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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Chocolate Coffee Cake with Sour Cream Topping

    Published: Jul 27, 2022 · Modified: May 26, 2025 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 2 Comments

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    If you are looking for an easy chocolate cake that melts in your mouth, you are in for a treat. This one is richly marbled with pudding cream and finished with a smooth layer of sour cream on top. I love baking it for birthdays or family get-togethers—and I think everyone at the table will love it, too!

    ➜ About this chocolate coffee cake

    This recipe features a simple coffee cake made up of three layers. The base is a sponge cake-like batter, over which I pour hot cooked chocolate pudding. As it bakes, the pudding seeps through the batter, creating fancy, irregular waves. Once the cake is baked, I spread a layer of sweetened sour cream on top while it is still warm.

    This cake is very popular among Czech home bakers today. We call it pudinková buchta se zakysanou smetanou, which literally means “pudding coffee cake with sour cream.”

    And why is it called a coffee cake? Although the name includes the word coffee, do not be confused—it does not contain any coffee. It is called a coffee cake because it pairs beautifully with a cup of coffee and makes a perfect way to start the day.

    MY TIP: Try bublanina, another famous Czech coffee cake with fruit on top!

    ➜ Ingredients

    ✅ You will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.

    Sponge cake-like base:

    Sponge cake ingredients with captions.
    • Eggs – taken out of the fridge about an hour before they can come to room temperature. Alternatively, dip the eggs in warm water for five minutes. Warmed eggs will go better beaten to a foamy consistency.
    • Powdered sugar
    • All-purpose flour – or plain flour in the UK. I use so-called hladká mouka her in CZ. Read more about all-purpose flour in the Czech Republic.
    • Baking powder
    • Cocoa powder – unsweetened
    • Milk – semi-skimmed (1.5%) or full-fat (3% fat content), preferably at room temperature
    • Vegetable oil – sunflower or Canola oil

    Cooked chocolate pudding:

    Ingredients to make cooked chocolate pudding with milk, including captions.
    • Chocolate pudding powder – I used Dr. Oetker Original Pudding to make the pudding cream, which can be bought on Amazon.com or in grocery stores that offer Polish or German products. The pudding powder contains mainly cornstarch and chocolate flavor. The pudding has to be cooked in cow's milk and sweetened with granulated sugar. Instead of store-bought Dr. Oetker pudding, use cornstarch and unsweetened cocoa powder.
    • Milk – semi-skimmed or full-fat milk. When making the pudding, I use a little less milk than the manufacturer's instructions on the packet to make the pudding thicker so it holds together nicely in the cake and does not melt.
    • Granulated sugar – for sweetening

    Sour cream topping:

    Sour cream and sugar, with captions.
    • Sour cream – I use one that has a fat content of around 15-18%
    • Powdered sugar – I used granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar—it worked, but the cream layer turned out a little crunchy because of the sugar crystals.

    You also need:

    A piece of solid fat such as unsalted butter and flour or fine breadcrumbs to grease and dust a baking tray. Ground cinnamon or cocoa powder to dust the sour cream layer (optional).

    ➜ Instructions with photos

    STEP 1: Grease a 9x13-inch baking tray with a piece of butter and dust it with flour or breadcrumbs. To get rid of any excess flour, turn the baking tray onto a work surface and tap it gently.

    STEP 2: Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl: flour, cocoa, and baking powder.

    STEP 3: In a mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs in a bowl using an electric handheld mixer and beat them with the sugar on medium speed until a foamy mass is created. Gradually add the sugar as you increase the speed of the mixer. If the eggs are warmed to room temperature, and you are patient for 5 minutes or so, you will whip up a lovely fluffy foam. The wet mixture turns light in color while you whisk, the sugar will gradually dissolve, and the whole mass will thicken slightly.

    Reduce the mixer speed to a minimum and gradually add the prepared dry flour mixture, milk, and oil to the beaten egg mass. Mix until everything is combined into a semi-liquid sponge cake batter with a light brown color.

    STEP 4: Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and smooth the surface.

    Pouring chocolate batter onto a prepared baking tin.

    STEP 5: Cook the chocolate pudding according to the manufacturer's instructions. I make pudding by heating the milk gently, whisking in the pudding powder and sugar, and bringing it to a boil over medium heat. I keep stirring so that no lumps form in the pudding.

    Pour the hot pudding zigzag over the batter. Try not to let the pudding cover the surface in a uniform layer but leave gaps between the zigzags through which you can see the underlying batter.

    Topping the cake with cooked chocolate pudding.
    Coffee cake topped with chocolated pudding.

    STEP 6: Preheat the oven to 170 °C (lower and upper heating). Put the coffee cake in the oven and bake for 30–40 minutes. The cake will puff up as it bakes. At the end of the baking time, test for doneness. Poke a skewer into the highest point to see if the cake is cooked. If the skewer comes out dry, you are done. If there is any batter residue on the skewer, let the cake bake for another 5 minutes and repeat the test with the skewer.

    STEP 7: While the cake is baking, make the last cake layer of sour cream. Simply whisk the sour cream with sugar. When you take the cake out of the oven, immediately pour the sour cream on top and smooth the surface with a spoon or an offset spatula. It will become thinner with the heat and will spread well over the entire surface.

    Topping the coffee cake with white sour cream layer.

    STEP 8: Allow to cool at room temperature. Finally, I recommend putting the cake in the fridge overnight. The sour cream will firm up and won't run when slicing the cake.

    ➜ Serving

    Cut the cold cake into about 4x4 inch (10x10 cm) slices and serve on a dessert plate with a cup of good coffee for breakfast or at family gatherings.

    For an excellent presentation and to enhance the flavor, lightly dust the cake with ground cinnamon and cocoa powder when serving.

    Sliced chocolate coffee cake with sour cream topping, served on a white plate.

    ➜ Size of a baking dish

    I bake this chocolate coffee cake in a 9x13 inch baking dish. The finished cake is about 1 ½ to 2 inches high.

    ➜ Storage

    Because the cake contains a layer of fresh sour cream, store any leftovers in the refrigerator. They will keep well for up to five days.

    To store, cover the entire baking dish with plastic wrap to prevent the surface from drying out. Alternatively, you can cut the cake into slices and place them in an airtight container in the fridge.

    ➜ Useful tips

    • You can easily play around with the contrast between the layers for a different look and flavor. For a lighter version, skip the cocoa powder in the batter and bake the cake in a blond style, letting the dark chocolate pudding stand out. Or try the opposite: add cocoa powder to the batter and use vanilla pudding for a striking contrast with light pudding on a dark base.
    • Add more sour cream to the final layer, the chocolate cake will be fresher and even moister.

    More coffee cakes:

    • Cream cheese coffee cake
    • Strawberry coffee cake
    • Zucchini spice cake

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    Chocolate coffee cake with sour cream topping.

    Chocolate Coffee Cake with Sour Cream Topping

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    This moist chocolate cake of Czech origin, marbled with pudding cream and topped with sour cream, is sure to delight anyone who tries it. It is perfect for parties, birthdays, or any time you want an easy homemade treat.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
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    Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 40 minutes mins
    Total Time: 1 hour hr
    Servings: 12 slices

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    Sponge cake-like base:

    • 3 eggs at room temperature
    • 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder unsweetened
    • ⅔ cup milk at room temperature or lukewarm
    • ½ cup canola (or sunflower oil)

    Cooked chocolate pudding:

    • 2 packages Dr. Oetker chocolate pudding powder (or 40 g cornstarch and 2 teaspoons cocoa powder for 1 Dr. Oetker chocolate pudding powder)
    • 3 cups milk
    • 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar

    Sour cream topping:

    • 1 ⅔ cups sour cream 15-20 % fat
    • 3 Teaspoons powdered sugar

    Misc:

    • 1 Tablespoon solid fat butter, shortening: for greasing a pan
    • 2 Tablespoons fine breadcrumbs or all-purpose flour to dust a pan

    Instructions 

    • Grease a baking pan with 1 Tablespoon solid fat, then dust it with 2 Tablespoons fine breadcrumbs or all-purpose flour. Turn the pan onto a work surface and gently tap to remove any excess flour.
    • In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder, and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder.
    • In a mixing bowl, use an electric handheld mixer to whisk3 eggs on medium speed, gradually adding 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar until a foamy mixture forms. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed and continue whisking. Be patient—after about 5 minutes, you will achieve a light and fluffy foam.
    • Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the prepared flour mixture, ⅔ cup milk, and ½ cup canola oil to the beaten eggs. Mix until everything is combined into a semi-liquid, light brown sponge cake batter.
    • Pour the batter onto the prepared baking pan and smooth the surface.
    • Cook chocolate pudding according to the manufacturer's instructions. I prepare pudding by gently heating 3 cups milk, whisking in 2 packages Dr. Oetker chocolate pudding powder and 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar, and bringing it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
    • Pour the hot pudding in a zigzag pattern over the batter, leaving some gaps so the underlying batter is visible. Avoid covering the surface uniformly.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 °F (lower and upper heating). Put the cake in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The cake will puff up as it bakes.
    • While the cake is baking, prepare the final layer by whisking 3 Teaspoons powdered sugar with 3 Teaspoons powdered sugar. Once the cake is out of the oven, immediately pour the sour cream mixture on top and smooth the surface with a spoon or an offset spatula. The heat will thin the sour cream, allowing it to spread evenly over the entire surface.
    • Let the cake cool at room temperature. Then, place it in the fridge, best overnight. This will allow the sour cream to firm up, ensuring it won't run when slicing the cake.

    Notes

    • The basic recipe makes 12 slices.
    • Size of the baking pan I used: 9x13 inches
    • SERVING: Cut the chilled cake into 4x4 inch (10x10 cm) slices and serve on a dessert plate with a cup of coffee for breakfast or at family gatherings. This cake is also perfect for parties or birthdays.
    • For an excellent presentation and to enhance the flavor, lightly dust the cake with ground cinnamon or cocoa powder when serving.
    • STORAGE: Because the cake contains a layer of fresh sour cream, store leftovers in the refrigerator, where they will keep for up to five days. 
    • Experiment with the contrast of the layers: omit the cocoa powder from the batter for a blond-style cake, or use vanilla pudding and pour it over cocoa-infused batter.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 408IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 1mg
    Servings: 12 slices
    Calories pro serving: 357
    Course: Sweet Pastry
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Coffee cakes
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Comments

    1. Karura says

      July 03, 2024 at 3:08 pm

      I made this for my colleagues and it turned out really well - everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        July 07, 2024 at 12:14 pm

        Hello Karura, thank you very much for your comment and kind words. I am so happy to hear the recipe was a success! 🙂
        Greetings from the Czech Republic.

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Petra, a born-and-raised Czech and self-taught cook with 25+ years of experience. I am here to show you that you can cook Czech food—even if you live abroad or never learned it growing up. With clear steps and trusted guidance, Czech cooking becomes simple, joyful, and meaningful, right in your own kitchen.

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