Remember that incredibly decadent chocolate from Matilda? Well move aside Miss Trunchbull, this Matilda's Chocolate Cake Recipe feature moist chocolate cake layers in a glossy chocolate fudge frosting that melts right in your mouth! It's easy to make, has a deliciously deep chocolate flavor - this is seriously the chocolate cake of your dreams!
For more chocolate cake recipes, try my black velvet cake and chocolate sour cream pound cake!
I have been on a quest for about a year to make the best chocolate cake ever. Admittedly, for years, I wasn't the biggest chocolate fan as I found that a lot of chocolate desserts were either "too chocolatey" or not chocolatey enough.
Well, this cake provide the perfect balance. Dare I even call it thee perfect chocolate cake!
After relentlessly watching Matilda and that unforgettable scene a million times, recreating that chocolate fudge cake became new obsession. And I nailed it! The moist chocolate layers and incredibly soft texture make every bite special. And keep a slice for poor Bruce Bogtrotter - I think this is a cake that he would eat happily.
Ideal for any chocolate lover, there's 4 layers of moist chocolate cake with a beautiful glossy frosting on top that seals the deal. Best of all, this recipe calls for simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! Happy baking!
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Why You'll Fall in Love with this Matilda's Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Perfect birthday cake! This fudgy chocolate cake has an incredible flavor, perfect for birthdays, holidays, or for when those chocolate cravings hit!
- Easy to make! Simple ingredients, only a few steps, and if you're new to baking, this recipe will be a breeze!
- Moist and flavorful cake! No dry cake around here! This homemade chocolate cake is moist and velvety - it literally melts in your mouth! It's also sweet but not so sugary that it all you taste is sugar. It tastes like smooth chocolate goodness!
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card)
Dutch process cocoa powder - this is different than natural cocoa powder. It has a smoother flavor than unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch process cocoa powder will provide the best flavor! I love Guittard's cocoa powder!
Hot Coffee and Milk - the hot liquids bring out the flavor of the cocoa powder.
Cake Flour - this is what gives the cake it's super soft texture! Of course, you can use all purpose flour, but if you can find cake flour, I highly recommend using it!
Vegetable oil - this is for extra moisture and keeps the cake moist for days!
Sour Cream - in a pinch, you can use greek yogurt as a substitute.
Corn Syrup - this is for the chocolate cream cheese frosting. When combined with melted chocolate, it gives the frosting a beautiful glossy look. If you don't have any corn syrup, you can use honey instead.
Semi-sweet and dark chocolate - we're using real chocolate for the frosting! Be sure to use high quality chocolate like Guittard, Valrhona, or Ghirardelli!
Substitutions
Gluten free: use 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour.
Dairy free: use your favorite dairy free milk, sour cream, and butter for the batter and cream cheese and heavy cream for the frosting.
Corn Syrup: if you don't have corn syrup, you can use honey. The flavor may be slightly different but it'll work in a pinch!
How to make Matildas Chocolate Cake
Prepare the Cake Batter
Step 1: Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Spray 4 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray. In a large bowl, cocoa powder, hot coffee, milk, espresso powder, vegetable oil, melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk together for 2-3 minutes, until the sugar begins to dissolve and the mixture cools slightly. Add eggs and egg yolks, and continue to whisk until combined.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
Step 3: In a small bowl or cup, whisk together sour cream and milk. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk together until just combined. Then the sour cream/milk mixture and continue to mix until fully incorporated. Add the remainder of flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Step 4: Divide the cake batter equally among the four prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs.
Make the Cake Soak
Step 5: While the cakes are baking, prepare the cake soak. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil until the sugar dissolves, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, then add cocoa powder and stir until combined. Set aside.
Step 6: Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the cake tins and place onto a wire rack. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the cake, then brush the cakes with the chocolate simple syrup. Wrap each cake with plastic wrap, then allow them to cool completely. (this traps the steam in the cake and makes for a very moist cake)
Whip up the Chocolate Frosting
Step 7: While the cakes are cooling preparing, begin working on the chocolate cream cheese frosting. Combine semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate, and corn syrup in a microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then heat again in 10-second increments until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Be sure not to burn the chocolate!
Step 8: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix together for 2 minutes, until combined and fluffy. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and continue to mix until combined. (if the melted chocolate has solidified, pop it into the microwave for 10 seconds, it should be slightly cooled and fluid but not hardened) Add room temperature cream cheese, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Continue to mix until combined and smooth.
Assemble the Chocolate Cake
Step 9: Once the cakes are cooled, place the first layer onto a cake stand and add a dollop of the frosting on top. Smooth into an even layer. Place the second cake on top and repeat with the third and fourth layers. Add a thin layer of frosting all around the entire cake. Allow the cake to set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (crumb coat).
Step 10: Add remaining frosting to the rest of the cake.
Tips for Success
Use a food scale/kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. This creates the more consistent results as opposed to when using a measuring cup.
Dont overmix: Once you add the flour, gently fold the ingredients. Overmixing can incorporate too much air, making the cake crumbly instead of fudgy.
Don't Overbake: Check early, Start testing the cake 5 minutes before the recommended baking time. The cake is ready when a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, not completely clean. A clean toothpick means the cake is overdone.
Use high-quality chocolate: For the best flavor and fudgy texture, use a good-quality chocolate (either dark or semi-sweet) for the frosting as opposed to relying solely on cocoa powder.
Recipe FAQs
Matilda chocolate cake is famously featured in the movie Matilda, based on Roald Dahl's novel. It’s a decadent, oversized chocolate cake that a character, Bruce Bogtrotter, is forced to eat in its entirety as punishment in a memorable scene. The cake is depicted as incredibly rich, dense, and fudgy, with a thick layer of chocolate frosting.
Yes! You can use any size cake pan you'd like, just be sure to keep a close when baking in the oven - the baking times will not be same.
No, you don’t have to use coffee in a chocolate cake. Coffee deepens the richness of chocolate, creating a more intense flavor. If you prefer to skip it, you can substitute with water or milk, and the cake will still be delicious. The coffee is usually subtle, so it won't make the cake taste like coffee unless used in large amounts.
Yes, Matilda chocolate cake can be made ahead of time. Simply wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container to keep it moist, and frost it just before serving for the best texture.
To store chocolate cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. If unfrosted, it can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerated for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the cake layers (without frosting) for up to 3 months, thawing them in the fridge before frosting and serving.
For this recipe, no. Natural cocoa powder/unsweetened cocoa powder is more acidic, meaning the leaveners will need to be altered to get the cake to rise properly. If you swap the unsweetened cocoa powder for dutch process cocoa powder, it'll result is a bitter chocolate cake that's very dense and a bit dry.
More Chocolate Recipes
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Matilda's Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 4 8-inch cake pans
- Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
- Whisk
Ingredients
Matilda Chocolate Cake
- 1 ½ cups Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
- ⅔ cup Coffee (hot)
- ⅔ cup Whole Milk (hot)
- 2 tsp Espresso Powder
- ¾ cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ cup Salted Butter (melted)
- 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 2 ½ cups Cake Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- ¾ cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Whole Milk
Cake Soak
- ½ cup Water
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
Glossy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz Semi-Sweet chocolate
- 4 oz Dark Chocolate
- ½ cup Corn Syrup (or honey)
- 2 cups Salted Butter (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups Confectioner's Sugar
- 1 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
- 8 oz Cream Cheese (cold)
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
Directions
- Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Spray 4 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, cocoa powder, hot coffee, milk, espresso powder, vegetable oil, melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk together for 2-3 minutes, until the sugar begins to dissolve and the mixture cools slightly. Add eggs and egg yolks, and continue to whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. In a small bowl or cup, whisk together sour cream and milk. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk together until just combined. Then the sour cream/milk mixture and continue to mix until fully incorporated. Add the remainder of flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Divide the cake batter equally among the four prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs.
- While the cakes are baking, prepare the cake soak. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil until the sugar dissolves, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, then add cocoa powder and stir until combined. Set aside.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the cake tins and place onto a wire rack.
- Use a toothpick to poke holes in the cake, then brush the cakes with the chocolate simple syrup. Wrap each cake with plastic wrap, then allow them to cool completely. (this traps the steam in the cake and makes for a very moist cake)
- While the cakes are cooling, begin working on the chocolate cream cheese frosting. Combine semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate, and corn syrup in a microwave safe bowl.
- Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then heat again in 10-second increments until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Be sure not to burn the chocolate! In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix together for 2 minutes, until combined and fluffy. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and continue to mix until combined. (if the melted chocolate has solidified, pop it into the microwave for 10 seconds, it should be slightly cooled and fluid but not hardened)
- Add room temperature cream cheese, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Continue to mix until combined and smooth.
- Once the cakes are cooled, place the first layer onto a cake stand and add a dollop of the frosting on top. Smooth into an even layer. Place the second cake on top and repeat with the third and fourth layers. Add a thin layer of frosting all around the entire cake. Allow the cake to set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (crumb coat).
- Add remaining frosting to the rest of the cake.
Where can I find metric measurements so I can use a kitchen scale as is suggested?
Hi! There's a metric tab in the recipe card where you can switch between customary and metric measurements. It's just below the list of ingredients. Please let me know if you're able to find it, happy to help!