Matilda Chocolate Cake

This might be the best decadent chocolate cake ever! Based on the cake from the movie ‘Matilda’, this two-layer homemade chocolate cake features simple pantry ingredients and can be made in just 20 minutes.

This simple cake uses simple pantry ingredients and is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, potlucks, and bake sales.

Tell me about this recipe!

• The cake layers are based on my walnut chocolate cake. It’s a simple oil-based cake that is combined with buttermilk to give you a deliciously moist crumb.
• Hot water is added to the batter, this blooms the cocoa powder and makes our cake layers super dark.
• The cake is topped with a super fudgy chocolate sour cream frosting. Unlike American buttercreams, this frosting isn’t overly sweet.
• You can make the cake layers ahead of time and wrap them up in clingfilm before you’re ready to frost the cake and serve.
• The frosting can be left as is or you can decorate it with sprinkles!

Matilda Chocolate Cake Recipe

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter (about 16tbsp or 2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups black coffee (brewed and hot)
• 1 cup dutch process cocoa powder
• 7oz dark chocolate (melted)
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 6 eggs plus 2 yolks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Buttercream Ingredients:

• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 3 sticks unsalted butter (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Melt them both together (microwave or stovetop)

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F
• In a large bowl, mix all of your cake ingredients until well combined
• Divide your cake batter into 3, 9-inch cake pans (or you can do them one at a time)
• Bake each for 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean
• Let the cakes cool completely, then slice off the top of each
• Layer the three cakes with chocolate buttercream, then finish covering the cake with the remaining buttercream

• Top with chocolate ganache, slice and enjoy!