Description
This Sourdough Chocolate Cake is rich, moist, and deeply chocolaty with a subtle tang from the sourdough starter. It’s the perfect way to use up excess sourdough discard while creating a decadent dessert. The cake is soft, fluffy, and pairs beautifully with a creamy chocolate frosting or a dusting of powdered sugar. A must-try for sourdough and chocolate lovers alike!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter, ripe (fed) or discard
- 1 cup (227g) milk or evaporated milk
- 2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups (298g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (198g) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 cup (64g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 2 large eggs
Icing
- 6 cups (680g) confectioners’ sugar
- 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113g) plain yogurt or buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon (14g) water, hot
Drizzle
- 1/3 cup (57g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon (14g) milk
- 1 tablespoon (21g) light corn syrup or dark corn syrup
Instructions
Prepare the Starter Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine the starter, milk, and flour. Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. The mixture may not bubble significantly, but it should expand slightly.
Preheat Oven and Grease Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ baking pan.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, baking soda, cocoa, and espresso powder. The mixture will initially feel grainy.
Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Combine Mixtures: Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the starter-flour-milk mixture, stirring until smooth. Initially, the batter may seem gloppy, but it will become smoother as you continue to mix gently.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The cake is ready when it springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack while you prepare the icing. There’s no need to turn the cake out of the pan since you’ll be icing it directly in the pan.
Make the Frosting: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the buttermilk or yogurt. Dissolve the espresso powder in hot water, add it to the pan, and bring the mixture just to a boil. Pour this hot liquid over the confectioners’ sugar in the bowl and beat until smooth.
Apply the Frosting: Pour the warm frosting over the cooled cake. Don’t worry about its thin consistency—it will set as it cools. If the frosting stiffens while cooling, simply spread it over the cake instead of pouring.
Add Chocolate Drizzle: Combine chocolate chips, milk, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe cup. Microwave until the chocolate softens, then stir until smooth. Drizzle or drip the chocolate over the icing. You can do this while the icing is still warm or after it has cooled.
Notes
- Don’t have a sourdough starter? No problem! Here’s a recipe to create your own homemade sourdough starter. If you’re starting from scratch, remember that it will need to be fed consistently for 5 to 7 days before it’s ready for baking. For a quicker option, consider purchasing our classic fresh sourdough starter, which will be ready to use soon after it arrives at your door. Need more guidance on sourdough baking? Dive into our comprehensive sourdough baking guide for tips, techniques, and all the information you’ll need.
- Now, about the espresso powder in the cake—do you really need it? While it’s not essential to the cake’s structure, we highly recommend including it. Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor in much the same way vanilla does. Neither flavor is overtly detectable, but both add subtle accents that deepen and highlight the nuances of chocolate’s rich taste.
- How do you know when the cake is done? Timing is important, but relying solely on the clock can be misleading since ovens vary significantly. Instead, use these tried-and-true methods: Does the cake show signs of pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan? When gently pressed in the center, does it spring back rather than leaving an indentation? Most importantly, does a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle come out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it? If so, regardless of what the timer says, your cake is ready!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 to 40 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 60 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 78 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
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