This easy sourdough chocolate cake is a delicious way to use your sourdough starter. Dense and rich, with a slight sourdough tang, this mocha chocolate cake is a great sourdough recipe.

A rich, spongy, chocolatey cake? Yes, please.
An amazingly delicious one bowl cake you make with your sourdough starter discard? Heck. Yes.
This chocolate bundt cake uses sourdough starter and brewed coffee to help the taste be extra rich and have a great depth of flavor – but it doesn’t really taste like coffee or have too sour of a sourdough flavor. Trust me, the combination is great here!

Don’t throw your discard away! Try these amazing recipes that use sourdough discard :

How to make this cake
Sourdough cake is so easy to make! For the compete recipe make sure you scroll to the recipe card below, but here is a general overview:
- Preheat the oven and prepare the bundt pan with butter and flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar with a fork until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until combined.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, brewed coffee, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, and sourdough starter to the bowl.
- Whisk until combined.
- Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
- Prepare the chocolate ganache and drizzle over the cooled cake.

What kind of sourdough starter do you need for this recipe?
This recipe calls for 100 % hydration sourdough starter. You can use sourdough discard or fed and active sourdough starter for this recipe.

Kids in the kitchen: How your kids can help you cook
Inviting kids into the kitchen with you is a great way to help teach kids important kitchen skills, but also to help them be more interested in actually taking a bite of food – and enjoying it!
This recipe is great for beginner bakers because it is so easy! It is great for learning to measure, crack eggs, whisk liquids, identify new smells and flavors, and in learning how different ingredients flavors work together.
- Kids aged 1-3 can help you measure ingredients and whisk the ingredients together.
- Kids aged 4-6 can do everything above plus help you crack the eggs and prepare the bundt pan.
- Kids aged 7-10+ can help you do everything above, plus help you pour the batter into the pan.
*Please note that these recommendations are generalized, and to please use your personal discretion with your child’s skill level. And always, always supervise! Read more about how to have your children help you in the kitchen.

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Chocolate Mocha Sourdough Bundt Cake

This easy sourdough chocolate cake is a delicious way to use your sourdough starter. Dense and rich, with a slight sourdough tang, this mocha chocolate cake is a great sourdough recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sourdough starter (discard or active), room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup brewed coffee, room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons baker’s cocoa
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 Fand prepare the bundt pan with butter and flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar with a fork until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until combined.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, brewed coffee, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, and sourdough starter to the bowl.
- Whisk until combined.
- Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
- Place the chopped chocolate, the corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.
- Place the heavy cream and the sugar into a small saucepan and heat on a skillet until just hot enough to melt the sugar. Make srue you stir occassionally.
- Pour the hot milk and sugar mixture over the chocoalte.
- Whisk until it is smooth.
- Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Chocolate Ganache
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 423Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 272mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 3gSugar: 25gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. For the most accurate information, please calculate using your specific brands and exact measurements.


Mary
Saturday 13th of November 2021
WHAT?? This recipe calls for 2 cups flour! I made the cake but it is really bland. I used Stevia instead of sugar & the cake was not sweet. To sweeten it, I melted butter & microwaved some Carmel syrup, stirred together & drizzled it over the cake. I hope it helps.
Jenni
Monday 15th of November 2021
Interesting choices! A caramel drizzle on top is a great idea.
Aly
Monday 2nd of August 2021
What's the size of your bundt pan?
Kym
Thursday 4th of June 2020
I don't see what temp to bake at so I assume 350?
Jann Kempton
Friday 8th of September 2017
You said you didn't know where this recipe came from? There was a Betty Crocker Magazine called "Sphere" in the 70s. My sister was wild about a cake by the name of-Chicolate Mocha Sourdough cake-this looks just like it. She lost the magazine years ago-we're going to try it!
Renee Dudensing
Wednesday 21st of June 2017
The cake turned out very tasty. I guess flour is not needed. Now we will see how my guests enjoy.
Jenni
Friday 23rd of June 2017
So glad the cake turned out well for you!