Sourdough Chocolate Cake Recipe

Close up of sourdough chocolate bundt cake topped with glossy chocolate ganache.

Sourdough Chocolate Cake Recipe

This easy sourdough chocolate cake recipe allows the flour to be fermented overnight, making it much better on your gut! You're going to love this moist, chocolatey cake that's perfect for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Sourdough Discard

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Fermentation Time 12

Total Time 13 10

Servings slices

Calories 264kcal

Author Kate Freebairn

Equipment

Cake Pan Bundt Pan, Loaf Pan, Round Cake Pan

Ingredients

Overnight Ferment

280 g All Purpose Flour
250 g Milk (cold)
20 g Cocoa Powder
50 g Sourdough Discard (or active sourdough starter)

Cake Batter

2 Eggs (room temperature)
320 g Granulated Sugar
5 g Vanilla Extract
125 g Vegetable Oil
40 g Cocoa Powder
8 g Baking Powder (2 level tsp)
4 g Baking Soda (1 level tsp)
4 g Salt
150 g Water (Boiling)
8 g Instant Coffee Powder (optional - see notes)
20 g Butter (for greasing the pan)

Chocolate Cake Frosting (Optional)

200 g Heavy Whipping Cream
100 g Dark Chocolate
75 g Milk Chocolate

Instructions

Overnight Ferment

To make the overnight ferment, place flour, cold milk, cocoa and sourdough starter in a large bowl and mix until it forms a shaggy dough. Cover with plastic and leave on the counter to ferment overnight.

To Make The Cake The Next Morning

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla until they are light and creamy.
Then add vegetable oil, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until well combined.
Now add the overnight ferment and the boiling water (with coffee dissolved if using) and whisk really well until it forms a liquid batter. The ferment will be quite stiff but the boiling water should loosen it up.
If you're having trouble getting it all to combine by hand, it's perfectly fine to use a hand beater or stand mixer for this step.
Grease a cake tin with plenty of butter. I've made this recipe with a bundt tin. Pour in the batter.
Place the cake into the oven to bake for around 40 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF (or until a skewer comes out clean).
Once the cake is cooked, allow it to sit in the tin for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.

Ganache Instructions

Place the heavy whipping cream and chocolate into a mixing bowl and place into the microwave. Heat in 30 second bursts until the chocolate has melted.
Carefully whisk the chocolate through the heavy whipping cream until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Pour over the cooled cake and allow to drizzle down the sides.

Notes

Coffee Powder - this is an optional add in. You won't actually taste the coffee, it just gives the cake a richer chocolate flavor. But if you'd prefer not to add it, just use plain boiling water or even some black tea.

Nutrition