Oh how I love this Chocolate Sour Cream Cake (doctored cake mix) recipe! It is super easy, amazingly moist, and delicious! Nobody would guess that it started with a cake mix!

This decadent Chocolate Sour Cream Cake has a slightly dense and velvety texture which I absolutely love. This is probably why it tastes and looks so much like a scratch chocolate cake recipe. (By the way, you can find two of our favorite scratch chocolate cakes linked below!)

If you've been searching for the perfect doctored cake mix recipe for Chocolate Cake, you just cannot top this one! I've made it countless times and it always gets rave reviews!

This decadent Chocolate Sour Cream Cake not only tastes amazing, but it is versatile also. It has a nice density for holding up to fondant, and can even be used for designs that call for light carving.

Chocolate cupcakes can be made from this recipe also, but if you are looking for a fluffier cupcake with more of a dome, I highly recommend our other tried and true Doctored Chocolate Cake recipe.

Enjoy this Chocolate Sour Cream Cake recipe, I think you'll come back to it again and again!

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake- Doctored Mix

Nobody would believe that this decadent chocolate cake all starts with a simple mix!

Ingredients

** For a deeper chocolate taste you can add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and replace the water with 1 cup hot strong brewed or instant coffee.
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix ( I sift the cake mix, but it is optional)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water (We usually replace the water with 1 cup of hot brewed or instant coffee, it enhances the chocolate flavor.)
3 whole eggs
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla
½ cup (108g) vegetable oil

Instructions

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir or whisk to blend. In your mixing bowl, combine sour cream, oil, water, eggs, & flavorings. Add about ½ of the dry ingredients and blend together, then add the rest of the dry ingredients & mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Pour into three 8 x 2 inch round pans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 325 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until the middle of cake springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
*This also works well for cupcakes! Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan immediately and cool on a baking rack.

Looking for a Scratch Version of Chocolate Sour Cream Cake?

Guess what? We have a fantastic homemade version of this Chocolate Sour Cream Cake too! It is soft, moist, and works great for both cakes and cupcakes! You can find it here!: Chocolate Sour Cream Cake from scratch. (The frosting used in the photo below is our Seven Minute Frosting- so light and fluffy!)

We have another scratch chocolate cake recipe to share. This classic chocolate cake has been a favorite over the years!

Classic Chocolate Cake from Scratch.

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to check out our Recipes Section for a full listing of our FAVORITE tried and true cake and frosting recipes!!

If you love this Chocolate Sour Cream Cake, don't miss it's sister recipe, the fabulous White Almond Sour Cream Cake (doctored cake mix recipe)! So many cakes to try, so little time! I think that you will love them both!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't miss our full collection of FAVORITE Cake and Frosting Recipes in our Recipes section!

177 Comments

Can this cake be covered in fondant or is it to Dense.

Yes, it will be fine!

I use this recipe too except I use strong coffee instead of water!! Makes such a big difference!

@Mary Piper - Thanks for the suggestion! I'm going to try that!

Would I be able to get 2 9 inch rounds out of this recipe?

I just got a 9x13 out of it; so, you should certainly get 2 9-inch rounds out of it! Good luck! Thanks for the coffee idea Mary Piper! That sounds fantastic!

Is there a recipe for White almond sour cream cake ?

Melissa or BeBe,
2 questions, can this recipe be used for Cupcakes and If I don't have Pilsbury or Betty Crocker, but Duncan Hines, do you suggest adding a small box of instant pudding to the dry ingredients? I usually use your other chocolate cake recipe (the one with 2 tbsp of mayo) and it is good, but I would like maybe a cake with a little bit "more" to it.
Thank you! Teresa King

Hi Ansa, it won't be quite enough. I think the above recipe makes 7 1/2 - 8 cups batter and you will need 11 to 12 cups batter for a 11 x 16 pan. You will have leftover batter to make cupcakes or a layer that you can freeze for later use.

I base this on the Party Cake Baking Time and Batter Amounts that you will find at wilton.com

Should there be oil in this recipe?

Hi Kate--no, there is no oil in this recipe...the sour cream keeps it moist. However, I've seen some white almond sour cream recipes with a slight variation that do contain a very small amount of oil. This one has worked well for us though!