Buttery, dense yet tender and moist, Sour Cream Dark Chocolate Pound Cake is quick and easy to make with simple ingredients. This recipe melts in your mouth with decadent rich dark chocolate flavor.
It’s like a pound cake brownie!!
If you like brownies and you like chocolate cake, you’ll love this pound cake recipe! It’s denser than my Coca Cola Cake but not quite as dense as my Best Chewy Fudgy Brownie recipe. It’s fudgy without being packy. As well, the top edges get crunchy chewy like brownies!
If you’re new to baking Pound Cakes, I wrote this post, Bake the Perfect Pound Cake, that I highly recommend that you read before starting this recipe.
As with every new recipe you try, read it through two or more times before you start to make sure you understand every step.
Next, after reading through the recipe multiple times, get all the ingredients out and all the equipment out.
SOUR CREAM DARK CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE
A pound cake should be rich and buttery with a dense texture and a tender crumb. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can bake rich, buttery, homemade pounds cakes like a pro.
- I used the same cocoa powder in this pound cake that I did in my Dark Chocolate Brown Sugar Cookies. Regular cocoa isn’t as rich as this Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa is. (Go here to order Hershey’s Special Dark)
- For baking, you absolutely have to Carefully and correctly measure flour.
- When measuring flour, use the “spoon & level” method. Do not scoop the flour out of the container or bag with your measuring cup. Scoop the flour and you could end up with 150% more. Instead, sift the flour first! Next, using a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Do not pack the flour down and do not tap the measuring cup– both cause the flour to settle in the cup. After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.
- You can do everything else right in making this cake, but if your oven is not cooking at the temperature it shows on the dial, your cake will not cook correctly. Please read this post I wrote on How to Calibrate your Oven.
HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVER POUND CAKE
I recommend storing leftover pound cake on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container. I usually wrap it in plastic wrap or cut it into slices and keep it on a covered cake plate. It will last anywhere from 3 to 4 days at room temperature.
It will last up to 7 days if you store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
CAN I FREEZE POUND CAKE?
Pound cake is great for freezing. Wrap it up tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and store it in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.
ALTERNATE PANS
- You can also bake this cake in a 10 x 5-inch loaf pan. Check for doneness at 75 minutes add time as needed.
- You can also bake two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans if desired. The cooking time will be 60 minutes add time as needed.
While you’re here, check out these pound cake recipes
- Butter Beer Pound Cake
- Coffee Cake Pound Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake
- Sheet Pan Pound Cake
- Can I Bake a Pound Cake in a 9×13-inch Pan?
- 10 Ridiculously Easy Pound Cake Recipes
Sour Cream Dark Chocolate Pound Cake😍
Ingredients
POUND CAKE
- 1 cup butter softened, real butter not margarine
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted, then measured correctly
- 3.4 ounces chocolate fudge instant pudding
- ¾ cup dutch process cocoa Hershey's Special Dark like this
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 5 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 8 ounces sour cream full fat, not reduced-fat or light
GLAZE
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract
Instructions
POUND CAKE
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan with solid vegetable shortening and sugar or cake release spray.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until fluffy about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides. Mix again to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, instant pudding mix, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Next, beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream and beat until combine. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides, Mix again until the mixture is fully combined. (This batter is very thick.)
- Evenly spread batter in a tube pan or bundt pan. Bake at 325°F for 70 to 75 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center shows no crumbs or dry crumbs.
GLAZE
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stop microwave and stir every 20 seconds. Repeat, if necessary, until smooth.
- Whisk in the corn syrup and flavoring. Whisk until well combined.
- Drizzle over cooled cake.
- Store the cake in an airtight container.
Nutrition
You can find more recipes at my Recipe Index and at Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck.
Pam T says
I made the cake and I think it turned out great! The flavor is wonderful and just what you need for a dark chíllate fix. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Pamela Hill Turner says
I love dark Chocolate and this pound cake was awesome my husband and friends loved it it was so moist and it was my 1st pound cake I had made in 2 years so I had to try Awesome! Trying the Expresso powder the next time sounds AWESOME!
Paula says
Thank you!! I’m not a huge chocolate cake fan, but this one is just so moist and rich. I love it.
Ronda Edwards Scheil says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in pound cake recipes?
Paula says
you’re supposed to use unsalted according to professionals. I use whatever I have on hand. They’re both good.
Patricia Gibson says
I’ve tried several of your pound cake recipes and they turned out great but this one in particular didn’t go well. It was some what dry and not sweet. How much more sugar can i add without making any other changes to the other ingredients. I want to try this recipe again. HELP!!!
Paula says
You’ll be safe with another 1/2 to 2/3 cup of either granulated or brown sugar without changing anything else. It may take just a little longer to cook with the extra sugar.
Debbie Jolley says
I made this recipe yesterday and it was the best chocolate pound cake I have made in a long time.
I added 3T of hot coffee to cake. This is a really good recipe and easy to make.
Linda Wedgeworth says
Hi-My daughter has to have gluten free. Have you tried making any of your cakes with gluten free flour? If so what kind works best? Thank you!
Paula says
I haven’t. I keep meaning to test them but forget. I have had several comments that King Arthur gluten-free flour (the one for one measure) is good. Most everyone has said it bakes slightly faster so watch it closely.
Shannon L. from NE Florida says
Would love to make this pound cake next week for my mom & her girlfriends to celebrate a birthday. I would like to know if I could sub the sour cream for 1 or 3/4 cup Buttermilk? Then could I use a dark chocolate instant pudding instead of the chocolate fudge pudding? Never baked using instant pudding in any of my desserts or I could leave it out. I will wait her leave out the Almond Extract or increase the Vanilla Extract. TIA
Paula says
Yes, you can make all those changes.
Shannon L. frm NE FL says
Been looking for a Chocolate Pound Cake recipe to make for my mom and her friends to celebrate a birthday next week. Instead of using the Instant Pudding can I sub. it for 1/4 cup more of Cocoa Powder? Also, can I sub the Sour Cream for the same amount of Buttermilk or would 3/4 cup Buttermilk be better (have Buttermilk which I need to use up)? Other than that I will just tweak a few other ingredients as I will omit the Almond Extract and then add 2 tsps. of Espresso Powder. I love adding coffee to my chocolate recipes as it brings out the chocolate flavor. TIA
Linda Hitchcock says
Made this recipe and it turn out beautifully. Only change I made was to add two teaspoons of espresso powder.
Paula says
Thank you! Love that addition!
Anne says
This was just what I was looking for! A rich dark dark chocolate pound cake! Best flavor ever, great instructions!
KimmieK says
Looks delicious. I want to try but I have a question about the “dark chocolate chips” in the glaze. Do you have a recommendation on a good dark chocolate chip? There are so many varieties. Thanks.
Paula says
I almost always use these from Ghirardelli https://amzn.to/3iYGa6o (Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Chips)
They melt smooth and have a rich flavor. I have tried more expensive chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s etc and I honestly didn’t like them as much as these.
Michelle says
Looks great.
Patricia Thomas says
Finally got to make this recipe today. Sooooo good. Unfortunately I forgot to add the pudding but it still turned out fabulous. This one’s a keeper. Thanks, Pat
Big Jim says
Paula, in this recipe you mention using the sour c ream at 2 different times, is that right should it be divided? Thanks, Big Jim
Paula says
I rewrote that so it’s more clear. 😉 Add the sour cream alternately with the flour beginning and ending with the flour. So add 1/3 of flour, 1/2 sour cream, 1/3 flour, 1/2 sour cream, and final 1/3 flour.