Sourdough Chocolate Cake
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!
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 822kcal
Equipment
- 2 9-inch cake pans
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g
- 1 ¼ cups cane sugar 250 g
- 1 cup brown sugar 200 g, packed
- 1 cup cocoa powder 95 g
- 2 teaspoons baking soda 10 g
- 1 teaspoon salt 6 g
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter 140 g, melted
- ⅔ cup avocado oil 144 g, (or coconut oil)
- 1 cup buttermilk 240 g
- 1 cup sourdough discard 240 g
- 3 large eggs 150 g, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract 13 g
- ⅔ cup coffee 160 g, (or water) very hot
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter 226 g, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar 500 g
- ¾ cup cocoa powder 75 g
- ½ cup heavy cream 120 g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 9 g
- ¼ teaspoon salt 2 g
Instructions
- 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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 822kcal | Carbohydrates: 107g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 80g | Vitamin A: 1002IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg
