Rich, delicious, sourdough chocolate cake is a healthier, more nutritious take on your classic dessert. Start the night before to ferment the grains, develop the flavors, and make the cake easier to digest.
Somehow, Daniel turned one year old a few days ago. I’m not quite sure how that happened. It feels like just yesterday I was holding my newborn baby in my arms (read his home birth story here).
After six children, I can tell you with all my heart that babies don’t keep. You blink and they are one year old, they’ve learned to walk around the house, and they’re convinced they can do most things on their own.
Although it hurts my heart to move past the precious baby stage and into toddlerhood, watching Daniel become a toddler has its own set of blessings.
I love watching them learn: learning about the world, how to communicate, and developing that curious personality. It’s a really fun stage. Soon enough, he will be running around barefoot on the farm playing with the goats and climbing trees.
It goes too fast.
This sourdough cake was the perfect way to celebrate Daniel. Light, fluffy, and boasting my favorite sourdough tang, this cake has so much flavor. Layers of rich, chocolate cake smothered with chocolate frosting.
Tips For Making Sourdough Chocolate Cake
- Ferment this recipe overnight to increase the nutritional value of the grains and make them more digestible.
- If you are in a pinch for time, skip the fermentation and use sourdough discard. You can use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. Learn how to create your own sourdough starter here.
- Add finely ground coffee to give this a deeper and richer chocolate flavor. Coffee and chocolate go together perfectly in baked goods.
- This is one of my favorite sourdough cake recipes. You can also find a vanilla version, coffee cake, or this yummy pumpkin cake roll here on the blog.
Why you will love this recipe:
- Start this recipe the night before (or even up to 24 hours before) to allow it to ferment. Starting the night before removes a few steps the next day, making it easier to whip together.
- Delicious, rich flavors that are light and fluffy with each bite will have your family asking you to make this recipe over and over again.
- It is healthier and easier to digest than a standard chocolate cake.
- It’s the perfect cake for a birthday, holiday, or even just a weekend.
- You can easily turn this into a sourdough discard chocolate cake by just using sourdough discard, mix the cake batter together, and bake.
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FAQ
What does sourdough do for cakes?
Not only does it add a slight tangy flavor to the cake, but it also helps break down the gluten in the cake. This helps it be more tender rather than tough and chewy. If you ferment the grains with the starter it helps break down the phytic acid which makes the nutrients in the grains more absorbable.
Is sourdough hard to bake?
This depends on the recipe. Some recipes like bread can be more challenging, while others like this sourdough cake recipe is much easier.
I love this type of recipe because you mix a portion of it the night before and then finish the recipe the next day. It does take some planning ahead (although you could just whip it up and forgo the fermentation), but it is worth it.
What is unfed sourdough discard?
It is sourdough starter that has not been fed in over 12 hours. When you feed a sourdough starter it gets nice and active, plus it should doubles in size. Once the yeasts in the starter have fed off the new flour and water, the bubbles release, and it will then come back down (the process takes about 12 hours). This is then considered unfed sourdough stater. Normally, you toss half of the starter (or use it in a discard recipe). What you get rid of would be considered unfed sourdough discard.
Tools you may need:
Large bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
How To Make Sourdough Chocolate Cake
The Night Before:
In a bowl, mix together flour, coconut oil, sourdough starter, and water. Cover and allow to sit overnight or up to 24 hours.
The Next Day:
In a large bowl, mix together sucanat or rapadura (regular sugar would work, as well), salt, and finely ground coffee (optional).
To the dry ingredients, add eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, and whole milk.
Next, add the sourdough mixture into the rest of the ingredients. Whisk to incorporate until smooth. Use a stand mixer for easier mixing.
Lastly, add baking soda and incorporate well.
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Prepare two, 9-inch cake pans with butter.
Divide cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool.
Find More Sourdough Desserts
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, discard or active starter
- 1 cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups sucanat or rapadura, regular sugar would work also
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon finely ground coffee, optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 1 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together flour, coconut oil, sourdough starter, and water. Cover and allow to sit overnight or up to 24 hours. (Optional)
- In a large bowl, mix together sucanat or rapadura, salt, and finely ground coffee (optional).
- To the dry ingredients, add eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, and whole milk.
- Next, add the sourdough mixture into the rest of the ingredients. Whisk to incorporate until smooth.
- Lastly, add baking soda and incorporate well.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Prepare two, 9-inch cake pans with butter.
- Divide cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Create the frosting:
- In a stand mixer bowl with whisk attatchment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), add the softened butter.
- Beat the butter on high speed for a few minutes until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and slowly add in the cocoa powder and powder sugar until it is incorporated.
- Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons of cream.
- Once the ingredients are incorporated well, turn the spead back up to medium and whip until light and fluffy. Add remaining cream if the frosting seems too stiff.
- Frost cake.
Notes
- Ferment this recipe overnight to increase the nutritional value of the grains and make them more digestible.
- If you are in a pinch for time, skip the fermentation and use sourdough discard. You can use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard.
- Add finely ground coffee to give this a deeper and richer chocolate flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looking forward to trying this out for my sons first birthday!
Would coconut sugar work well? I see people have asked about oat milk, I plan to use that and wonder if it will still be as delicious with these two subs?
And do you have low sugar icing recipe? We haven’t introduced sugar to him yet and I think a little on his first birthday would be ok!
Thank you! Looooove your blog! God bless!
I would think it would be fine with both of those substitutions. I do not, but I have seen some frosting recipes using sweet potatoes. That may be an option. And Happy birthday to your little boy!
I don’t know if this is too late for the party, but when I first did this recipe for my son’s 1st, we used a peanut butter icing recipe that worked great and was low sugar. I also consistently use almond milk with this recipe, have used flax eggs, and alternative sugars and never had a problem.
Thank you for sharing! Great to know that this recipe worked with those swaps.
Made this cake my daughters 4th birthday and it was a hit! Absolutely delicious! We made a whipped cream icing and added a little peppermint extract to it 😋
That sounds amazing! Glad everyone enjoyed it.
Do you mind sharing the recipe for your chocolate icing? Looks delicious.
I will work on updating this soon with that recipe!
I want to sub oatmilk for the whole milk. Would that work ok?
That should work fine.
Have you used whole wheat in whole or in part?
I’ve use freshly milled soft white wheat berries before no problem. If you are making it from store-bought whole wheat flour, I would say you could swap part (up to 50%).
I want to sub the dairy for non dairy milk, maybe oat milk. Should still work, right?
Yep! Should be fine.
Hi! I’m trying to make this and the second day my coconut oil is hardened because our house is cold… ideas on what to do?? Thanks!
If you put it in a warmer place (over 74 degrees) it should liquify again. Maybe in the oven with just the light on?
Pleasantly surprised by how delicious and moist this was! I also replaced each egg with 1/4 c applesauce so my son with an egg allergy could have it for his birthday cake! It still turned out just great.
What kind of flour do you use?
Hi!
I made this cake today, and I think it’s the best cake I’ve ever made! I didn’t have coconut oil, so I used butter, and it still turned out amazing! I also used your icing recipe from the vanilla cake, and just added some cocoa powder. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Where is the chocolate frosting recipe? Were you not able to find it either and just adapted the icing from the vanilla cake? Thanks!