This Matilda’s chocolate cake recipe is based on my simply perfect chocolate cake, a recipe I’ve baked for years that just happens to be the ideal version of Bruce Bogtrotter’s iconic slice. It wasn’t created as the Matilda cake originally, but it's moist crumb, rich flavour, and fudgy chocolate frosting make it the best choice if you want to recreate that famous cake.
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If you’ve ever wanted to bake the famous Matilda cake at home, this recipe is your answer. I’ve been making this chocolate cake for years, adapting it from a classic Hershey’s recipe with a few tweaks for extra depth of flavour. The result is a foolproof chocolate cake that stays moist for days and is versatile enough for birthdays, celebrations, or when you need a reliable base for layering. It's the same base recipe I use for my mini chocolate cakes with strawberry frosting and has the same consistent results as my 3 layer vanilla cake, both of which share the same tender crumb.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Deep, fudgy chocolate flavour with a soft, moist crumb.
- Topped with the easiest fudgy frosting that whips up in minutes.
- Stays fresh for 3 to 4 days, making it perfect for birthdays or bake-ahead occasions.
- One-bowl method with simple pantry ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients (Cake)
- Dutch-process cocoa gives the cake a deep, intense chocolate flavour (I use Valrhona).
- Buttermilk keeps the crumb soft and adds a subtle tang. If you don’t have it, see below for how to make your own.
- Boiling water thins the batter but intensifies the cocoa, making the cake extra moist.
- Vegetable oil ensures a tender crumb that stays soft even when chilled.
- Fudgy frosting: blends cocoa with butter for the perfect, fluffy chocolate finish. You can also use chocolate ganache for a glossy alternative.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Matilda’s Chocolate Cake
I am making this cake in my favourite 20cm cake tin, but it will work with so many other cake pans (see variations below).
- Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a jug (measure your 1 cup of buttermilk in the jug, then add the other ingredients).
- Step 3: Add wet ingredient to the dry, then mix on medium-high for 2 minutes.
- Step 4: Stir through boiling water.
- Step 5: Pour into prepared pan (I'm using a 20cm pan for this shot).
- Step 6: Bake until done (1 hour for this size pan). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Hint: Always line your pans properly to avoid sticking. Here’s my guide on how to line a round cake tin.
"This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had!"
...a simple recipe and tastes so delicious. And it keeps so well! I won’t be making any other chocolate cake again" -Stephanie
Variations
- Make this chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting, for a simple, deliciously tangy option.
- Add chocolate chips to the batter to make a decadent chocolate chocolate chip loaf cake.
- Mix in a shot of espresso for a chocolate and coffee cake that is rich and bold.
- Bake it as a bundt, loaf, or even layer cake. It adapts beautifully.
- Try it with different frostings for flavour variations -try my vanilla heritage frosting or biscoff buttercream.
Baking Pan Variations
This cake batter is very versatile and you don’t need to change the ingredient quantities when swapping pans. The main adjustment is bake time. Always test with a skewer in the centre - if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
Loaf, Square, Slab, and Bundt Pans
- Two small loaf pans (21 x 11 cm): Bake 40 to 45 minutes.
- One large loaf pan (27 x 11 cm): Bake 55 to 60 minutes.
- Square pan (23 x 23 cm): Bake 50 to 55 minutes.
- Slab pan (23 x 33 cm): Bake 25 to 30 minutes.
- Bundt tin (5 cup capacity): Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Grease and flour the pan well since you can’t line it.
Layer Cakes
- Two 20 cm (8-inch) layers: Divide evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
- Three 18 cm (7-inch) layers: Divide evenly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.
- Three 20 cm (8-inch) layers: Make 1.5 x the recipe for taller layers. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, checking early for doneness.
- Large celebration cakes: Double the recipe only if baking in multiple pans. Never bake a double batch in one oversized tin as the edges will overcook before the centre is done.
Tip: For neat, even layers, weigh the batter into each pan. If stacking, wrap cooled cakes in plastic and chill before trimming or frosting.
Equipment
You’ll need a mixing bowl, an electric hand mixer, and a set of digital scales for accuracy. I like using my 20cm square cake pan (so easy to line and so versatile), but you can also make this in loaf tins or round cake pans.
Storage
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
Fridge: Keeps up to a week (bring to room temp before serving).
Freezer: Wrap unfrosted cake layers in plastic and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Top Tip
This is a very moist cake and can sometimes stick to the serving plate. Place a sheet of parchment underneath the cake to stop it sticking.
FAQ
The cake became famous from the movie Matilda, where Bruce Bogtrotter was forced to eat an enormous slice of fudgy chocolate cake in the school hall (like there's a problem with that?)
Yes. Buttermilk gives a softer crumb, but you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
Yes, though cake flour produces a lighter crumb. I often use all purpose flour and save the cake flour for special occaisions.
Absolutely. This cake bakes beautifully as a 2 or 3 layer cake, ready to be filled with ganache, buttercream, or heritage frosting. You will need to double the recipe though.
Favourite Cakes
These are my readers' favorite cakes:
Recipe
Matilda's Chocolate Cake -a Simply Perfect Chocolate Cake!
Equipment
- 1 20cm square cake tin my go-to cake tin
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 270 g plain cake flour regular plain flour is also fine
- 90 g Dutch processed cocoa
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- pinch salt
- 465 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (250ml) buttermilk buttermilk yields a softer cake, but regular milk is also fine
- ½ cup (125ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (250ml) boiling water
Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
- 115 g unsalted butter melted
- 65 g Dutch processed cocoa
- 2 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 375 g icing sugar
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°F/ 165° FF and grease and line your chosen cake tin with baking paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients
- In a small jug, combine the buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla
- Add the buttermilk mixture from the jug to the dry ingredients, then mix on medium-high for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy
- Gently stir through the boiling water, until combined. The mixture will be very thin
- Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 60-65 minutes (this will vary,depending on tin size -see variations in notes), or until a cake tester comes out clean
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a cake rack to cool completely
Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
- Stir cocoa into the melted butter
- With a hand mixer, add the milk and icing sugar alternately, mixing until smooth and fluffy
- Mix through the vanilla
- Frost the cooled cake, using an offset spatula
Notes
- 2 x smaller loaf pans: 21cm x 11cm, bake for 40-45 minutes
- larger loaf pan: 27cm x 11cm, bake for 1 hour
- square pan: 23cm x 23cm, bake for 50-55 minutes
- slab pan: 23cm x 33cm, bake for 25 minutes
- bundt tin: 5 cup, bake for 50-55 minutes
Nutrition
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Steph says
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had! Such a simple recipe and tastes so delicious. And it keeps so well! I won’t be making any other chocolate cake again x
Harvey says
scrummy
Sandra says
My family loved this!