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A sour cream mocha cake with espresso frosting on a cake stand with a slice cut from it.
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4.75 / 12 votes

Sour Cream Mocha Cake

This sour cream mocha cake is a knockout. Made with unsweetened chocolate and instant espresso, it’s wicked dense, intense, chocolatey, and easy to toss together from ingredients you already have at home with an espresso frosting that’s as light as the cake is dense. A very “adult” dessert.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 35 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 501

Ingredients

For the mocha cake

  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 teaspoons instant espresso granules, dissolved in 1 cup of hot water
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, not fat-free
  • 1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pans
  • 1/4 cup mild vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon chocolate extract, or omit and up the vanilla to 1 tablespoon
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

For the espresso frosting

  • 1/4 cup instant espresso granules, dissolved in 5 tablespoons of cold water
  • 1 stick (4 oz) stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the sour cream mocha cake

  • Crank the oven to 350°F (175°C) and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Butter two 8-inch (20-cm) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter and flour the paper, tapping out any excess flour.
  • Melt the chocolate, either in a microwave on medium or in a pot set over another pot filled with an inch of simmering water. (Make sure no water splashes into the chocolate or it’ll become grainy. And then you’ll become grouchy.) Remove from the heat to cool until just warm.
  • Meanwhile, dump the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the hot espresso, sour cream, oil, butter, and vanilla and chocolate extracts. Pour the espresso mixture into the flour mixture in the stand mixer and mix on low until just blended, about 30 seconds.
  • Slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs and mix on medium until smooth. Scrape in the melted chocolate and beat until the batter is uniform in color, about 15 seconds. The batter will be thin but that’s how it should be.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Move the cakes to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake and invert them onto another rack to cool completely.

Make the espresso frosting

  • Dissolve the espresso granules in the water.
  • Pour the espresso mixture into a food processor and add the butter, sugar, and heavy cream. Process until it becomes light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The frosting will initially look curdled and destroyed. And then just when you’re about to lose all faith, everything will come together beautifully. Swear.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: You simply must use a food processor for the frosting. Seriously. Or the frosting won’t come together.

Assemble the cake

  • Place 1 cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Frost the top and then stack the second cake on top. Frost the top and sides. Devour immediately.

Notes

Decaf Sour Cream Mocha Cake variation

If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you may get a subtle buzz from this cake. Rather than risk a sleepless night if you tend to eat a late dessert, simply make the recipe with decaffeinated espresso. The intense mocha flavor won’t be affected in the least.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 194mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 46g