Quick Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

From Great Aunt Kate’s Recipe Collection (1930s)

This is the perfect chocolate cake for when you need to satisfy a chocolate craving fast! This simple cake delivers comfort without complexity, and you can have it baked up within an hour or so. 

Reminiscent of those nostalgic Jiffy cakes, it comes from Great Aunt Kate’s 1930s recipe collection, so we know it’s been tried and tested. She even jotted down the word “good” at the top of the recipe so I think we need to take her word for it!

This cake comes together in minutes with just a few bowls, whisks, and spoons. The eggs and sour cream work together to add moistness to the cake, so if you’re looking for a cake recipe without added butter or oil, this would be a perfect option.

I resisted the temptation to load it with extra ingredients because I wanted to stay true to the recipe and honor Kate. I’m glad that I didn’t. While this isn’t an intensely chocolatey cake, it offers a sweetness and light texture that pairs well with any frosting. 

I chose to pair this with a classic 1930s vanilla cream cheese frosting for something a little different (and cream cheese icing deserves to be paired with something other than carrot cake)! The tangy cream cheese compliments the cake’s subtle chocolate flavor perfectly. 

If you want to amplify the chocolate experience, a rich chocolate frosting would do the trick!

Tip: For convenience, this cake freezes beautifully unfrosted, making it perfect for advance preparation.

Quick Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Great Aunt Kate's recipe collection (1930s): This is the perfect chocolate cake for when you need to satisfy a chocolate craving fast. This simple cake delivers comfort without complexity, and you can have it baked up within an hour or so. Reminiscent of those nostalgic Jiffy cakes, it comes from Great Aunt Kate's recipe collection, so we know it’s been tried and tested! I paired it with a cream cheese frosting, but any frosting you choose will be a hit.

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Course Dessert

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

 

• Bring ingredients to room temperature
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Prepare 11×7 inch pan (grease and flour or parchment)
• In a bowl, whisk the cocoa powder into the sour cream until smooth. Let the mixture rest for 5–10 minutes to allow the cocoa to hydrate, which will help it blend more easily into the batter.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
• Whisk the eggs and vanilla together.
• Add the egg mixture to the cocoa-sour cream mixture; stir until fully incorporated.
• Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture in two additions until nearly combined (it’s ok if some streaks of dry ingredients remain).
• Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes; the center should spring back to the touch and some crumbs remain on a toothpick (but not wet batter).
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack until the pan is cool enough to handle.
• Invert the cake on the wire rack and allow to cool completely before icing (if you like, once cooled you can put it back in the pan and frost for greater portability).
• Frost with an icing of your choice; I chose a cream cheese icing but of course any kind of icing would be fantastic!

Notes

Safe storage for frosted cake with cream cheese icing: Refrigerate the frosted cake and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Or store the cake and frosting separately – keep frosting refrigerated, cake covered tightly at room temperature, then frost portions as needed.

Store leftover cake covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Cooking Hints and Tested Recipes Cooking Pamphlet (1937): This easy, classic vanilla cream cheese frosting from the 1930s is a perfect balance of tangy and sweet, and deserves to be paired with something other than carrot cake! The recipe makes enough for one 11×7 inch sheet cake, so double up if you need more!

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Course Dessert

Servings 1 11×7 inch sheet cake

Ingredients

  

• 6 oz cream cheese softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Bring ingredients to room temperature
• With a mixer or by hand, mix ingredients until combined and reach a spreadable consistency (add a little water or milk if too stiff, or more powdered sugar if too loose).
• Spread on cooled cake and let set before slicing.

Notes

Safe storage for frosted cake with cream cheese frosting:
Refrigerate the frosted cake and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. 
Or store the cake and frosting separately – keep frosting refrigerated, cake covered tightly in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then frost as needed.
Store leftover cake covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.