Best Matilda Chocolate Cake
Servings 14
Ingredients
#### Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260g, sifted
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar 135g
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil 133g
- 1/3 cup buttermilk mix 1/3 cup whole milk + 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 cup sour cream 240g, room temperature
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder Dutch-processed preferred (75g)
- 2 tsp instant coffee
- 3/4 cup boiling water 180g
#### Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- 10.5 oz dark chocolate 300g
- 3 tbsp corn syrup
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature (226g)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder 33g
- 1 cup powdered sugar 100g
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream chilled
Instructions
#### Chocolate Cake:
- **Prep**: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line and butter three 8-inch round pans.
- **Dry Ingredients**: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt.
- **Wet Ingredients**: In another bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and sour cream until smooth.
- **Combine**: Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.
- **Cocoa Mixture**: In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder and instant coffee with boiling water until smooth. Add to the batter and gently fold in.
- **Bake**: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- **Cool**: Let cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
#### Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- **Melt Chocolate**: Melt dark chocolate and corn syrup over low heat, stirring constantly. Set aside.
- **Mix Base**: In a mixer, beat cream cheese, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt until creamy.
- **Add Cream**: Add chilled heavy cream and beat until fluffy.
- **Combine**: Slowly add melted chocolate to the mixture while beating on low speed until fully combined. Let the frosting cool until spreadable.
#### Assembly:
- **Trim**: Trim the domes off the cooled cakes with a serrated knife.
- **Layer**: Stack the cakes with a generous layer of frosting between each. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- **Frost**: Cover the cake with the remaining frosting.
- **Serve**: Enjoy the cake at room temperature. For a shiny finish, gently wave a blow dryer 1 foot away from the cake on the lowest setting.