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This is the best moist Matilda's Cake ever! Three layers of soft chocolate cake sandwiched together with smooth glossy chocolate sour cream frosting that will send you straight to dessert paradise. Matilda cake is rich and indulgent chocolate inspired by the famous Bruce Bogtrotter chocolate cake scene from the movie Matilda. This chocolate cake has become iconic for its intense rich chocolate flavor and perfect to satisfy any chocolate craving.
This moist Matilda's Chocolate Cake recipe is truly amazing and it is hard not to reach for another slice. It has the softest Matilda chocolate cake layers, that is layered together with the best chocolate frosting. The sour cream in the chocolate frosting, adds a perfect creamy and fudgy texture, and brings a subtle tangy flavor, that is not over powdering, and works perfectly with the chocolate cake layers. This chocolate layer cake, perfectly emulates the chocolate cake from the movie Matilda. It is ideal to serve for any celebrations and is a perfect birthday cake.
For more chocolate cake recipes, try Nutella Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes and Chocolate Ganache Cake.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Chocolate frosting: The most luscious chocolate sour cream frosting that'll be your new go-to chocolate frosting! It is quick and easy to make and it'll make you want to make this cake over and over again.
- Chocolate cake layers: These chocolate cake layers are incredibly soft and so quick and easy to make
- Easy and quick recipe: It's an incredibly easy recipe to make, that uses simple ingredients you'll find in your pantry, and it is the perfect chocolate layer cake.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Cornstarch: Helps give a light and soft cake
- Sugars: The granulated sugar helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake. The brown sugar helps add extra toffee flavor to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has light and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the chocolate cake.
- Egg: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking, so it comes to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Coffee: Use freshly brewed coffee. The coffee helps boost the chocolate flavor. It can be replaced with hot water if you don't want to add coffee to the cake. For the coffee I recommend using espresso or instant coffee.
- Oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola oil.
- Sour cream: Sour cream gives lots of moister to the cake, as well as helps give the cake a great structure. It is also used in the frosting for a creamy texture.
- Unsweetened Cocoa powder: I use high quality dutch process cocoa powder for the best flavor, my favorite is from Valrhona.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Use a good quality chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for the frosting.
- Butter: The butter is used in the frosting.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CHOCOLATE CAKE
Here is how to make and bake this Moist Matilda's Cake. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. You will need 3x 20 cm/8-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven and line 3x 20 cm/8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
STEP 1: In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined. In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.
STEP 2: Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
STEP 3: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake them for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - BUTTERCREAM AND ASSEMBLING
STEP 4: Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and set it aside. Melt the dark chocolate and acacia honey together until smooth. Add the sour cream to the melted chocolate in 3 parts, and stir it together until smooth, to slowly temper the chocolate and sour cream. Set it aside.
STEP 5: Mix the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
STEP 6: Add the chocolate/sour cream mixture to the butter and mix until combined. Then add the powdered sugar/cocoa powder and vanilla extra in 2 parts. Whipping until each addition is fully incorporated on low speed.
STEP 7: Start by cutting the very top of the cooled down cake layers so they have an even top. Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
STEP 8: Add 2 big scoops of frosting and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and repeat the process. Add the last cake layer and cover the whole cake in the remaining frosting.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, substitute it 1:1 with full-fat Greek yogurt.
Yes, make each element the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake layers in the freezer well wrapped in plastic wrap, the next day let them thaw for 1 hour, on a wire rack, before assembling the cake. Store the chocolate frosting in the fridge in an airtight container. Before using it, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Then give a mix in the you stand mixer, until smooth, and it ready to be assembled.
I recommend using a cake tester or a toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
HOW TO STORE
Store the Matilda's Cake in an airtight container in the fridge or covered well with plastic wrap. Let it come to room temperature before enjoying it. It is best enjoyed within 2-3 days.
Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Best Moist Matilda's Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS
- 360 g warm coffee or water for instant coffee use 2 teaspoon of instant coffee
- 360 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 150 g dark brown sugar
- 75 g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 165 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil or avocado oil
- 270 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM FROSTING
- 300 g powdered sugar
- 160 g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
- 250 g semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon acacia honey or corn syrup or glucose syrup
- 220 g sour cream 14-18%
- 220 g butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and line 3x 20 cm/8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Start by making the coffee and weigh it out so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients.360 g warm coffee or water
- In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.360 g all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, 300 g granulated sugar, 150 g dark brown sugar, 75 g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including the coffee, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.165 g vegetable oil, 270 g sour cream 14-18%, 3 large eggs, 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give the cake batter a final mix so everything has been incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking tins and bake them for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.
CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM FROSTING
- Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and set it aside.300 g powdered sugar, 160 g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
- Melt the dark chocolate and acacia honey together until smooth. Add the sour cream to the melted chocolate in 3 parts, and stir it together until smooth, to slowly temper the chocolate and sour cream. Set it aside.250 g semi-sweet dark chocolate chips, 2 tablespoon acacia honey, 220 g sour cream 14-18%
- Note: should the chocolate seize up in the sour cream, place it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and it’ll be smooth again.
- Mix the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.220 g butter
- Add the chocolate/sour cream mixture to the butter and mix until combined.
- Then add the powdered sugar/cocoa powder and vanilla extra in 2 parts. Whipping until each addition is fully incorporated on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the buttercream a final mix for 1-2 minutes at low speed.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
ASSEMBLING
- Start by cutting the very top of the cooled down cake layers so they have an even top. Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
- Add 2 big scoops of frosting and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and repeat the process. Add the last cake layer and cover the whole cake in the remaining frosting.
- TIP: For clean slices, heat up a sharp knife under hot water, dry it off, and cut your slices.
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