Rich, moist and not sour at all, this sourdough chocolate cake recipe will be your new go-to for birthdays, holidays, and any other special occasion! It’s heaven in a cake pan… topped with a decadent, velvety chocolate ganache!
When you’ve found a great cake recipe, why stop there? Why not make it traditional and sourdough, to boot?
Many times when you search for a sourdough recipe online, it’s not a TRUE traditional sourdough recipe, but rather a regular recipe that uses a bit of sourdough starter.
Unless a recipe calls for a long souring stage of at least 8 hours, you’re not actually reaping the benefits of sourdough. Read here to learn more about what makes sourdough so healthy and 9 reasons to use sourdough in your baking.
A great example of a “non-sourdough” sourdough recipe is the sourdough chocolate cake by King Arthur Flour. Yes, there is sourdough starter in the sourdough chocolate cake recipe, but it calls for a souring stage of only 2 to 3 hours.
Thankfully, I’ve gotten pretty good at converting regular recipes to sourdough and gut-healing holiday baking. However, because the King Arthur recipe already called for sourdough starter, I actually gave it a “traditional foods makeover” by removing ingredients we like to avoid and swapping them for healthier options (and, of course, increasing the souring time).
Why Use Sourdough?
Do I have to use sourdough in this sourdough chocolate cake? Why not just make a REGULAR chocolate cake?
It’s simple. Of the many benefits of sourdough, here are a few. The process of sourdough…
- makes gluten easier to digest (for sensitive individuals and everyone else, too)
- lessens bread’s effect on blood sugar
- increases available minerals by reducing phytic acid, an anti-nutrient
- resists spoilage microbes, meaning sourdough bread goes bad less quickly
- and, delays staling of bread!
Whether or not to use a souring method is among the many frequently asked questions I get about sourdough. My answer: it’s definitely worth it!
In fact, I love sourdough baking so much that I wrote Sourdough A-Z — an eCourse of 48 video lessons that covers everything you need to know about getting started with sourdough!
Also, because many of you have asked how to convert your sourdough starter to einkorn (an ancient whole grain), I created another eCourse on Einkorn Baking. Einkorn is an entirely different beast from all-purpose wheat flour! And we are enjoying the yummy einkorn sourdough bagels.
No matter what your reason for choosing sourdough — whether a gluten sensitivity, gut health issues, or just for fun! — and even if you only bake with it every once in a while, I know you’ll love this sourdough chocolate cake recipe!
Why Make A Cake Sourdough?
Once you’ve figured out a good sourdough feeding schedule (here’s my sourdough care routine), you’ll likely be looking for more recipes to use up that sourdough discard!
This sourdough chocolate cake uses a full cup of starter discard — a.k.a. sourdough starter that’s been fed 6 to 12 hours prior to baking.
For more ways to use up discard, check out sourdough pancakes, sourdough waffles, sourdough cookies, and even sourdough cinnamon rolls!
Sourdough Chocolate Cake Ingredients
As you may notice, the ingredients for this sourdough chocolate cake are much like the ingredients in ANY chocolate cake recipe. However, we’re adding the sourdough starter to break down the flour and make it more digestible.
We’re also allowing the sourdough starter plenty of time to do this, before mixing in the baking soda and other last-minute ingredients to make a nice and fluffy cake.
Chocolate Sourdough Cake With Chocolate Frosting
Rich, moist, and not sour at all, this chocolate sourdough cake will be your new go-to cake for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions.
Ingredients
Soaking Stage
-
1
cup
sourdough starter
recently fed -
1
cup
raw whole milk
cow or goat -
1-3/4
cup
spelt flour
Baking Stage
-
1 to 1-1/2
cups
evaporated cane juice
or Rapadura, or Sucanat -
1
cup
coconut oil
just barely melted -
2
teaspoons
vanilla extract -
1
teaspoon
sea salt -
1-1/2
teaspoons
baking soda -
3/4
cup
cocoa powder -
1
teaspoon
Teeccino
I used the Mediterranean Hazelnut blend (optional) -
2
organic or pastured eggs
Chocolate Frosting
-
3/4
cup
coconut cream -
1/4
cup
raw honey -
1/4
cup
cocoa powder -
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
Instructions
Soaking Stage
-
Combine the fed starter, milk, and spelt flour in a mixing bowl.
-
Cover and let rest at room temperature for 8 hours.
-
If not ready to bake the cake, transfer this mixture to the refrigerator until ready to finish the cake, but allow it to come back to room temperature before proceeding.
Baking Stage
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Grease (1) 9×13-inch cake pan or (2) 8×9-inch square or circular cake pans with coconut oil. Set aside.
-
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the evaporated cane juice, coconut oil, vanilla, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and Teeccino.
-
Mix well.
-
Add the eggs and beat well.
-
Combine the sourdough mixture with the chocolate mixture.
-
Mix gently until smooth.
-
Pour into prepared pan(s).
-
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly.
-
Remove from oven and set on a rack to cool.
-
Once cool, if cakes are in square or circle pans, tip them out onto a platter.
-
Spread frosting (see method below) between layers and on top. If cake is in one rectangular pan, spread frosting on top.
-
Serve!
Chocolate Frosting
-
Combine all frosting ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
-
Frost a completely cooled cake immediately, or chill until ready to frost. Simply let it come back to room temperature before frosting.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to use sourdough starter that is well established and recently fed (within 6 to 12 hours prior to baking).
- Check out recipe ingredients above for possible substitutions.
- Other frosting choices: basic chocolate coconut cream, cream cheese frosting, or chocolate buttercream frosting.
- For an extra decadent and show-stopping cake, make cake in (2) 8-inch circles. Frost each layer and around the outside with cream cheese frosting, then drizzle the slightly warm chocolate frosting recipe above over the top allowing it to drip down over the edges. Chill the cake well before serving to secure layers in place.
Calories from Fat 63
More Dessert Recipes You Might Like
- 30+ Sourdough Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Walnut Brownies
- Dark Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies
- Mixed Berry Bread Pudding
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
- Deep Dish Blueberry Pie
- Healthy Homemade Wedding Cakes & Alternatives (Homespun, Pretty, Allergy-Friendly!)
Looking for More Sourdough Recipes? Try These!
- The Best Sourdough English Muffins (Traditional Recipe)
- Whole Grain Sourdough Bread
- Whole Grain Sourdough Waffles
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread (with FREE Video)
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Einkorn Sourdough Bagels
- Soft & Chewy Sourdough Pretzels
- Einkorn Sourdough Chapatis {Indian Flatbread}
- Sourdough Pizza Crust (thick or thin crust!)
- Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls w/Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls w/Cream Cheese Frosting
This post was originally published and written by Wardee Harmon on 9/25/09. It was updated and republished on 6/12/20.
