Triple Matilda Chocolate Cake (Printer-friendly)
Three chocolate layers with buttercream frosting and glossy ganache topping.
# What you'll need:
→ Cake Layers
01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
04 - 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
06 - 1 teaspoon fine salt
07 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
08 - 1 cup hot coffee
09 - ½ cup vegetable oil
10 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
11 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Chocolate Frosting
12 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
15 - ⅓ cup whole milk, plus more as needed
16 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
17 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Chocolate Ganache
18 - 8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
19 - 1 cup heavy cream
20 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, hot coffee, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
04 - Add wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
05 - Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans. Smooth tops with a spatula.
06 - Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder gradually, mixing on low. Add milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy, adding extra milk if needed for spreadability.
09 - Heat cream in a small saucepan until just simmering. Pour over chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Cool until thickened but still pourable.
10 - Place first cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with frosting. Top with second layer, frost again. Add the third layer and frost the top and sides.
11 - Pour ganache over the top, letting it drip down the sides for a dramatic effect.
12 - Chill cake for 20–30 minutes to set ganache before slicing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The hot coffee in the batter deepens the chocolate flavor without adding any coffee taste at all.
- This cake actually gets better after sitting in the fridge overnight, making it perfect for make-ahead entertaining.
- The ganache dripping down the sides makes you look like a professional baker with almost zero effort.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients prevent the batter from separating and create even texture.
- The ganache must cool until thickened but still pourable, or it will run right off the cake.
- Chilling the frosted cake for 15 minutes before applying ganache helps it set better.
03 -
- Weigh your pans after adding batter to ensure perfectly equal layers.
- Tap each pan firmly on the counter twice before baking to release any air bubbles.