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One-Bowl Sour Cream Chocolate Cake (No Butter)

Reviewed by the CupOrGram Editorial TeamSources: King Arthur Baking, USDA FoodData CentralMethodology

Written gram-first — every cup equivalent checked against our ingredient density database.

Prep 15 minCook 35 minTotal 50 minOne 8-inch (20 cm) cake, 8 slicesDessert

This is the cake we reach for when we want chocolate cake tonight, not after a stand-mixer session. Sour cream brings both the fat and the acidity — the acidity matters, because it's what activates the baking soda and gives the crumb its lift. We weighed every ingredient across three test bakes; the cup equivalents below use the same measured densities as our conversion pages, so if you scoop instead of weigh, use them exactly as written.

Ingredients

Grams first — cup equivalents use our measured densities.

Method

  1. 1

    Prep

    Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) round pan and line the base with parchment.

  2. 2

    Dry ingredients

    In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until no cocoa streaks remain.

  3. 3

    Wet ingredients

    Add the sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until just combined — the batter will be thick and reluctant. That's correct.

  4. 4

    Loosen with coffee

    Pour in the hot coffee and whisk until the batter turns glossy and pourable, about 30 seconds. Hot liquid blooms the cocoa; don't substitute cold.

  5. 5

    Bake

    Pour into the pan and bake 30–35 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack.

Baker's notes

Sour cream density matters here: our scale tests put full-fat sour cream at 240 g per cup, but light sour cream runs thinner and wetter — if that's what you have, reduce the coffee to 100 g. Cocoa brands vary in density more than any other ingredient on this list (we measured a 15% spread across four brands), which is exactly why we recommend weighing it.

Why this recipe works

  • Sour cream replaces butter twice over: its fat tenderizes the crumb while its acidity activates the baking soda — which is where the lift comes from. No creaming step, no stand mixer.
  • Oil-based cakes stay moist at fridge temperature, where butter cakes turn firm. This one is as good cold on day three as it is warm on day one.
  • Hot coffee blooms the cocoa — heat dissolves the cocoa solids and deepens the chocolate flavor without reading as coffee.
  • Minimal whisking isn't just convenience: less mixing means less gluten development, and less gluten means a more tender crumb.

Ingredient notes & swaps

Cocoa powder

Natural or Dutch-process both work here, but they aren't identical: natural cocoa is acidic and gives the baking soda extra to react with; Dutch-process tastes darker and smoother. Cocoa density also varies brand to brand more than most baking ingredients — weigh it, don't scoop it.

Sour cream

Full-fat (240 g per cup) is the spec. Full-fat Greek yogurt swaps 1:1 with a marginally denser crumb. Light sour cream runs wetter — cut the coffee to 100 g to compensate.

Baking soda

Soda, not powder. The recipe's acid comes from the sour cream (and natural cocoa, if that's what you're using), so soda has everything it needs — powder would take three times the amount and change the browning.

Neutral oil

Sunflower, canola, and grapeseed are interchangeable. Extra-virgin olive oil technically works but reads as a flavor; light olive oil is fine.

Eggs

Room temperature matters more here than in most recipes — cold eggs stiffen the fat and the thick batter gets reluctant to come together.

Full substitute guides:Cocoa PowderSour CreamBaking SodaAll-Purpose FlourGranulated SugarVanilla Extract
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Storage & make-ahead

Covered at room temperature, the cake keeps 3 days; refrigerated, 5 — and because it's oil-based it stays tender straight from the fridge. It also freezes well: wrap individual slices tightly and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature for about an hour.

Variations

Layer cake

Double everything by weight and divide between two 8-inch pans; bake time stays 30–33 minutes. Fill and frost once fully cool — this crumb is soft enough that a chilled cake is easier to frost.

Cupcakes

The batter makes 18–20 standard cupcakes. Fill liners two-thirds and bake 18–20 minutes at the same temperature.

Mocha

Add 3 g (1½ tsp) instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients and keep the hot coffee. At that level the coffee flavor turns from invisible to present.

FAQ

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

Yes — full-fat Greek yogurt is the closest swap by both acidity and water content. Use the same 240 g. The crumb comes out marginally denser.

Does the coffee make it taste like coffee?

No. At this quantity it deepens the chocolate flavor without being identifiable. If you'd rather avoid it entirely, just-boiled water works — the heat is what matters, because it blooms the cocoa.

Can I double this for a layer cake?

Yes, double everything by weight and split between two 8-inch pans. Bake time stays roughly the same, 30–33 minutes.

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