Matilda cake is a rich and ultra moist chocolate cake with soft layers, silky fudge frosting, and an intense homemade chocolate flavor inspired by the famous movie cake.
This Matilda chocolate cake is made with soft chocolate cake layers and a smooth fudge frosting that stays creamy and easy to spread.
As a French cake blogger, I tested this recipe to recreate the dense yet soft texture and deep chocolate taste that makes this cake so memorable.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Deep chocolate flavor made with cocoa powder and rich chocolate frosting.
- Soft and fudgy texture that stays moist for days without drying out.
- Perfect celebration cake for birthdays, chocolate lovers, or an easy layered chocolate cake.
Ingredients you need
- Unsalted butter: Melted and slightly cooled.
- Vegetable oil: Neutral oil like sunflower or canola oil.
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
- Eggs: Large eggs at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract if possible.
- Cake flour
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Buttermilk: Room temperature full-fat buttermilk.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Hot coffee: Fresh hot coffee or espresso.
- Dark chocolate: Finely chopped dark baking chocolate.
- Heavy cream: Full-fat heavy whipping cream.
Tips For The Best Matilda Cake
- Room temperature ingredients: Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk for a smoother batter.
- Do not overmix: Mix just until combined to keep the cake soft and tender.
- Use hot coffee: Hot coffee brings out a richer chocolate flavor.
- Cool before frosting: Let the cake layers cool completely before assembling.
- Clean slices: Chill the cake for 20 minutes before slicing for neat layers.
How To Make Matilda Cake
This Matilda cake is made with my favorite homemade chocolate cake recipe for a rich, soft, and ultra moist texture.
Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Mix the melted butter, vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk in another bowl until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently mix just until combined.
Pour in the hot coffee and mix until you get a smooth chocolate cake batter.
Pour the batter into two 20 cm cake pans lined with parchment paper and bake at 170°C / 340°F for about 45 minutes.
Let the chocolate cake layers cool completely before assembling.
I use this chocolate fudge frosting in my Matilda cake recipe for a rich, creamy, and ultra chocolatey finish.
Place the chopped dark chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot heavy cream over the top.
Stir until smooth, then add the butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and mix until creamy.
Let the chocolate fudge frosting cool until spreadable.
Spread the frosting over the first cake layer, add the second cake layer, then cover the top with the remaining fudge frosting for a simple homemade finish.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Matilda cake with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or warm chocolate sauce for an extra rich chocolate dessert.
This chocolate layer cake is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or served with coffee for an easy homemade dessert.
>> You can also use my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or Chocolate Ganache Frosting for a lighter chocolate frosting option.
Storage
Store the Matilda cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days and let it sit at room temperature before serving.
Variations
- Chocolate espresso cake: Add extra espresso powder for a deeper coffee flavor.
- Mini Matilda cake: Bake the batter in smaller cake pans for mini layer cakes.
- Chocolate ganache topping: Add warm chocolate ganache over the fudge frosting.
- Birthday version: Decorate with chocolate sprinkles or chocolate curls.
Recipe Questions
Why is it called Matilda cake?
This chocolate cake is inspired by the famous chocolate cake scene from the movie and book Matilda.
Can I make the cake ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake the chocolate cake layers one day ahead and keep them wrapped at room temperature.
Can I freeze Matilda cake?
Yes, the cake layers can be frozen for up to 2 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
Can I make this cake without coffee?
Yes, you can replace the hot coffee with hot water while keeping a rich chocolate flavor.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
I hope you’ll love this recipe. If you try it, feel free to leave a comment. Happy baking!
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Matilda Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
Description
Rich and moist Matilda cake made with soft chocolate cake layers and a creamy chocolate fudge frosting. This easy homemade chocolate cake recipe makes a 20 cm / 8-inch layer cake perfect for birthdays and chocolate lovers.
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 225 g (1 ¾ cups) cake flour
- 90 g (1 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 330 g (1 â…” cups) granulated sugar
- 140 ml (â…” cup) vegetable oil
- 60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 190 ml (¾ cup) buttermilk, room temperature
- 170 ml (¾ cup) hot coffee
Chocolate fudge frosting
- 240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
- 310 g (11 oz / 1 ¾ cups) dark chocolate 54%, finely chopped
- 125 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 85 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Chocolate cake
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F and line two 20 cm / 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Pour in the hot coffee and gently mix until smooth.
- Divide the chocolate cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the chocolate cake layers cool completely before assembling.
Chocolate fudge frosting
- Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a large bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream until hot and just simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.
- Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and melted.
- Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until creamy.
- Let the chocolate fudge frosting cool at room temperature until thick and spreadable.
Assembly
- Place the first chocolate cake layer on a serving plate and spread a thick layer of fudge frosting on top.
- Add the second cake layer and finish with the remaining chocolate frosting using an offset spatula for a simple homemade finish.
Notes
Storage: Store the Matilda cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days and let it come to room temperature before serving.
Tips:
- Room temperature ingredients: Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk for a smooth batter.
- Do not overmix: Mix the batter just until combined for a soft chocolate cake texture.
- Use hot coffee: Hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.
- Cool completely: Let the cake layers cool fully before frosting.
- Chill before slicing: Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes for cleaner slices.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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