolate chip cookies!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick discard recipe — no long fermentation required, just mix and bake when the craving hits.
- Super moist, tender crumb — soft, rich texture that stays moist for days.
- Sweet and chocolatey, not sour — the cocoa and sugar balance the sourdough perfectly.
- Fresh-milled flour option — notes and measurements included for baking with freshly milled flour if that’s your preference.
I bring this cake to all of ouur family functions and everyone says it’s the best chocolate cake they’ve ever had! The hot coffee is a game changer! – Steph
This post may contain affiliate links. I only recommend products I use and love. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Key Ingredients
Precise measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure; can be replaced with freshly milled soft white wheat for a tender crumb.
- Cocoa Powder: Use natural (not Dutch-process) cocoa to react properly with baking soda.
- Sourdough Discard: Adds moisture and depth of flavor without making the cake taste sour. You can use active starter, just make sure it’s thin and stirred down before adding to the batter.
- Buttermilk: Keeps the cake soft and moist while balancing sweetness. If you don’t have buttermilk, just add a tablespoon of vinegar to milk, let it curdle for a few minutes, then add to batter.
- Butter + Oil: Butter adds flavor; oil ensures a moist crumb that stays soft for days. The most moist crumb comes from using avocado oil, but coconut oil works great, too.
- Hot Coffee or Water: Blooms the cocoa and deepens chocolate flavor. You can use decaf or regular.
- Eggs: Bind the batter and support structure. If you don’t have eggs, substitute 1/4 cup mayonnaise for each egg.
Fresh Milled Flour for
TLDR – I use 2 ½ cups fresh milled flour from soft white wheat for this sourdough chocolate cake recipe.
- Best Wheat for Making Sourdough Chocolate Cake: Soft white wheat makes the best pastry flour because its naturally lower protein (gluten) content yields tender, delicate, flaky baked goods, ideal for pastries, sourdough pie crust, and any recipe where a soft texture is desired rather than chewiness (like bread). I use Heirloom Soft White Wheat Berries from Azure Standard.
- Flour Ratio: Freshly Milled to All-Purpose: Soft white wheat has a higher moisture content, so you need to use more of it when substituting for all-purpose flour. Use 1 1/4 cup soft white wheat flour for every 1 cup all-purpose flour. For this recipe you’ll need 2 ½ cups fresh milled soft white wheat flour.
- How Freshly Milled Flour Affects Texture and Flavor: Using freshly milled soft white wheat flour gives sourdough chocolate cake a slightly nutty, subtly sweet flavor and a crisp, flaky texture, while still providing plenty of structure to assemble in two layers.
Step-By-Step Instructions for making Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Step 1 – Make the Cake Batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together, then whisk in the fats (oil and melted butter), then the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and sourdough starter. Whisk the hot coffee in last.
Step 2 – Bake the Cakes: Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line them with parchment paper (this cake is very sticky and moist). Divide batter evenly between pans and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean from the middle.
Step 3 – Make the Frosting & Assemble the Cake: Beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, then beat until whipped and spreadable. Frost the cake once completely cooled.
If you need help with sourdough vocabulary, check out my Complete Guide to Sourdough Terminology!
Sourdough Chocolate Cake FAQs
Usually no. The cocoa and sugar balance the tang, so you get a deeper chocolate flavor with just a mild, pleasant “something extra.”
Yes. Most sourdough chocolate cake recipes are designed for discard. Use room-temp discard for easier mixing and a smoother batter.
Yes. Active starter works the same as discard in most sourdough chocolate cake recipes. It won’t make the cake “rise like bread” because the leavening typically comes from baking soda/powder. Just make sure it’s thin and stir it down before adding to batter.
Most often it’s underbaked, overmixed, or the leaveners weren’t fresh. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, and let the cake cool completely before slicing.
Don’t overbake it, measure flour accurately, and use room-temperature ingredients. Many bakers also add hot coffee or hot water to deepen chocolate flavor and keep the crumb tender.
Yes. Wrap cooled cake tightly and freeze up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge (or a few hours at room temp) before frosting or serving.
Expert Tips
- Use room-temperature discard or starter for smoother batter and even baking. A cold starter can cause the batter to seize or bake unevenly.
- Bloom the cocoa (with hot coffee or hot water) to deepen chocolate flavor and improve moisture.
- Measure flour correctly by spooning and leveling or weighing; too much flour is the #1 cause of dense sourdough chocolate cake.
- Mix just until combined — overmixing develops gluten and leads to a tough or gummy crumb.
- Use fresh leaveners (baking soda). Sourdough does not replace chemical leavening in cake.
- Bake until moist crumbs remain on a toothpick; a completely clean toothpick usually means an overbaked cake.
- Let the cake cool fully before frosting to prevent melting or sliding frosting and a crumbly texture.
- For extra moisture the next day, wrap the cooled cake tightly and store at room temperature overnight — the crumb improves with time.
- Freeze unfrosted layers if needed; sourdough chocolate cake freezes exceptionally well and thaws moist and tender. I usually freeze my cakes for an hour before assembling so there’s no chance of the frosting melting.
Storage
Room Temperature: Store unfrosted or lightly frosted cake, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: Refrigerate frosted cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Freezer (Unfrosted): Wrap cake or layers tightly and freeze for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Freezer (Frosted): Freeze briefly until firm, then wrap well and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge, then bring to room temp. I like to freeze individual slices as shown above. Once frozen, I place them in ziplock bags for easy individual desserts.
If you love sourdough cakes, try making this super moist sourdough carrot cake next!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐ 5-star ⭐ rating below! If you have questions or suggestions – drop a comment!
Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep pans & oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add fats: Whisk in melted butter and oil until evenly combined.
- Add wet ingredients: Stir in buttermilk, sourdough discard, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add hot liquid: Slowly pour in hot water or coffee, mixing until batter is fully combined (batter will be thin). Don’t overmix.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with crumbs.
- Make frosting: Beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, then beat until smooth and spreadable.
- Cool: Let cakes cool in pans, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely or chill before frosting.
- Assemble: Frost cake once completely cooled and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
- Sourdough Discard: Discard can be active or inactive. For the best texture, use thin discard that is not overly acidic. Stir well before measuring.
- Fresh-Milled Flour (Soft White Wheat): To substitute fresh-milled soft white wheat, mill 1 ½ cups of grain, which = 2 ½ cups of freshly milled flour. Soft white wheat produces the most tender crumb for chocolate cake.
- Do Not Overmix: Once the hot liquid is added, mix just until combined to avoid a dense cake.
- Hot Liquid Matters: Very hot water or coffee helps bloom the cocoa powder and deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Pan Prep: Line pans with parchment for easy release; this cake is very moist and sticky.
- Cooling Before Frosting: Cakes must be completely cool before frosting, or the frosting will melt. Pop in the freezer for an hour before assembly to be sure.
- Frosting Texture: If frosting is too thick, add cream 1 tablespoon at a time. If too soft, add powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time.
- Room Temperature: Store unfrosted or lightly frosted cake, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate frosted cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freezer (Unfrosted): Wrap cake or layers tightly and freeze for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Freezer (Frosted): Freeze briefly until firm, then wrap well and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge, then bring to room temp.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!About the Author
Welcome to Hopewell Heights, I’m Steph – seasoned sourdough baker, homesteader, homemaker, homeschooling mom of 5, and creator behind this Heritage American food blog. I hope you enjoy my family’s favorite, from-scratch recipes!
I bring this cake to all of ouur family functions and everyone says it’s the best chocolate cake they’ve ever had! The hot coffee is a game changer! – Steph