This chocolate sour cream pound cake recipe is moist and tender. It's solidly built and we like to bake it in a bundt pan, so it emerges straight from the oven looking ready to take on center stage of your dessert buffet. The secret ingredient in this cake is the hot coffee, which ensures that the cocoa powder is melted, rather than clumpy, and adds a complexity of flavor.
Heat oven to 325 F. Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a electric mixer, combine butter and sugar. Cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla, mixing on medium speed until well combined after each addition.
Add in the sour cream and beat on low speed to combine.
Remove bowl from mixer stand and sift in the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda) into the wet ingredients. Stir in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overbeat to ensure a moist cake. Add in the hot coffee and stir until well combined.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Carefully tap the filled bundt pan on the counter several times to eliminate all air bubbles from the cake batter.
Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester in the center of cake comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then turn the cooled cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream spiked with a little sour cream or vanilla ice cream to offset the rich chocolate flavor of the cake.
Notes
This cake keeps well wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for several days.If you don't have coffee, you can substitute espresso powder and boiling water, or just boiling hot water. The boiling water is critical to ensure that the cocoa melts and combines well with the rest of the batter.