Chocolate Pound Cake

This Chocolate Pound Cake is a good recipe to have on hand for when that craving strikes. It’s super simple to make, and you probably have everything to make it!

Recipe for Chocolate Pound Cake

If I am completely honest with y’all, too many times I find myself staring into my refrigerator or pantry looking for something chocolate to eat.

I’ll also admit that too many times I have resorted to eating chocolate chips because I couldn’t find anything … tell me you’ve been there before, too! 😅

This Sour Cream Chocolate Pound Cake recipe always hits the spot, though!

One of the things I love most about chocolate pound cake is that I always have all of the ingredients on hand to make it. If you’ve ever found yourself looking for an easy chocolate fix, this is it! I’m going to guess that you probably have all of the ingredients to make this too – and it’s super easy to put together.

Although we often serve this as is, sometimes, we feel fancy and serve it with ice cream or berries with fresh whipped cream. If you would like, you can also sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the top before baking.

Now you have an easy way to crush that chocolate craving and serve up a sweet treat for everyone in your house!! I hope you enjoy this buttermilk Chocolate Pound Cake recipe – and I hope that it satisfies that chocolate craving! 😉

Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

To make this Chocolate Pound Cake, you will need …

Ingredients

• all-purpose flour – there are lots of different kinds of flour, and all-purpose is the best for most baked goods, as it provides the right texture you’ll need. 
• cocoa powder – we need some chocolate flavor, and this provides it in droves!!
• baking powder and baking soda – together, these are leavening agents that make baked goods rise (if you’re not using yeast).
• butter – most baked goods need a “fat” like butter or shortening to hold everything together in the batter or dough!
• egg – I use large eggs. They are another binding agent that holds the batter together.
• sugar – sweetens your cake, of course. Use the granulated kind.
• vanilla extract – enhances the flavors in your cake.
• sour cream – I know, if you’ve never baked before, it seems strange to make a cake with sour cream … BUT … this will give you the extra moist, extra rich texture you’re looking for!
• buttermilk – using buttermilk rather than regular milk in this chocolate pound cake means it’ll be a lighter treat!

Sour Cream Chocolate Pound Cake: FAQs

Other recipes you may enjoy

• Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
• Summer Peaches with Caramel & Pound Cake
• Old-Fashioned Cream Cheese Pound Cake
• Chocolate Snack Cake
• Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

4.48 from 17 votes

Servings: 12 servings

Chocolate Pound Cake

By Jamie Sherman

This Chocolate Pound Cake is a good recipe to have on hand for when that craving strikes. It's super simple to make, and you probably have everything to make it!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 55 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

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Equipment

• wire cooling rack
• hand mixer
• whisk
• parchment paper
• loaf pan
• measuring cups and spoons
• measuring cups and spoons
• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowl

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ cup butter, softened, 4 tablespoons
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ cup buttermilk
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
• In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the sour cream and buttermilk.
• Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat to combine. Add the sour cream mixture. Mix well. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix well.
• Spread mixture into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 55 minutes.
• Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

• No buttermilk? No problem! Place 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into a 1 cup measure. Add enough milk to make 1 cup of total liquid. Stir to combine and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes (the mixture will begin to curdle). Measure out what you need for the recipe and discard the remaining buttermilk or use it in another recipe.
• You can substitute plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 177kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 65mg, Potassium: 84mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 196IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally published on January 8, 2014. Updated on August 12, 2022.