The Matilda Chocolate Cake
This recipe was a spontaneous creation, and I was thrilled with how it turned out. The sponge is moist but not oily—a common issue with oil-based chocolate cakes—and the cream cheese frosting is smooth and delicious. It’s a devilishly good cake to make and eat, whether your name is Bruce Bogtrotter or not.


Serves 16
Hands-on Time 40 minutes (plus cooling)
Baking Time 32 minutes
Ingredients
240g unsalted butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
290g cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting)
160ml olive oil
370g caster sugar
3 large eggs
290g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt (plus a pinch)
5 tsp vanilla extract (divided)
250ml double cream
1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee powder (fine)
250ml boiling water
150g cream cheese
480g icing sugar
35ml full-fat milk
Equipment
Scissors
Baking parchment
2 x 20cm fixed or push-bottom cake tins
Mixing bowl
Electric whisk or hand whisk
Spatula
Wire rack
Bread knife
Palette knife
Method
1. Prepare the cake tins
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C (fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Cut two circles of parchment to fit the bottoms of the tins.
Grease the tins with butter, line with parchment, and grease the parchment.
Dust the tins with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.
2. Make the cake batter
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil and caster sugar.
Add the eggs and whisk until combined.
Add the flour, 170g cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and 1 1/4 tsp salt. Stir with a spatula until combined (the mixture may be stiff).
Loosen the mixture with the double cream and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and slowly pour into the batter, stirring gently. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is combined.
3. Bake the cakes
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins and smooth the tops.
Bake on the middle shelf for 32 minutes.
Let the cakes cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment and let them cool completely.
4. Make the frosting
In a clean bowl, combine the cream cheese and 240g butter.
Add 120g cocoa powder, icing sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir gently to avoid an icing sugar explosion, then whisk until thick and smooth.
Add the milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk briefly to loosen the frosting.
5. Assemble the cake
Use a bread knife to level the tops of the cakes.
Place one cake on a serving plate and spread one-third of the frosting on top.
Invert the second cake and place it on top of the frosting.
Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting, smoothing it with a palette knife.
Tips
For a neater finish, chill the cake for 20 minutes before applying the final layer of frosting.
If the frosting is too thick, add a splash more milk; if too thin, add a little more icing sugar.
Enjoy!

































