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

Do I add the coffee hot? What about the eggs? Or does that come at the end?

Hi Diana, Yes, it is 1 cup of hot or very warm to dissolve the coffee (if using instant coffee granules). I re-worded the instruction a bit, I think you may understand it more clearly now. The eggs are added with the sour cream and other liquid ingredients. Hope you will enjoy the cake.

Such a fabulous recipe! My husband who loathes sour cream and coffee didn’t even taste it and said it’s one the best cakes he has had!

Hi Suzie, Thanks so much for posting your nice review on this recipe. Funny about your husband, so glad he liked it!

Hi Suzie! Will this recipe bake good in a 9x13 pan? I am wanting the cake the be 2 inches in depth.

Hi Katie, The recipe can be baked in a 9x13 pan, but I think it only makes 6 to 6 1/2 cups batter. It is suggested on batter charts that you need 7 cups for a 9x13 pan, so the cake may not be 2 inches in height.

hi! Very excited to try this. However I love adding pudding mix to my bakes, can I add that to this? Thank you!

Hi Amy, I'm sorry but since I have not tried that with the recipe, I am not sure.

Hi
Can I use 2 10inch cake pans for this recipe?
Thanks!!

Hi Amy, This recipe makes approx. 6 cups batter and that is the suggested amount for one 10 x 2 inch round pan. You would need to double the recipe. Below is a link to a batter amount and bake time chart that you will find helpful.

This was the most unbelievably delicious and easy cake! I made it for my daughters 3rd birthday as a 3 layer cake with buttercream frosting. I am a very novice baker (especially when it comes to decorating), and I didn’t want to spend too much time stressing about baking the cake before her party.
This recipe was easy to make, and every guest commented how delicious it turned out!