Best Matilda Chocolate Cake (eggless)
Inspired by the legendary Matilda slice, this chocolate cake delivers deep, fudgy richness and an ultra-moist crumb. Topped with a luscious chocolate fudge frosting and made from everyday ingredients. Egg-free, easily dairy-free, and so indulgent, you’ll never want store-bought cake again.
Yield: 8 servings
Equipment
- 3 x 6-inch (15cm) Round Cake Pans or 2 x 8-inch (20cm) Round Cake Pans
- Spatula
Ingredients
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 160 ml Whipping Cream* see notes for options
- 160 g Butter* cut in cubes; see notes for options
- 230 g Dark Chocolate cut in chunks or use chocolate chips
- 15 g Cocoa Powder sifted; preferably dutch processed
- 80 g Powdered Sugar, sifted or icing sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Cake
- 240 ml Milk* room temperature; see notes for options
- 1 tbsp White Vinegar or lemon juice
- 270 g Cane Sugar or castor sugar
- 120 ml Oil sunflower or vegetable oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 225 g All Purpose Flour
- 60 g Cocoa Powder
- 1+1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 180 ml Boiling Water or freshly brewed coffee
Instructions
For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- In a saucepan, combine the whipping cream, dark chocolate,and butter. Warm gently over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until everything is melted and smooth.
- Do not let it boil; just heat until fully combined and glossy.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the sifted cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sifted powdered sugar until smooth and well blended.
- Strain the frosting into a bowl for an extra silky texture, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.
- Let it cool in the fridge for 1 hour 30 min (don't let it set too firm, it should have thick spreadable consistency), or ideally overnight in a cool room temperature, until thick and spreadable.
For the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃).Grease & line with three 6-inch (15cm) round cake pans with baking paper. (You can use three 6-inch (15cm) or two 8-inch (20cm) cake pans.)
- In a bowl combine milk & vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes until curdled. Add oil, vanilla extract & sugar. Stir with a hand whisk until sugar is dissolved.
- Sift all the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt) into the liquid ingredients & mix until combined.
- Add boiling water or freshly brewed coffee and mix until combined. Make sure there are no lumps of flour.
- Divide the cake batter equally into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for roughly 25-30 min or until firm to touch. Cool completely on wire rack
Cake Assembly
- Trim the cake layers to level them using a serrated knife.
- Place a small amount of frosting on your cake stand to anchor the cake, then set down the first layer.
- Spread 5–6 tablespoons of fudge frosting evenly, add the second layer, and repeat. Carefully place the third layer of cake and make sure the cake is straight.
- Apply a thin crumb coat to seal in crumbs, then chill the cake for 30 minutes. Once set, frost the cake fully and smooth it out.
- Chill again for at least 30 minutes. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
- Store the leftover cake in an air tight container for 2-3 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.
Notes
- Cup vs weighing scale: The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams.
- Before you start to make any recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the process will go smoothly and easily.
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with for accuracy.
- Milk: You can use any dairy-free unsweetened milk (like almond, soy, oat) or dairy based whole milk.
- Cream: You can use unsweetened dairy-free whipping cream (califia farms or country crock) or use regular whipping cream
- Butter: Dairy-free salted butter sticks or any salted butter of your choice
- Sugar: Cane sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar or castor sugar. Ensure the sugar is vegan-friendly (some sugars are processed with bone char) or organic cane sugar.
- Chocolate : Use dark or semi-sweet baking chocolate chips / 60% or higher couverture chocolate / good quality 60% or higher chocolate bar. For Vegan version, use dark chocolate of any dairy-free chocolate brand (make sure it doesn't contain milk solids or butter) but cocoa butter is totally fine.