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

Hi Viri, thanks for letting us know. I'm glad your customer liked it!

Well, I love the WASC cake so I'm giving this one a go. I don't have devils food cake mix on hand so I am using dark chocolate fudge, I am replacing the water with 3/4 cup strong coffee and 1/4 cup dark rum. I also added 1/4 cup Cocoa powder to the dry ingredients. Fingers crossed. Wish me luck.

Good Luck, let us know how it is with rum.

Every Cake I made with this recipe fell in the middle. Has this happened for anyone else?

Hi Melissa & Bebe,

I really like the deeper flavor of DH Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix. Do you think that if I substitute it for the devil's food mix in this recipe, I will still end up with a cake that will hold up under fondant?

Hi fancypants, I haven't tried it but I think it should be fine.

I tried the substitution tonight. In addition to the dark chocolate fudge cake mix, I added a tbsp of dutch processed cocoa powder and replaced the water with coffee. Delicious!

To Rachel Nicole: I made this recipe yesterday & had that same problem of sinking in the middle. I used the flower nail method tonight and it worked like a charm! If you aren't familiar with the method, you can find instructions here: http://cakecentral.com/tutorial/cake-baking-flower-nail-method-tutorial
Good luck!

hola deseo la que el pastel sea mas humedo puedo ayadir mas crema y que cantidad

Hi Melissa and Bebe!
Love your website! I've only been a member for a couple of days and have already learned so much. God bless, great job and much success to you both!

Though I prefer to make all of my cupcakes and cakes from scratch, this is very similar to a White Cake recipe I used (and LOVED). I'm thinking I'll try this one for a birthday cake I'm making this weekend.

I don't have any problems with using modified recipes that include boxed mixes on occasion. I do find cakes from scratch challenge the creative nature in me and there's no limit to the flavor combinations, that what I enjoy the most.

My main reason for joining your page is to learn how to create flowers out of gumpaste. I've just ordered the orchid cutters...can't wait to receive them! Peonies are next! Do you have any suggestion on the best place to order supplies on the web?

Thanks again and Happy Baking!
Holly