Sour Cream Devil's Food Cake

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/13/22
devil's food cake
Diana Rattray
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 2-layer, 9-inch cake

This tender, moist 2-layer devil's food cake will earn you high praise. The secret to the wonderful texture is the sour cream or buttermilk. A smooth mixture of cocoa powder and hot water add a rich chocolate flavor to the cake. 

Use your favorite icing for the cake. A fluffy white frosting or seafoam frosting are both good choices or use a basic butter and confectioners' sugar frosting. If you want to make it fancy, add chocolate shavings or drizzle the frosted cake with some chocolate glaze.

 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred or sifted before measuring

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar

  • 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 large eggs

  • 3/4 cup sour cream

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1/2 cup hot water

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C/Gas Mark 4.

  3. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

  4. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to blend thoroughly.

  5. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  6. Stir the baking soda into the sour cream or buttermilk.

  7. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture alternating with the sour cream mixture; beat well after each addition.

  8. In a cup or small bowl, combine the cocoa powder with the hot water; mix until smooth.

  9. Add the cocoa and hot water mixture to the batter along with the vanilla; beat until smooth.

  10. Spread the batter in the prepared cake pans.

  11. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched lightly with a finger.

  12. Cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cakes and cool completely on the racks.

  13.  Frost with chocolate or fluffy white frosting, or your favorite icing.

  14. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variation

  • If you like, replace the sour cream with an equal amount of well-shaken buttermilk.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
444 Calories
18g Fat
66g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 444
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 278mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 66g 24%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 38g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 72mg 6%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 83mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)