Matilda Chocolate Cake Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Makes: 10 large slices
Ingredients Needed
For Chocolate Cake
- 90g/3ozs butter, softened
- 330g/11.6ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla essence or extract
- 90g/3ozs dark or bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 225g/8ozs cake flour
- 70g/2.5ozs cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon bicarb
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 185ml/6.3flozs oil
- 185ml/6.3flozs hot water or weak hot coffee
- 120ml/4flozs buttermilk
For Chocolate Frosting
- 720g/25ozs icing sugar
- 120g/4ozs cocoa powder
- 226/2 sticks butter, melted
- 170ml/5.7flozs milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 PREPARE - Grease and line 2x20cm/8inch tins (not springform) and preheat oven to 180C/350F conventional or 160C/320F fan forced.
Step 2 BEAT - Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixer for 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add in the melted chocolate and beat for 30 seconds or until combined (scrape down the butter from the sides and beater blade). Then add the eggs and egg yolks and beat until smooth and combined (scrape down the sides and blade once halfway).
Step 3 SIFT - Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarb into another bowl. Whisk in the salt. Then in a jug, whisk the oil, water/coffee and buttermilk together. Add the flour mixture in 4 lots alternating with the oil mixture into the butter mixture.
Step 4 SIEVE - Place half of the batter in a sieve and sieve it through in two batches. Divide the batter evenly among the two tins. Bake for 35 minutes or until the centre springs back when touched or is no longer wobbly. Cool 1 hour in the tin and then using a knife loosen the cake around the edges. Wrap in cling film until needed (I bake it the day before).
Step 5 PROCESS - Place the icing sugar and cocoa powder in a large food processor or Thermomix. Process for 30 seconds on high or until there are no lumps at all (Thermomix: 30 seconds, speed #8.5). Add this sugar mixture into a large mixer bowl fitted with a whisk. Add the melted butter, milk, vanilla and salt and whisk on low to incorporate slowly. Once the icing sugar and cocoa is mixed in, increase speed to high and whisk for 2 minutes until glossy and aerated.
Step 6 FROST - Make sure the cakes are completely cooled. Place one cake on a cake board securing it with a smear of the frosting. Spread a third of the frosting over this cake. Then place the other cake on top and spread remaining frosting on top and down the sides.
Substitution notes:
You can sub the milk with alternate milks like soy, almond or oat milk.
You can also use icing sugar mixture instead of pure icing sugar.
Personal Note
The first thing I made after I got back from holidays was this chocolate cake. I love going overseas but I forgot to bring my supply of chocolate. There is sometimes some interesting chocolates in countries like Japan but in Vietnam is was mostly M&M's and a few Cabdury bars. We arrived back home around mid morning to find the house was spotless. Manu is a great house sitter and he is the cleanest house sitter we've ever had. He also doesn't break things or move things around.
Manu can be very magnetic to certain women. There was one woman who declared that "I own him" and many of them have tried to get serious quickly. He used to have a little fan club of women when he worked as the train driver at The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour (YES, that was a real job ). They'd line up trying to get photos with him afterwards and ask him out.
Although he and his ex girlfriend Manuela broke up a few months ago he asked if she could stay over and on weekends we saw them coming and going from the house from our front door camera. When we got back I noticed something on the dining table and a note with one of my spatulas apologising for using it when cooking a curry and turning it yellow. Manuela had left a gift of some Latvian marshmallow chocolates and an orchid which was very sweet.
The next day as the cake was baking I sat down at the dining table and saw a handwritten piece of paper folded over. Manuela had drawn Manu a menu. "Come right away to see this," I messaged Mr NQN.
On one side there was items like a vegan curry for 25 kisses and other items like drinks for 7 kisses or beer for 10 kisses.
"I guess they haven't broken up?" I said to Mr NQN.
"I'll take this!" said Mr NQN laughing mischievously and he grabbed the menu and stashed it away for safe keeping. He has promised only to bring it out if they get married and he has to do a best man's speech!
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever wanted to try the Matilda chocolate cake? Do you prefer single or double layer cakes?
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