From the screen to your dessert table, this triple layer copycat Matilda chocolate cake mimics the giant punishment cake from the movie. Incredibly rich and fudgy, I guarantee this one will be asked for over and over for years to come!
The Inspiration For This Recipe
Ah, the chocolate cake scene from "Matilda"! It's not just a cake, it's a legendary confectionary feat. In the movie, poor Bruce Bogtrotter finds himself in a sticky situation. Literally. When faced with a punishment of devouring an entire cake, he rises to the occasion with the spirit of a true dessert warrior. The cake itself is a work of art, towering layers of chocolate goodness topped with gooey frosting – a masterpiece that deserves a standing ovation.
Did you know the actor who played Bruce later became a doctor?
As Bruce valiantly devours the cake, his classmates vicariously join him in that outrageous act of rebellion against the wicked Miss Trunchbull. The scene is a sugar-coated reminder that sometimes, life calls for a big slice of audacity and a dollop of camaraderie. This copycat recipe of the chocolate cake from that unforgettable scene reminds us that even in the face of absurd challenges, there's always room for dessert-driven courage and a bellyful of laughter.
Ingredients You Need To Make A Matilda Chocolate Cake
To make your ridiculously rich and fudgy chocolate cake from the Matilda movie, there are 3 components you'll need to prepare for: the cake, the filling, and the frosting! Let's look at them: (make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for quantities and instructions!)
Chocolate Cake Layer Ingredients:
- all-purpose flour
- white granulated sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- large eggs
- whole buttermilk
- strongly-brewed warm coffee
- canola oil
- pure vanilla extract
Not Too Sweet Buttercream Filling Ingredients:
- unsalted butter
- unsweetened chocolate (Bakers chocolate)
- powdered sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- salt
- heavy cream or whole milk
Shiny Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
- unsalted butter
- white granulated sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- salt
- heavy cream
- sour cream
- pure vanilla extract
Is This Cake Difficult To Make?
A lot of the techniques for putting together this cake require simply mixing, melting, baking, and/or spreading. If you have ever done any kind of baking (even if it's just using a cake mix) then you should be able to make this cake. Just follow the directions in the recipe card and you'll be just fine!
Like chocolate cake? Try my decadent Red Wine Chocolate Cake
The Cake From Matilda
In the screenshot above, we get our first glance of the entire cake. It looks to be at least 10 or 12 inches in diameter with 3 thick layers of cake filled with chocolate frosting, and then coated with a shiny chocolate ganache on the outside.
While it's certainly possible to make a cake this large in most standard kitchen ovens, I downsized my copycat version of Matilda Chocolate Cake to a size more suitable for most applications, like family dinners or birthday parties.
In the next screenshot seen above, we get a closer glimpse of the cake (again, while trying to ignore the cruel punishment this poor boy is enduring at the time). You can see that the filling between the cake layers is lighter in color, and not as glossy, as the ganache coating the entire cake.
It was this screenshot that helped me decide to fill my own Matilda chocolate cake with a not-too-sweet chocolate buttercream filling, and then use a shiny, luxurious chocolate ganache to frost the entire cake.
No Decorating Skill Required
Perhaps my favorite part of this cake is that it's supposed to be kind of sloppy and messy as far as the frosting goes, so you don't have to have any specialized skill with cake decorating to make a near-perfect copycat of the Matilda cake.
Can I take a shortcut with a cake mix?
Sure. If you are short on time and need to whip together a cake, you can use any chocolate cake mix that will yield a triple-layer cake instead of using this recipe to make it from scratch.
I do recommend making the filling and frosting from this recipe, however, because it really brings out the
Why Use Coffee In Chocolate Cake?
While you can substitute water for the coffee in this Matilda cake copycat, you'll find that baking a chocolate cake with coffee strengthens the chocolate-y flavor without adding a coffee flavor to the finished product. No special coffee is required, just save a bit of coffee from your morning pot and warm it up when you're mixing the batter for the cake!
Freezing and Storage Instructions
You can keep your cake at room temperature (covered with a dome, ideally) for the first 24 hours, but then put it into the fridge so that the ganache stays fresh. The cake will always taste better when it is not super chilled, however, so I recommend slicing off a piece and letting it sit on the plate while you eat your meal so that it has time to come closer to room temperature when you're ready to have dessert!
If you want to make the entire cake in advance and chill it, set it out a few hours before serving before slicing into it.
If you want to freeze the cake, I recommend freezing the baked cake layers separately, before assembling and frosting, by wrapping each one in plastic and storing in the freezer. You can even fill and frost the layers while they are still frozen!
You can freeze the entire assembled cake as well (wrapped well) but be aware that the texture of the frosting will be different - and probably not quite as good - once it thaws out.
Want more chocolate? Try my Lunch Lady Brownies.
Print
Matilda Chocolate Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour + cooling
- Yield: 18+ servings 1x
Description
Inspired by the iconic scene in the movie "Matilda", this indulgently rich triple layer fudgy chocolate cake is made with tender layers of chocolate cake sandwiched with melted chocolate buttercream filling and slathered in a glossy chocolate ganache. Though unlike the movie, I wouldn't recommend eating it all in one sitting.
Ingredients
Triple Layer Chocolate Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups white granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups whole buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups strongly-brewed warm coffee
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream Filling
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 - 3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
Shiny Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Triple Layer Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans and place a round of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl well and stopping when all ingredients just come together. Be careful not to overmix.
- Divide equal amounts of batter between the pans. Bake on center rack for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Rotate pans about halfway through the bake.
- Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, and then carefully remove the cakes and allow to finish cooling on cooling racks before assembling and frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Filling
- Whip butter using a mixer until creamy. Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth.
- With mixer on low, add powdered sugar a little at a time, then add vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined.
- Thin frosting with milk or cream, adding a couple of teaspoons at a time and mixing until buttercream is easily spreadable but not too thin.
Shiny Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- In a bowl, whisk together heavy cream and sour cream.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir to form a paste.
- Add cream mixture to chocolate and continue cooking while stirring until mixture is totally smooth.
- Continue stirring over the heat for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for several hours until it reaches a thick, spreadable consistency.
Assembly
- If your cakes have a significant dome on them, use a large serrated edge knife to carefully cut off the dome. Place a small dollop of frosting on a cake plate, and top with the first cake layer. Add a generous layer of buttercream filling, and then add the second cake layer. Add another layer of buttercream filling.
- Place the third cake layer upside down on top of the cake so that the bottom (flattest) part of the layer is on top. Cover the sides and cake with chocolate ganache using an offset spatula or smooth knife. It doesn't have to be smooth - remember the cake from the movie looked a lil messy!
- Slice and serve. Cake can be kept under a dome for about 24 hours, then should be refrigerated to keep ganache fresh. Allow cake or slices to come to room temp before eating for best texture/flavor.
Notes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes + cooling and assembling
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven and Stovetop
- Cuisine: N/A
Be sure you can easily dig up this recipe when you're ready to make your cake! Use the image below to Pin to your Pinterest boards, or use the buttons at the top and bottom of this post to share with your friends and family on social media. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use water instead of coffee? Yes, you can. Coffee will yield the chocolatiest of chocolate flavors, but using warm water will work just fine.
- I don't have unsweetened chocolate. Can I use semi-sweet or milk? Yes, you can, though just know that the buttercream filling will be sweeter!
- Do I use regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder? I tested this recipe with regular cocoa (you can use your favorite brand)
OMG this was so incredible, THANK YOU