This sourdough chocolate cake recipe is rich, delicious, healthier, and a more nutritious take on your classic dessert. Start the night before to ferment the grains, develop the flavors, and make the cake easier to digest.
I’m a big fan of all things cake. Sourdough pumpkin coffee cake, sourdough lemon cake, gingerbread cake with einkorn flour, sourdough carrot cake and this sourdough chocolate cake recipe are some of our favorites to make for a special occasion (or any day of the week really). This chocolate sourdough cake is light, fluffy, and boasts my favorite sourdough tang, it has an amazing depth of flavor. Layers of tender chocolate cake smothered with chocolate buttercream frosting is just what dreams are made of if you ask me!
Plus, if you choose to long ferment this recipe, you can enjoy a slice of the best chocolate cake knowing that it is easier to digest and better for you, while also being extremely delicious. It’s a win-win!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Chocolate flavor – Chocolate lovers rejoice! This chocolatey, fluffy, layer cake with chocolate frosting will have your family asking you to make this recipe over and over again.
Healthier cake – Start this recipe the night before (or even up to 24 hours before) to allow it to ferment. Starting the night before removes a few steps the next day, making it easier to whip together, and making it easier to digest than traditional cake.
Special occasions – This rich chocolate cake is the perfect cake for a birthday, holiday, or even just a weekend.
Ingredients
Coconut oil: You could also substitute with another oil like avocado. I would avoid using vegetable oil as it is inflammatory and highly processed.
Sourdough starter – Discard sourdough starter or active sourdough starter will work.
Sugar – You can opt to use Sucanat or rapadura for a healthier option than sugar.
Vanilla extract: Homemade vanilla extract is so easy to make and adds an elevated flavor to baked goods. Learn how to make homemade vanilla extract in this post.
Salted butter: If you only have unsalted butter available, you may want to add a dash of salt to the frosting to bring out all the flavors.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Step 1: In a bowl, mix together flour, coconut oil, sourdough starter, and water. Cover and allow to sit overnight or up to 24 hours (optional).
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, mix together granulated sugar, salt, and finely ground coffee.
Step 3: To the dry ingredients, add eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, and whole milk.
Step 4: Next, add the sourdough mixture into the rest of the ingredients. Whisk to incorporate until smooth.
Lastly, add baking soda and incorporate well.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Prepare two, 9-inch cake pans with butter.
Divide cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan, place on a cooling rack, and let the cake cool completely before frosting.
Step 6: In a stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), add the softened butter.
Beat the butter on high speed for a few minutes until it becomes light and fluffy.
Step 7: Turn the mixer down to low speed and slowly add in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until it is incorporated.
Step 8: Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons of cream.
Once the ingredients are incorporated well, turn the speed back up to medium and whip until light and fluffy. Add remaining cream if the frosting seems too stiff.
Step 9: Frost cake.
Tips
- Ferment this recipe overnight to increase the nutritional value of the grains and make them more digestible. If you are in a pinch for time, skip the fermentation and use sourdough discard to easily turn it into a sourdough discard chocolate cake.
- You can use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. It is a great way to use all that extra sourdough starter you may have on hand. Learn how to create your own sourdough starter here.
- Add finely ground coffee to give this a deeper and richer chocolate flavor. Coffee and chocolate go together perfectly in baked goods
Recipe FAQs
Not only does it add a slight tangy flavor to the cake, but it also helps break down the gluten in the cake. This helps it be more tender rather than tough and chewy. If you ferment the grains with the starter it helps break down the phytic acid which makes the nutrients in the grains more absorbable.
It is sourdough starter that has not been fed in over 12 hours. When you feed a sourdough starter it gets nice and active, plus it should double in size.
Once the yeasts in the starter have fed off the new flour and water, the bubbles release, and it will then come back down (the process takes about 12 hours). This is then considered unfed sourdough stater. Normally, you toss half of the starter (or use it in a discard recipe). What you get rid of would be considered unfed sourdough discard.
This depends on the recipe. Some recipes like sourdough bread can be more challenging, while others like this sourdough cake recipe are much easier.
I love this type of recipe because you mix a portion of it the night before and then finish the recipe the next day. It does take some planning ahead (although you could just whip it up and forgo the fermentation), but it is worth it.
Frosted cakes (with dairy) should be stored with a cake cover in the refrigerator up to 5 days. You don’t want to keep it in an airtight container as the cake can absorb the frosting.
Frosted cakes without dairy can be kept at room temperature covered.
Freeze unfrosted leftover cake in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking for up to 6 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature for 6-12 hours before frosting and serving.
Freeze frosted cakes in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Be aware that frosted cakes may not looks as pretty after they come out of the freezer.
More Dessert Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Easy Sourdough Discard Blondies
- Sourdough Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler
- Einkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies With Discard
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 2 9 Inch Cake Pans
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, discard or active starter
- 1 cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon finely ground coffee, optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 1 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together flour, coconut oil, sourdough starter, and water. Cover and allow to sit overnight or up to 24 hours. (Optional)
- In a large bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and finely ground coffee (optional).
- To the dry ingredients, add eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, and whole milk.
- Next, add the sourdough mixture into the rest of the ingredients. Whisk to incorporate until smooth.
- Lastly, add baking soda and incorporate well.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Prepare two, 9-inch cake pans with butter.
- Divide cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Create the frosting:
- In a stand mixer bowl with whisk attatchment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), add the softened butter.
- Beat the butter on high speed for a few minutes until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and slowly add in the cocoa powder and powder sugar until it is incorporated.
- Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons of cream.
- Once the ingredients are incorporated well, turn the spead back up to medium and whip until light and fluffy. Add remaining cream if the frosting seems too stiff.
- Frost cake.
Notes
- Ferment this recipe overnight to increase the nutritional value of the grains and make them more digestible. If you are in a pinch for time, skip the fermentation and use sourdough discard.
- You could also substitute with another oil like avocado. I would avoid using vegetable oil as it is inflammatory and highly processed.
- You can use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. It is a great way to use all that extra sourdough starter you may have on hand. Learn how to create your own sourdough starter here.
- You can opt to use Sucanat or rapadura for a healthier option than sugar.
- Add finely ground coffee to give this a deeper and richer chocolate flavor. Coffee and chocolate go together perfectly in baked goods
- Homemade vanilla extract is so easy to make and adds an elevated flavor to baked goods. Learn how to make homemade vanilla extract in this post.
- If you only have unsalted butter available, you may want to add a dash of salt to the frosting to bring out all the flavors.
- Add finely ground coffee to give this a deeper and richer chocolate flavor. Coffee and chocolate go together perfectly in baked goods
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this one this week and it was delicious! The chocolate buttercream was amazing. I think next time I am going to try out peanut butter buttercream just because I love that combo. Got thumbs up from my whole family! I am loving all of your recipes.
What are your thoughts on making this a Bundt cake? Any tips on changes or cook time?
I love that idea. I would think it would need longer, but I’ve never tried it to know for sure.
I just made this, but used butter instead of coconut oil, only 1/4 cup water + 3/4 c. Sour cream(plain yogurt is yummy too), and then I used 3/4 tsp. Of baking soda and 3/4tsp. Baking powder. The batter tasted delish! Thank you for your recipes! I love them!
That sounds like lovely substations. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi Lisa! I would like to make a sourdough strawberry layer cake since it’s almost strawberry season (yay!) and was wondering if you think I could make this recipe into a strawberry cake (sans chocolate)? I’m worried that the wetness of the strawberries would affect the moisture level of the cake, like make it too soggy. How would you do this?
Hmmm. Here are some thoughts. If you don’t want to use the chocolate I would suggest my sourdough vanilla cake. I think most strawberry cake recipes call for a reduced strawberry puree so you get a more concentrated strawberry flavor without as much moisture. You may also need to reduce the amount of liquid a bit as well. If that is too many changes, you could make the vanilla cake and add layers of strawberry puree and frosting between layers. Hope that helps.
I made this for my husbands birthday and he loved it! I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a 9 inch glass baking dish. Thanks so much for sharing! It turned out perfect and it’s our new favorite chocolate cake!
So glad you enjoyed it!! Hope your husband had a wonderful birthday!
Hi Lisa, I had a question. I made this cake this morning with a 9″ round pan, but when I divided the batter into 2, each of the segments that came out of the oven were like not even an inch thick – they were VERY flat. The photos make it look like they’re 2-3″ tall each segment. Do I need to double the recipe, or did you use like a 6″ round pan?
Made this today using the long ferment method. I’ve always made Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe but decided to give your recipe a try for a double birthday celebration this evening. Wow! So moist! Everyone raved about it and my husband has already requested it for his birthday! Thank you for a new favorite!
That is so wonderful to hear!
I have a friend who is gluten and lactose intolerant. She can eat a bit of each, but not much. She does better with fermented breads. So, I fermented my batter for 24 hours and substituted soy milk for the whole milk. The next day I made cupcakes, 30 of them! Mine took about 13 minutes. I frosted the cupcakes with a soy milk, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla icing. The result was fabulous. The cupcakes have a nice crumb that goes all melty when you eat it. I can taste and smell the sourdough, but I kind of like that. It’s faint, but it’s there.
I think she is going to love these cupcakes.
Yay! That is so kind of you to think of your friend like that. I hope she enjoys them!
Made this sweetened with honey and no coffee. Turned out great but got better the second and third day!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This was so so good! I used half of powdered swearve and half regular sugar. I wanted to lighten the sugar up in it, but also keep the fermentation process. It was so fudgey and flavorful! Will definitely be making this again!!