This Sourdough Chocolate Cake is rich, super moist, and packed with chocolate flavor, a perfect way to use your sourdough discard. I’ve tested this recipe multiple times, and it consistently turns out tender and decadent! Serve it with your favorite frosting or try the chocolate ganache below for an over the top touch.
We all know that you can make delicious Dutch oven sourdough bread with your sourdough starter, but did you know that sourdough discard is great to bake with too! There are so many sourdough recipes that you can make with sourdough discard including sourdough discard carrot cake!
This chocolate cake is perfect for the chocoholic in your family. I usually love to make Starbucks chocolate cake pops too! It's loaded with cocoa powder and then topped with a decadent chocolate ganache, which is easier to make than you think! Get your glass of milk ready to enjoy with this cake!
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Why You'll Love This Sourdough Chocolate Cake
- It's so decadent! This might be my new favorite chocolate cake! My kids ate this cake and loved every bite of it! My son even said this is the best cake ever! If that isn't a rave review, I don't know what is! If you love this cake, you'll love a molten lava cake too!
- It's a great use for your sourdough discard. If you bake a lot with your sourdough discard, you'll know that there can be a ton of discard left after you feed your starter. Never throw it out! It's great for lots of different baked goods and even for sourdough granola!
- It can be made ahead of time! You can bake this cake ahead of time and then ice or frost it right before you are ready to serve it. More on that later in the blog post.
Sourdough Discard Cake Ingredients
- Sourdough discard. If you are new to sourdough, you'll need a sourdough starter. You can either make your own sourdough starter at home, buy one, or get one from a fellow sourdough baker.
- Sugar. This is a cake after all! Granulated sugar is perfect in this cake.
- Cooled coffee. This might sound a little strange to add coffee to cake, but the coffee brings out the flavor of the chocolate in the cake. If you don't drink coffee or don't have any on hand, you can leave it out and add a little more vanilla extract.
- Cocoa Powder. You'll want to use a high quality unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe because it gives the chocolate cake it's chocolatey flavor.
- Baking soda. Baking soda interacts with the sourdough discard to give this cake a really nice rise. The inactive starter on it's own is not enough to make the cake rise. The baking soda does most of the work.
- Oil. A neutral oil is best. Vegetable oil, avocado oil, or canola oil are great options. Olive oil will add more moisture and depth of flavor to the cake. If it's all you have, it's can definitely be used.
Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
What's the Best Type of Pan for Sourdough Chocolate Cake?
A Bundt cake is a great option for this cake as it creates a great shape and bakes evenly.
A 9x13 inch baking dish is a great choice too. Make sure to grease the baking dish well so the cake will be removed easily.
Two 8 inch cake pans can be used to bake this cake if you want a layer cake instead of a single layer cake.
Finally, don't forget about cupcakes! You can make 12 cupcakes with this recipe.
What is Sourdough Discard?
Sourdough discard is something that is used a lot in the sourdough world, but what exactly is sourdough discard? Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you are not feeding. When you are "feeding" your starter to make Dutch oven sourdough bread with, you add equal parts flour, water, and starter to a mason jar and let it rise.
You can't feed your entire starter, as it doubles and sometimes triples in size, and that's a lot of starter to have on hand! If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out how to feed and maintain a sourdough starter post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy.
With your sourdough discard, you can make lots of delicious recipes! I love making sourdough brownies for desserts, sourdough discard cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and sourdough chocolate chip cookies for a special treat!
Why Does Sourdough Discard Work in Cakes?
Besides being a way to reduce food waste, sourdough discard adds a lot to cake! The slight tang of the sourdough discard helps balance out the sweetness of the cocoa and sugar. It also adds to the rise of the cake, making it light and airy instead of dense.
Sourdough Cake Variations
- Use active sourdough starter. Yes, you can use active sourdough starter. It will add a little bit more rise to the cake, but not too much. If it's all you have, it's a great option!
- Change the sweetener! You can use coconut sugar or brown sugar to the cake. If you prefer honey or maple syrup, add a little more flour to balance the liquid in the batter.
- Change the fat! Melted butter or olive oil are great choices for a super moist cake. Both of those options have a depth of flavor that would add to the cake.
- Add mix ins! Add semi sweet chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or chopped cherries for a change of pace.
How To Make Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a Bundt pan well with butter. Make sure to get into all the creases. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the oil, sugar, eggs, sourdough discard, and milk. Mix well.
Step 2: In a separate medium bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix well to combine.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until all the ingredients are combined. Do not overmix, but make sure there are no lumps of sourdough starter in the batter.
Step 4: Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
Step 5: Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a wire cooling rack and then turn out the cake onto a plate and let it cool completely.
Lynn's Tip!
Make sure to allow the cake to cool before trying to turn it out onto the plate. If you do not wait, the cake may fall apart, especially if the pan is not greased well. Patience is key!
How To Long Ferment Sourdough Chocolate Cake
To long ferment this chocolate cake, simply make the batter completely and then cover it with plastic wrap. Place the bowl with the batter in the refrigerator and let it ferment for 12-24 hours.
Right before you are ready to bake the cake, make sure to grease your pan well and pour the batter into the pan and bake.
Tips for Sourdough Discard Cake
- Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing will cause the cake to be tough. You want to just disperse the flour and sourdough starter throughout the cake batter.
- Use high quality ingredients. Since there are only a few ingredients that you will be tasting in this cake, you want to make sure they are really high quality. Don't skim on the quality. This is a really decadent dessert.
- Make sure the cake is cooled before frosting. The chocolate ganache will drip right off the cake if the cake is too hot. Be patient once the cake is baked.
- To tell if the cake is baked through, do the toothpick test. Place a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, you are ready to take it out of the oven. Everyone's oven is a little different, so check the cake about 35 minutes, and give it another 5-10 minutes if it isn't ready.
Icings and Frosting
Chocolate cake is great with almost any type of frosting! Here are some suggestions for what to frost the chocolate cake with!
- 3 Ingredient Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whipped Cream Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Chocolate Frosting
- Chocolate Ganache
- Vanilla Frosting
Storing Sourdough Discard Chocolate Cake
If there is any leftover sourdough chocolate cake, place it in an airtight container or cover the cake with plastic wrap. It will keep fresh for 3-4 days.
You can also make the cake ahead of time. Bake the cake and then cover it with plastic wrap. When you are ready to frost the cake, place the cake on the serving platter and then ice it.
Freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely to room temperature after being baked, wrap it in plastic wrap, and then freeze it for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost on the counter before frosting it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can use active sourdough starter. Since we are not fermenting the cake for very long, it will add just a slight rise, not too much.
No! We are not adding too much sourdough starter, and we are not letting it ferment very long. We are also adding sugar to the cake, so the sourdough discard adds a bit of tang, but it does not add a very sour flavor.
Yes! You can use bread flour or all purpose flour. You can even add a little whole wheat flour if you have it available. Keep an eye on the liquid levels because whole wheat flour tends to soak up more liquid than all purpose flour.
More Sourdough Dessert Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Sourdough Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sourdough Discard Unfed
- 1 ½ cups Sugar
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1 cup Neutral Oil Like Avocado Oil
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Cooled Coffee
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a Bundt pan well with butter. Make sure to get into all the creases.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the oil, sugar, eggs, sourdough discard, vanilla, coffee, and milk. Mix well.
- In a separate medium bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix well to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until all the ingredients are combined. Do not overmix, but make sure there are no lumps of sourdough starter in the batter.
- Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a wire cooling rack and then turn out the cake onto a plate and let it cool completely.
To Make the Chocolate Ganache
- In a small saucepan, add the chocolate chips and the heavy cream. Over low heat, melt the chocolate into the heavy cream. Once the chocolate is melted, remove it immediately. Pour it over the cooled cake.
Notes
- Make sure to allow the cake to cool before trying to turn it out onto the plate. If you do not wait, the cake may fall apart, especially if the pan is not greased well. Patience is key!
- Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing will cause the cake to be tough. You want to just disperse the flour and sourdough starter throughout the cake batter.
- Use high quality ingredients. Since there are only a few ingredients that you will be tasting in this cake, you want to make sure they are really high quality. Don't skim on the quality. This is a really decadent dessert.
- Make sure the cake is cooled before frosting. The chocolate ganache will drip right off the cake if the cake is too hot. Be patient once the cake is baked.
- To tell if the cake is baked through, do the toothpick test. Place a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, you are ready to take it out of the oven. Everyone's oven is a little different, so check the cake about 35 minutes, and give it another 5-10 minutes if it isn't ready.
Mark Andrew Feighner says
We all loved the cake here in our house when I made it as a birthday cake for my two girls who are two days apart! IT was perfectly moist and had a good rise. I did use higher quality ingredients as suggested. I ended up using King Arthur Flour for baking and Medley Hills Farm, Black Cocoa Powder. I also added a 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tsp of Ceylon cinnamon to give it a bit of bite a depth against the Black Cocoa Powder. I did use a bundt pan greased with oil and then sprinkled sugar in the pan to give the cake a "crust" and to help release the cake from the pan. Lastly, I used freeze dried raspberries crushed up to act as sprinkles on the ganache.