Pretty much everyone likes a Chocolate cake and this one will be no exception. It’s a very special kind of sourdough cake that uses starter as part of the ingredients.
What is a Chocolate Sourdough cake?
This chocolate cake recipe is made using the part of the sourdough starter that is discarded every other day. Now, if you make sourdough or have ever been the proud parent of a starter, you will know it takes a lot of work and a lot of feeding to keep one alive. Just like a baby, it requires much attention and again with similarities to babies- there is waste! Every few days, or every few feeds, depending on your routine, you will need to discard some of that starter in order to keep the growing monster fresh and healthy.
THAT discard is the bit you use to make Chocolate Sourdough cake.
This is not a new idea for me, because I have been making this chocolate cake for about a year. I didn’t believe anyone would be interested in my Chocolate cake recipe. There are, or were, very few people I know who have an active starter and a need to ward off so much waste.
In a strange twist of events (as you have noticed), the world has changed and lots of people are making sourdough to fill their days. And all of a sudden this recipe has become very relevant.
The starter is part of the leavening. It adds a subtle flavour and an open crumb. It would make a great layer cake because the cake will efficiently absorb a raspberry, coffee or orange liquor syrup very well. But, it is equally good simply topped with milk chocolate buttercream
Steps to making Sourdough Chocolate Cake
The cake bakes with a bit of a domed top, with a slight crunchiness. Icing the cake should begin with cutting a nice flat top. You can keep the top if you like – its all chocolate cake after all. I eat bits with icing scooped from the bowl. (Don’t tell anyone)
1. Starter 
2.
3. 
4.
- That’s my starter discard in the cup. Íf you don’t have 200 gm in one go save two lots feeding it in between to keep it all frisky
- All the wet ingredients eggs, oil, milk, starter and vanilla too
- Then all the dry ingredients are sifted together
- Mix the two together to get a shiny chocolatey mixter
This is how you make the buttercream.
Please share this recipe with someone you think will like it!
Why not try these unusual chocolate cake recipes too:
If you want to make your own sourdough starter the best place to learn is here at The Clever Carrot. Beginner sourdough starter recipe
Chocolate Sourdough cake, milk chocolate buttercream
Ingredients
Method
- Spray and line a 23 cm (9in) cake tin. I used one with a removable bottom. You could also use a square cake if you have one approx 20x20cm (approx 8 x 8 inch)
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda into a bowl and set aside
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of a mixer, mix the starter with the milk. Then add the oil, eggs and both sugars. If using the coffee powder dissolve in 1 tablespoon of hot water and add this to the mix. Mix with the paddle attachment till well combined.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix till just combined.
- Pour into the sprayed and lined cake tin
- Set the cake aside and heat the oven to 180 C or 350 F (leave the cake to sit during this time)
- Bake for 50 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with some crumbs on it. Leave in the tin to cool for 10 minutes
- Once the cake is cool, you can flatten the top by cutting the dome off. Put onto a plate ready to ice
- Put the butter into the bowl of a mixer with a paddle. Beat till light. Add the icing sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
- Meanwhile, put the chocolate into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute until just melted. Stir well to smooth. Cool till just warm. Add the chocolate into the butter mixture and beat till light. Add the sifted cocoa powder and beat till light and fluffy
- Spread the buttercream onto the chocolate cake. You can grate a some extra chocolate on the top of the buttercream
Notes
I created a starter during the pandemic, and have been baking bread, but have been wondering about other uses. This is a fantastic idea that I will definitely try.
Thats great to hear Jeff. It takes a lot of flour to feed a starter
I like to use the discarded sourdough starter to make pancakes, bread and cakes too. This chocolate cake looks fantastic with that rich buttercream.