Chocolate Sour Cream Cake (Doctored Cake Mix)
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!
Obviously...we drink no COFFEE at all ? Which I saw by spelling it coffe, I'm such a dork, but can't help to correct my spelling when I'm wrong it's like a little addiction I have like, I MUST do it and no, I'm not a wack job so...no need to worry, I think!!! ? My hubby said that, that's left up to interpretation! But he sure eats and fights with the kids over EVERY crumb of everything I bake and cook! Lol. He's the kook! Haha
Hi Tracey, Yes, you can replace the 1 cup coffee with 1 cup water or half water half milk. I'm not sure which recipe I think is more moist, the chocolate cake using mayo is a bit lighter and less dense than this recipe. Thank you for your nice comments about the site.
Hi! I stopped making the WASC recipe a year ago because mine always came out with more of a "wet" texture not just moist. They were always fully cooked. Does this recipe have that same "wet" crumb? Sorry it's hard to explain.
I need a good chocolate cake that will hold up under fondant. Which of your chocolate cakes do you recommend for that? And does this one hold up to fondant? Thanks for your help!
Hi Gloria, We don't find this to have a wet texture. Some recipes at a little oil to the recipe but we do not think it needs extra oil. This does hold up to fondant.
Hi Bebe and Melissa,
I️ just have a quick question and would love your opinion. I️ am baking a 2 layer, 9x13x2 birthday cake with an edible image on top for a friends son. Was thinking of using the other chocolate doctored cake recipe, which I’ve used for cupcakes recently (and they were to die for by the way...yum) but because I’m going to be making two layers one vanilla, one chocolate with lemons curd filling in between I️ thought a little denser cake may hold up with the filling in between. So I’m thinking of using this one and the WASC doctored recipe. What do you think? And should I️ torte the layers so the cake absorbs the filling better? Since it’s for his children, I️ would like a moist cake but don’t want to end up with a mess with the filling inside. Also, which buttercream would be best to use for an edible image that will be going on top? TIA and happy Sunday!
Hi Jessica, Either recipe would be fine to use with the filling. Yes, the sour cream would make the cake a bit more dense and that would be good if you torte the layers. Since this is for children and lemon slides a bit, I think you are right to worry that it could be a bit messy with 4 thin layers. Another thought, the cake will need to be refrigerated because of the lemon curd so the chilled cake with lemon curd might not be a problem when cutting. Your choice, you will be fine either way. The Classic Vanilla (all butter) Buttercream or the Fluffy Buttercream recipe will be good. You will need to work quickly with the Classic all butter and add the edible image before it crusts ( otherwise you will need to mist lightly). The Fluffy Buttercream crust more slowly, so you will have more time with that recipe for adding the image. Hope all goes well.
Thank you so much!! Appreciate the help and tips. ?
Will this cake be too sweet if filled with ganache? Granny
Hi Mona, I think it would be delicious filled with ganache.
I just provided 162 cupcakes for an event. I had 7 different flavors. The “Doctored”cake mix recipes were so helpful with time but were amazingly tasty. So many good comments. All were decorated with modeling chocolate flowers and small bumblebees. Made all of those silly characters. Thanks for these recipes, great tools and supplies.
Hi Mona, glad everything went so well!
Hi there! How many cups of batter does this make?