This chocolate pound cake is the real deal boos, it has affectionately been named Slap Ya Mama good! I doctor up my Big Mama’s sour cream pound cake with cocoa, brown sugar, and a splash of brewed coffee, so every slice stays moist and packs deep chocolate flava. Then I pour a smooth chocolate ganache icing over the top that sets this whole chocolate pound cake OFF! Get into it, y’all.
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How to Make Chocolate Pound Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make a chocolate sour cream pound cake, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe
1. Grease the Bundt pan and dust it with cocoa powder
Rotate the pan until the cocoa covers every curve and crevice, then tap out any excess.
2. Cream the butter, oil, and sugars, then add the eggs
Add the eggs one at a time so each one fully incorporates into the batter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed so everything mixes evenly.
3. Mix in the cake flour and cocoa powder
Add the salt and baking soda, keeping the mixer on its lowest speed. Stop as soon as the last streaks of dry ingredients disappear.
4. Add the sour cream, coffee, and vanilla
Scrape down the bowl once more, paying special attention to the bottom where thick batter likes to hide. Mix only until everything comes together.
5. Spoon the chocolate cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan
Smooth the surface, then gently tap the pan against the counter to settle the batter and release any large air pockets.
6. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean
Let the cake rest in the pan before carefully turning it out onto a serving plate or wire rack. Allow it to cool completely.
7. Melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream
Whisk until the ganache is completely smooth, then stir in the vanilla and salt. It should be glossy and loose enough to pour without running like water.
8. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled pound cake
Let the icing set slightly before slicing. Serve it as is, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream to take it right on over the top!
PRO TIP: Check the ganache before you pour. If it’s too thin, let it sit for a few minutes. If it gets too thick, microwave it in 10-second bursts until smooth and pourable.
Full Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe
Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ½ cups cake flour sifted
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 8 oz sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup brewed coffee room temperature
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
For the Icing:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 F then grease with butter or shortening a 12 cup bundt pan (or spray with non-stick spray) then dust with cocoa powder instead of flour.
- In your stand mixer bowl, add butter, oil and both sugars and mix for 3-4 minutes on high speed until fluffy.
- Next add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour and cocoa powder into batter in two increments then add salt and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Lastly add in sour cream, coffee and vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan, and bake for 1 hour and 10-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake on serving plate. Cool for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to touch.
For the Icing:
- Add chocolate chips and heavy cream to a microwave safe container.
- Microwave on high for about 1 min and 15 seconds then whisk until completely melted and smooth. It should be thin enough to drizzle but not too thin.
- Add in vanilla and pinch of salt and whisk in.
- Pour over cooled cake. Let set for about 10 minutes then serve it up.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Let the ganache set completely before covering.
- Fridge: If your kitchen runs warm, store the covered cake in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let individual slices sit at room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: Wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh. To test it, add a little to vinegar or lemon juice. If it bubbles up immediately, it’s still fresh.
- Get all the way down in that bowl. Pound cake batter is thick, so flour and butter love to hide at the bottom. Give it a good scrape so nothing gets left behind.
- Trust your toothpick, not just the clock. Check the cake in a couple of spots around the center ring. A few moist crumbs are just fine, but wet batter means it needs more time.
- If your cocoa pound cake feels stuck in the pan, don’t panic. Slide a silicone knife or spatula gently along the edges of the pan to help loosen it up.
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Recipe Help
Yep! Replace it with the same amount of hot water or milk.
You can divide the batter between two greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Don’t fill them more than about two-thirds full, and start checking them earlier. Loaves bake faster than a large chocolate bundt cake.
You probably overbaked, overmixed, or used too much flour. Spoon and level the flour unless you’re weighing it, mix only until combined, and start checking the cake at the lower end of the baking range.
You sure can! Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, then gently reheat it in short microwave bursts, stirring between each one, until smooth and pourable.
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This is the best chocolate pound cake recipe I have ever tried. I have made this cake twice already and will continue moving forward. This recipe is definitely delicious and a crowd pleaser. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much! It makes me so happy to hear that this chocolate pound cake has earned a permanent spot in your baking rotation.
The fact that you’ve already made it twice and it’s been a crowd pleaser each time is such a wonderful compliment. There’s nothing better than having a recipe you can count on when you need something rich, chocolatey, and guaranteed to disappear fast.
Thank you for trusting the recipe and for taking the time to share your experience. It truly means a lot!
Hello, Can I use ducks eggs in place of the chicken eggs; I know they are larger and I do not want to ruin the cake because I assume it is not an even swap. Let me know your thoughts. Thank you!
Hi Annette, I have not tested this recipe with duck eggs, so I wouldn’t even know where to begin on the swap here. If you try it out, let me know what ends up working!
Do you have to add the coffee into the cake can you substitute the coffee with coffee extract instead
You don’t have to add the coffee. It’s mainly there to deepen the chocolate flavor, not make the cake taste like coffee. I wouldn’t use coffee extract as a direct substitute though because the recipe also needs the liquid from the brewed coffee. If you want to skip the coffee, I’d replace it with the same amount of hot water or even milk instead.
If you love coffee flavor, you could add a very small amount of coffee extract along with the water, but go lightly since extracts can get strong fast.
I wish I could post a pic! It’s beautiful! Turned out perfectly and followed instructions – only modification to cake is I simply forgot the vanilla, but added extra to ganache when I realized! I made 1.5 times the ganache because I had extra chips which I think I will do again cause my people like a lot! Can’t wait to taste it, but I KNOW it’s going to be fabulous!!
That sounds absolutely beautiful. I love when everything comes together like that.
Forgetting the vanilla in the cake won’t ruin it at all, and adding a little extra to the ganache was a perfect save. And listen, more ganache is never a bad idea, especially if your people love it. That’s a smart move.
I want to try this recipe but I have a question, can you add a box of chocolate pudding for added moisture? Im not sure but thought I would ask
I wouldn’t recommend adding a box of chocolate pudding to this pound cake.
Pound cakes are very specific in their ratios, and adding pudding mix would change the structure, sweetness, and texture quite a bit. It could make the cake too soft, overly dense, or even gummy since pudding mix contains starches and stabilizers.
If you’re looking for extra moisture, just make sure your butter, eggs, and any dairy are at room temperature and be careful not to overbake. That will give you the best texture without changing the recipe itself.