Best Matilda Chocolate Cake Recipe
The best Matilda chocolate cake you’ll ever have: rich, fudgy, moist and chocolatey with a silky and delectable chocolate fudge frosting
Yield:12 servings
- Prep Time:
- 45 mins
- Cook Time:
- 22 mins
- Chilling Time:
- 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr, 40 mins
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour (260g), sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar (135g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil (133g)
- 1/3 cup buttermilk (80g) – mix 1/3 cup whole milk (80g) + 1 tsp vinegar to make your own
- 1 cup sour cream (240g)
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder, Dutch Processed preferred (75g)
- 2 tsp instant coffee
- 3/4 cup boiling water (180g)
Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- 300g dark chocolate, chopped – I recommend 55-60% like this one
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream (300g)
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (226g)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (33g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (100g)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F (no fan) and prepare 3 8″ pans with parchment paper and butter
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt. Whisk together until no lumps remain
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and sour cream until smooth
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 additions, and gently whisk and fold until they are just combined and no big lumps remain. Do not over-mix
- In a separate small bowl, add the cocoa powder and instant coffee. Pour over the boiling water and whisk until a smooth shiny mixture forms
- Pour the cocoa mixture onto the remaining batter, and gently fold until a chocolate cake batter forms
- Divide the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans
- Bake for ~22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with light moist crumbs attached
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then carefully remove them and place on a wire rack. Let them cool completely (I recommend at least 1 hour)
Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- While the cakes cool, make the frosting. Add the dark chocolate and heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate melts and a smooth, shiny ganache forms. Make sure there are no chocolate lumps in it. The ganache should be warm, not hot. Let it cool down for 5-10 minutes
- To a separate bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and sift in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt. Whisk on medium speed until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy (1-2 minutes). Scrape the bowl once or twice as you do this
- Pour in the warm ganache, and whisk on low speed for about 60-90 seconds until a smooth mixture forms. Scrape the bowl in the middle to ensure everything is well combined. Do not over-mix
- At this point, the frosting will be very soft and runny. Just cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, and it should reach a firmer, spreadable consistency. I don’t recommend chilling this frosting in the fridge as it can easily become too firm. If that happens, remove about 1 cup and microwave it for 20 seconds or until runny, then slowly fold through the rest to make it softer
Assembly:
- Once the cakes and frosting have cooled down, it’s time to assemble
- Use a large serrated knife to carefully trim off the domes from the cakes
- Layer them on top of each other with a generous layer of the frosting in between (don’t be stingy!). Cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Then slather on the remaining frosting all over
- Serve & enjoy! This cake is best eaten at room temperature
Notes
- Cocoa powder: If you can’t find Dutch processed cocoa powder, you may use natural, 100% unsweetened cocoa powder. If you want a deep, dark chocolate cake, you can also substitute 10g of the Dutch processed cocoa powder with 10g of Black cocoa powder
- Sour cream: If you can’t find sour cream, you can try making it at home with my homemade sour cream recipe. Some readers have also had success with full fat yogurt
- Chocolate for the frosting: This frosting recipe has been especially developed for dark chocolate and has a beautiful flavor which complements the cake. I recommend anywhere between 50-60% for the perfect sweetness and consistency. If you use a higher dark chocolate (e.g., 70-80%) for flavor preference, I recommend increasing the heavy cream to 1 1/2 cups (360g) – this will definitely be a dark frosting! On the flip-side, I do not recommend using milk chocolate as the frosting will not firm up properly. If you still want to use milk chocolate, reduce the heavy cream to 1 cup (240g)
- Shiny frosting: As the chocolate in the frosting sets, it might start to look dull. Before serving, use a blow dryer at the lowest setting and gently wave it 1 foot away from the cake. This will warm up the frosting enough for it to become shiny!
- Coffee: I do not recommend skipping the coffee as it enhances the chocolate flavor. You won’t taste it! However, if you have an intolerance, you may skip it
- Storage: This cake is best eaten at room temperature, or even slightly warmed up in the microwave (by the slice). You can keep it in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days. Any longer and transfer to the fridge for up to 1 week combined. If refrigerating, I recommend microwaving for 10-20 seconds before eating
- Make ahead: You can prepare this cake in advance and keep it at room temperature (~70F) for 1-2 days! Just make sure it is properly covered. I let it chill for 15-20 minutes so the frosting sets, then wrap in cling wrap and keep at room temperature