“OH my gosh.”
“Ohhhhhh.”
“This is so good!”
“I could just eat the frosting with a spoon.”
“You should go into the cake business.”
“How much would you charge for this cake?”
“My brother came over for cards after you left and we hid the leftover cake because it is our precious and no one is allowed to have it but US!”
It’s comments like these that I live for and one of the main reasons I love baking so much. I know when someone eats a cake that I made, for that instant at least, they will be happy. And their enjoyment is coming from something I provided. That makes me feel good.
I came up with this cake at the last-minute to supply our family reunion planning committee with a dessert after lunch for our meeting last Saturday. All the comments above were made after they dug in, except for the last which my cousin’s wife emailed me that evening and made me laugh out loud.
I have to say, and I know this sounds egotistical since I made it, but this is a really incredible cake. The cake by itself is perfectly moist and chocolatey, and my favorite chocolate cake to date, but really, like another cousin’s boyfriend said, “I could just eat the frosting with a spoon.” Really. Incredible.
If you want to use this frosting on a cake that is from-scratch, I suggest using this Dark Chocolate Sour Cream Cake recipe because it is very similar to my cake mix recipe and the frosting would probably be perfect with it. If it isn’t, you could always just eat it the frosting by itself. It’s really all you need. :)
Sour Cream Chocolate Layer Cake
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture
1 (18.25 oz) devils food cake mix with pudding in the mix
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted*
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1 lb (4 cups) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
milk as needed
Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8″ or 9″ pans and set aside. Place all cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat on low until combined, then on medium speed for two minutes, scraping bowl often. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake according to package directions, about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean. Place on cooling racks for ten minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Once they are cool, level the cakes, if necessary, to make for nicer stacking. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting.
Frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Stir in cocoa. Add sugar, 1 c at a time, mixing well. Beat in vanilla and if necessary, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition, until you reach desired consistency. Frost cooled cake or store, covered, in refrigerator up to one week. Bring to room temperature and stir before using.
*Notes: you can purchase Dutch-process cocoa powder online or in specialty stores (I get mine from my local cake supply store), or you can use Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder, which is now widely available. In a pinch, you can use regular cocoa powder but the color will not be as dark, nor the flavor quite so chocolatey. Although I usually sift cocoa powder before using it in recipes since it tends to lump, I didn’t do it for either the cake or the frosting, so you may be able to get away with skipping that step as well.
Recipe by Veronica Miller
Veronica's Cornucopia 
I just adore chocolate cake with a large glass of icy cold milk. I like to eat it real slow and savor eat tiny bite. Your cake looks incredible and the frosting, oh that frosting Mmmm.
The recipe is easy and one I saved for those last moments that pop in and announce “We need cake”..Thanks V….for sharing the recipe..got any luscious cookie recipe coming up..wink wink!!
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Haha–I have a feeling I’ll be posting a filled carrot cake cookie recipe soon! Thanks for sharing it–can’t wait to try!
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OMC!!!!!! OH MY CUPCAKES! YOU HAVE THE BEST RECIPES. I LOVE THIS ONE…SO LITTLE TIME, AND SO MUCH CHOCOLATE, SOUR CREAM, AND CREAM CHEESE….YUM TO THE MAX!! TAKE CARE AND HAVE A GR8 1.
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Happy just to get the frosting with a spoon…eh? Now where or where did I hear that before….hmmmm????
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I think I said it in my last cake post the day before. Haha–guess I’m starting to repeat myself! But really, both the frostings are soooo good.
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;) just teasin ya!
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Your cakes always look bakery-perfect, Veronica! Chocolate on chocolate is such a delicious classic!
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This cake is great! It’s hard to stop eating it.
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This cake looks delicious and I was thinking about making it for my mom because she loves chocolate but hates sour cream. Will she be able to taste it?
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No, you can’t taste it at all, it just makes the cake really moist. She will love it!
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Just finished making this for my husband’s birthday tomorrow. The frosting truly is a thing of beauty. Thanks for an incredible recipe starting from cake mix, can’t wait to impress the fam tomorrow!
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Aw, thanks for letting me know! I hope you all like it!
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It was incredible, only one tiny sliver left at the end of the party!
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Awesome–sounds like it went over well! :)
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Pingback: Vanilla Buttercream « Veronica's Cornucopia
This sounds fantastic; can’t wait to try!!! How firm is the cake, compared to a standard, no-modifications boxed cake mix? I tend to avoid devil’s food mixes if I’m doing a fondant or stiff buttercream icing…. Should I stick with a lighter icing for this one?
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Hmm, it’s about the same…maybe a wee bit firmer but very moist. Yes, I think a lighter icing would be good, especially for the flavor.
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Veronica, I’m so glad to have found your blog! I made this a few weeks ago and hubs declared a new favorite. You’re absolutely right about the To-Die-For Frosting, worthy of licking the plate clean! You remind me of a much younger version of myself in so many ways (except you’re a better cake maker). Thanks for sharing your recipes; your coconut birthday cake was on my list last week, and it was delicious. I’m checking in regularly to see what you’ll be sharing next!
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I’m so happy to hear how well you liked this one! I have a couple cake recipes I’ll be sharing soon-stay tuned. :)
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Today I made the frosting for my Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate Cake. I have to say; that’s a lot of powdered sugar! Here in Holland it’s a bit too much so I used only half of it. But O.M.G. that frosting IS to die for! Thank you sooo much for the recipe!
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I’ve heard from others overseas that sweets are less sweet there than here. Glad you used only half or I’m sure it would have made your eyes cross! And I’m so glad you enjoyed it.:)
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Husband should never have to pay for dinner -.-
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Just made this last night and brought the cupcakes to work and they were a hit!! I followed your youtube tutorial on how to frost using the tip 1M and everybody commented on how professional they looked. My husband couldn’t get enough of them and he doesn’t really like chocolate. Excellent recipe!
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That is awesome! Glad that video helped and am so glad you liked the cupcakes. Cupcakes are kinda my thing now too–it’s so much easier to swirl the cupcakes than to perfectly ice a cake, so now I’m a cupcake girl all the way. lol
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I never really baked a layered cake before, but was hoping to make this cake for my son’s 3rd birthday in July, except I was going to fill the middle with a Peanut Butter Mousse. I hae a question about your recipe. For the cake it says to use the Dutch cocoa powder or the Hershey Dark powder… do you use the same powder for the frosting. (this may sound like a dumb quesiton) but it was just written differently in the recipe above. Thanks again!
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Not a dumb question! I used regular cocoa powder in the frosting because I wanted it to be lighter in color for a contrast against the dark cake. You can use the Dutch cocoa powder in the frosting if you like, it will be yummy, it will just be darker.
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Hi, i saw your video on youtube about icing a cupcake, is it necessary to use a coupler? or is it okay if I dont use any of it? Thanks!
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I’ll be doing your frosting recipe and it will be the first time for me to make a cupcake, wish me luck. Do you have a recipe for a chocolate cupcake also?
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I use regular cake recipes for my cupcakes – you don’t need a special recipe for them. Any favorite cake recipe also makes great cupcakes! I just made this cake into cupcakes and while the batter is very thin and messy to divide into the muffin pans, it makes the BEST homemade cupcakes (I baked for about 17 minutes but you may need more or less time depending on your oven): https://veronicascornucopia.com/2010/02/22/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/
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You only need a coupler if you’re going to be using more than one tip for the same frosting. I don’t use one when I do cupcakes b/c I use the same tip, and it is a large one so couplers don’t fit it anyway. I just cut the tip off of a disposable piping bag and push the tip down inside and out the end. Hope this helps!
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Hi! I already made your frosting! It’s so yummy! Thank you for your recipe and for your advices :)
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You’re welcome!
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What could I use instead of devils food cake mix, I don’t have it in my country. Could you tell me the ingredients of it?
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Instead of using this recipe and trying to make a substitute cake mix, I would just make another cake recipe altogether, and you can use this frosting for it if you wish. My two favorite chocolate cake recipes are this one: https://veronicascornucopia.com/2010/02/22/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/ and this one: https://veronicascornucopia.com/2011/03/27/favorite-chocolate-cake-plus-tiered-cake-tips/
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