Deliciously golden Sour Cream Cake made from scratch. This simple tea cake is so easy to make and produces a super fluffy cake. Topped with a thick sour cream frosting, it’s soft, light and delish! It’s the best way to use up leftover sour cream.
Best ever Sour Cream Cake 💕
Introducing my all-time favourite Sour Cream Cake with a soft and tender crumb. This simple one-layer cake is topped with a luscious sour cream buttercream.
It’s quick, easy and oh-so-tasty!
I’ve been on a classic cake bender recently. Have you noticed? I think it all started with my Apple Cake – that has since become a popular reader fave.
Then there was my Coffee Cake and my Cinnamon Tea Cake. And last week I shared my Butter Cake recipe. I simply can’t get enough of quick and easy cakes that can be served for almost any occasion.
And now you and I can obsess over this sweet and simple Sour Cream Cake.
How to make Sour Cream Cake
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know it took me 5 tries to get this cake just right. I tried with different amounts and types of sugar, fats, raising agents, sour cream, milk and baking times. I soon landed on the perfect combination that results in a soft and tender Sour Cream Cake.
- This cake is very quick and easy to make. You don’t even need an electric mixer – just a bowl and spoon.
- Start by adding flour, baking powder and sugar into a large mixing bowl. We use caster sugar for this recipe – if you don’t have access to it, you can swap it 1:1 for granulated sugar.
- In a separate bowl, add oil, vanilla and egg. Whisk briefly using a fork just to break up the egg yolk.
- Add to dry ingredients, along with the sour cream. I recommend using a full fat sour cream for this recipe. You can also sub this for full fat Greek yogurt – but use sour cream if you can.
- Stir to combine all ingredients. Cake batter will be super thick as pictured below – this is ok!
- Transfer cake batter to a cake pan lined with baking or parchment paper. Bake for around 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for 15 minutes or so before gently lifting out and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
How to make Sour Cream Frosting
- This is a simple buttercream that’s made using sour cream instead of milk. It’s thick and creamy and the perfect pairing to the soft and fluffy cake.
- Start with room temperature butter. Beat using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Then add vanilla and icing sugar.
- Make sure you sift your icing sugar or your frosting will have little lumps in it.
- Start to mix on a low speed until frosting starts to come together. Then add sour cream. Continue to mix on a low speed just until frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Spread over the top of your cooled cake. Cut into big slices and enjoy!
How do I store Sour Cream Cake?
Since there’s fresh sour cream in the frosting, you can store this cake in the fridge. However, I tried to avoid keeping my cakes in the fridge as it can dry them out. So my preference is to store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature and only making the frosting when I’m ready to serve it.
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Let’s Bake
Sour Cream Cake
Soft vanilla Sour Cream Cake made from scratch.
Ingredients
Sour cream cake
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 240 ml (1 cup) full fat sour cream
Sour cream frosting
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 375 grams (3 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) full fat sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, add oil, vanilla and egg. Beat briefly with fork just to break up the egg yolk.
- Add to dry ingredients along with the sour cream and stir to combine. The cake batter will be very thick (see photo below) – this is ok.
- Transfer cake batter to your cake pan and gently smooth the top. Bake cake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave cake to cool slightly before carefully removing from cake pan and leaving on a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, add butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and sugar and beat slowly until it starts to come together. Add sour cream and continue to beat until smooth.
- Cover top of cake with sour cream frosting and serve.
Connie says
Making it fir the 4th time at my daughters request. I can’t get enough of this cake.
D E L I C I O U S
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Connie!
Nadia says
If wanting a two layer cake, would I just double the recipe?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Nadia, I don’t usually recommend doubling cake recipes but because this is a simple mix and stir recipe, I think it would be fine!
glenda nunn says
I made this cake and added a small jar of raspberry jam on the cake batter, frosted with buttercream and decorated with fresh raspberries! The cake is very moist and tastes delicious!
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Glenda! A raspberry swirl sounds amazing!
Clare says
This was a super quick and easy cake to make and tasted good too! The only downside was the measurements for the icing were way too much and I didn’t use even half of what the recipe made. Next time I’d half the icing measurements.
Jessica Holmes says
I’m glad you enjoyed it Clare. Thanks for your feedback on the icing.
Tina Pakulski says
I was very disappointed it came out quite flat will not make it again
Jessica Holmes says
Sorry to hear that Tina, sounds like perhaps your baking powder was expired?
sue says
Very good simple recipe. I had the same issue due to expired baking powder–oops! Will buy more and try it again…I still have plenty of icing left over from the recipe too!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked it Sue! And gah, happens to the best of us!
Molly says
I made this cake but halved the ingredients and used full fat Greek yoghurt instead. It still turned out amazingly! I’ve never baked such a fluffy and moist cake. I added some lemon to the batter and the frosting which worked so well. I can see this being my new ‘go to’ recipe as it’s so easy and can incorporate different flavours.
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Molly! It is the perfect cake to switch up the flavours – love that you added lemon!
Louise says
Nice light cake with delicious flavor. Despite the recommendation for full fat sour cream, I used LITE and it was still a wonderful cake. Buttercream frosting a little heavy (I probably didn’t have to put ALL of it on the cake, but I couldn’t resist.). Everything was very flavorful. Would gladly make it again, and would not hesitate to serve it to company.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Louise! Thank you for your kind feedback!
Harrieta says
very moist, fluffy and yummy! and easy, which is a plus
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Harrieta!
Jenny says
Had a pot of sour cream just out of date, so being ‘thrifty’ looked on internet for a cake recipe. This cake is wonderful, so easy to make, and so delicious! I made it in 2 sandwich tins, sandwiched it together with thin layer of lemon curd(home made!)and marscopone cheese frosting! They complemented one another very well and I complement you on a great recipe, 😋👏
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jenny, oh how delicious! Love the idea of pairing with lemon curd and mascarpone frosting!
Olga Olmedo says
Lasted half a day!
Moist delicious and easy to do! My third time making it today per order of my kids😍
Jessica Holmes says
How brilliant is that! Thanks Olga!
Christina says
I made this in a 9in round pan. I wanted an orange sour cream cake so I juiced fresh oranges and add the juice and pulp to the batter and used food coloring to make it orange. Cake came out great. For the frosting I used orange extract in stead of vanilla and great the orange peel to sprinkle on top for some zest and decor. I have a problem with my frosting though. I can’t seem to get my frosting to come out like buttercream you would buy in a store or the way it looks in the pics, even if I follow directions to the T, it still comes out looking like a glaze you would put on cinnamon rolls. I almost always have to add more powdered sugar. It also, no matter what flavor I use, still has that powdered sugar taste and texture.
What am I doing wrong??
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed the cake Christina! Love the idea of adding orange. For loads of buttercream tips, check out my buttercream frosting recipe.
Terri says
Super quick and easy to make. Great taste. I substitute 1 tsp vanilla for fresh squeezed lemon and made a sour cream-lemon frosting. Delicious!
Jessica Holmes says
Love that Terri! A lemon twist sounds wonderful.
Bailey says
Best cake I’ve made so far
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that!
Lyn says
This was such a lovely easy recipe. I had a tub of Sour Cream that needed using up. Cake was made and baked in no time. I ended up using a Caramel icing on top (as it was left over from a pkt mix one of the little granddaughters had made). Threw on some decorations and cake looked and tasted great. This is one I will definitely be taking to my Book Club when it resumes in the new year. Thank you for yet another super easy, fast and fail safe recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Lyn! I think it would be divine served with caramel icing – yum!
RENA Nelson says
YES DARLING, I WILL BAKE UR CAKE 4 THANKSGIVING. GOD BLESS U. U R AWSOME. THANK YAH HONEYCHILD❤☮🙏🎼🌳
Jessica Holmes says
I hope you love it!