Ahhh, sourdough chocolate cake! There’s something so comforting and inviting about it—it’s a classic option for a special occasion or any day of the week. Rich chocolate flavor layered with a hint of sourdough, this bake is definitely one to add to your repertoire if you haven’t tasted it before. In this blog post, I’m going to show you how easy it can be to make your own version at home in just a few simple steps with ingredients that are most likely laying around in your kitchen pantry. It might become the new go-to family favorite dessert recipe!

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Sourdough Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake

225g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
70g (¾ cup) cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
187ml (¾ cup) vegetable oil
100g (½ cup) sourdough discard starter
130g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
130g (⅔ cup) soft brown sugar
250ml (1 cup) milk
125ml (½ cup) hot strong coffee

Chocolate Buttercream

200g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
320-375g (2 ½-3 cups) powdered sugar
30g (⅓ cup) cocoa powder
2-3 tablespoon milk or cream, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt

Chocolate Ganache

125ml (½ cup) pouring cream
150g dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set it aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, eggs, vanilla, oil, milk, and sugars.
Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and fold gently for a minute before pouring over the hot coffee.
Mix briskly together but don't over mix.
Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean.

Chocolate Buttercream

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the butter until light and creamy.
Carefully add in half the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and beat on low speed until combined. The cocoa powder will puff up so take care! Add in the remaining powdered sugar.
Once incorporated, beat on high for 5 minutes and add in 2-3 tablespoons of milk or cream as needed until it is light, creamy, and spreadable.

Chocolate Ganache

In a small saucepan, heat the cream until just simmering. Take it off the heat and add the chopped chocolate.
Leave it to sit for 5 minutes, then stir until it is glossy and all the chocolate has melted.
Let it cool down until it has thickened a bit before pouring on the cake.