Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake, for the banchan spread

This moist chocolate bundt cake uses sour cream and glazed with chocolate glaze (ganache). It is a buttery savory cake with soft tender crumbs. This direct cake doesn’t need a mixer. All you need is a mixing bowl and a whisk.

We just adore an unfussy chocolate cake like this chocolate sour cream bundt cake drizzled with rich chocolate glaze. Look how gorgeous this cake presents! It’s sinfully chocolaty.

We think we have tried more than 3 dozens of different chocolate cake recipes since 1995; the year we got married and began our journey of western cooking & baking.

Among those recipes, there are quite a few we like. But when it comes to its simplicity to make (excluding the cake mix versions) with the irresistible soft & moist crumbs, and the rich chocolate flavor, we must say this chocolate sour cream bundt cake with chocolate ganache is the recipe we vote.

You don’t need to use the fancy European cocoa. Hershey’s cocoa is just fine. No need to use the heavy mixer, either. All you need is a mixing bowl and a whisk. With a few strokes of mixing all the ingredients, you will make one of a keeper chocolate cakes you have eaten. For us and our family, this is “THE” chocolate cake.

How the dish comes together

Here are the ingredients for the cake. Very usual stuff in your pantry, right?

Whisk together flour, sugar, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a small pot, combine butter, cocoa, and salt.

Pour water and bring it over to medium heat.

When the butter starts to melt, whisk everything together. Be careful not to boil up!

Pour the half of the cocoa mixture to the flour mixture in a mixing bowl.

Mix together with a whisk (It will be a little stiff). Pour the rest of the cocoa mixture to the bowl.

Mix until everything is combined. Do not over mix.

Add one egg at a time and mix until just combined.

Add sour cream and vanilla. Stir until combined.

The batter is ready. It will be somewhat runny.

Pour in a well greased 12-cup bundt pan. Let this puppy to be baked at preheated 350F (170C) oven for 40-45 minutes.

When a cake tester comes out clean (we often use a spaghetti noodle for that job), let it cool on the rack for 15 minutes.

Take the cake out and cool completely. Look at those curvy lines! Just steady!

How the dish comes together

Time to make the glaze! Heat heavy cream and a little sugar in a pot until just hot. Remove from the heat.

Add the chocolate.

The heat from the cream will melt the chocolate in no time. Stir together. Add a little bit of corn syrup for a shine.

Check it out! Your glaze is so ready. We let it cool down about 5 minutes.

Pour the glaze over a cake. Please, watch for your own drool.

“Resistance is futile!” Do you remember of this famous line from the Star Trek?

We took it to the BBQ pool party and everyone loved it.

Some says that sharing is like the icing on the cake. We agree. Cake like this, it tastes much better when shared. Hope you get to try this direct cake recipe and share with your loved ones.

• Yield: 12
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Total: 55 minutes

Ingredients

For chocolate cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, we used Hershey’s cocoa
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For chocolate glaze (ganache)

• 4 oz bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp corn syrup, or agave nectar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

Method

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10 or 12-cup bundt pan and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add half of the melted butter mixture and whisk until completely blended. The mixture will be thick. Add the remaining butter mixture and whisk until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely blended. Whisk in the sour cream and the vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before glazing.
5. While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate glaze. Combine the heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Stir until the cream is hot and the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
6. Add the chopped chocolate and corn syrup (or agave) to the hot cream and whisk until smooth. Let it cool down for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly.
7. Generously drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cut into pieces and serve.