Inspired by Dubai’s ultra-famous Matilda cake, this recipe makes the ultimate chocolate cake with fudgy and chocolatey cake layers, a rich dark chocolate ganache filling, and a milk chocolate ganache that’s poured on top for a little drama.
The new kids will never know the utter confusion we felt as kids watching the famous scene from Matilda where Bruce is “punished” by being forced to eat a whole chocolate cake. We couldn’t decide if we wanted to eat the chocolate cake, or never look at it again (iykyk).
But then our generation grew up and decided that we, in fact, wanted to eat the cake, which is why we’ve seen Matilda-inspired chocolate cakes literally everywhere. You’ll find one at almost every bakery, but one particular Matilda cake in Dubai has become one of the most popular desserts in Dubai.
Served at a famous restaurant called Parker’s in Dubai, this Matilda cake has taken the internet by storm. It’s probably these second-most famous desserts from Dubai (no one can dethrone the Dubai chocolate for a while, it’s an epidemic.)
And in my mission to recreate it, I went ahead and gave it a try, and let’s just say…you don’t need to pay 97 dhs for that piece of cake, because you can make it at home, and you can make it better. TRUST ME.
Any Matilda cake is just meant to be a very chocolate-rich cake with chocolate cake layers and chocolate ganache, but what it shouldn’t be, is overly sweet. Cause let’s face it, we’re not 10 anymore. We’re grown-ups with a grown-up pallet, and desserts need to be a lot more than just sweet.
Getting to the point, you don’t need to be spending almost 100 dhs on a (large) cake slice when you can EASILY make it at home. Honestly, this recipe couldn’t get any simpler, no matter how fancy it looks.
Don’t believe me? Let’s get into the details then!
Chocolate Cake Layers
The chocolate cake layers in any Matilda cake should be fudgy, and moist, and that’s exactly what you get with my simple, one-bowl chocolate cake recipe. All you need is a bowl, a hand whisk, and a few simple ingredients to put this cake together in less than 20 minutes.
Here are the steps for making the chocolate cake.
- In a bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, coffee powder, and salt.
- Add the brown and white sugar, buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla essence, and mix with the dry ingredients until everything is fully combined.
- Gradually add the boiling water into the batter while whisking (to avoid any scrambling) and mix until fully combined. The boiling water helps activate the cocoa and coffee powder, making the cake super chocolatey.
- You can make this cake in a regular round shape or a large slice like I did. If making it in a regular round shape, use three 6″ cake pans to create three layers. For the slice method, I recommend baking in a flat, rectangular sheet pan and cutting out three slices from it after baking.
- Bake the cake at 170 degrees Celsius minutes for 20-30 until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Once the cake layers are cooled, wrap them in cling film and refrigerate for a couple of hours to make the assembly easier.
Chocolate Ganache
The Matilda cake at Parker’s is filled with a thick ganache and is also poured (VERY generously) with a thinner ganache on top (which is probably what gives it it’s popularity because it creates a fun theatre in your desserts). To replicate that, this recipe uses two types of ganache – a thick, spreadable one for the filling, and a thin, sauce-like ganache for the topping.
Both ganaches are made in the exact same way, the one difference is the kind of chocolate and the ratio of chocolate to cream.
The filling ganache uses 70% dark chocolate because I wanted the cake to have a balanced flavor and not be overly sweet. The original Matilda cake has milk chocolate ganache filling but honestly, I found it very sweet, especially because the cake is also topped with A LOT of milk chocolate ganache. The filling ganache also uses a 1:1 chocolate-to-cream ratio (which basically means that you use equal amounts of chocolate and cream) as it’s supposed to have a thick, spreadable consistency.
The pouring ganache uses milk chocolate which balances out the dark chocolate filling perfectly, and is made with a 2:1 chocolate-to-cream ratio (which basically means you add double the amount of cream to chocolate) as it has to be runnier and has a sauce-like consistency.
But like I said, the method to make both of them is exactly the same. Here are the steps for making the ganache.
- In a heat-proof bowl, place the chocolate, and heat the cream in a saucepan on medium heat until it almost starts boiling.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let it sit for a minute, allowing the chocolate to melt, then whisk until the chocolate has fully melted and combined with the cream.
- You can make both the ganache a day ahead and store them in the fridge. They will harden but you can microwave them until they reach the desired consistency.
Assembly
In my opinion, the Matilda Cake at Parker’s is famous because of that whole pull-up factor. Basically, they cover the cake slice with a mold, then top the cake with a lot of runny chocolate sauce and pull the mold up, which creates a whole flood of ganache on top and adds a little drama into the dessert, which everyone enjoys.
Of course, that’s not necessary, you could just pour the ganache on top, but if you do want to recreate that theatre, it can easily be done at home.
Here are the steps for assembling the Matilda cake.
- Place the first cake layer on the bottom and spread a thick layer of dark chocolate ganache on top. Smooth out all the edges, keeping them as neat as possible, then top them with the second slice.
- Repeat the process for all the cake layers, with a final layer of dark chocolate ganache on top.
- For the pull-up effect, cover the sides of the cake as tightly as possible with an acetate sheet, and secure its two edges with tape to seal it around the cake. Make sure the acetate sheet is higher than the cake.
- When ready to serve, pour the milk chocolate ganache on top generously (make sure to heat it until it has a runny consistency), and sprinkle chocolate flakes on top. Be quick here because if the cake has just come out of the fridge, the ganache will set on top.
- Hold the acetate sheet from both sides and pull it up to release the chocolate ganache, and the cake is ready to be enjoyed.
Honestly, this is one of those desserts that’s extremely simple but an absolute classic. And if you do the pull-up technique, it’s sure to impress everyone around!
Ready to make it? Let’s get started.
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are very unreliable and can give different measurements, so I would suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Matilda Cake (inspired by Parker’s in Dubai)
Equipment
- 9×11 rectangle sheet cake pan (or three 6 inch cake pans)
- Hand whisk
- Acetate Sheet optional, for the pull-up effect
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 125 ml full-fat milk
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 120 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams white granulated sugar
- 100 grams packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 th tsp baking soda
- 38 grams cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp coffee powder
- 1 egg
- 60 ml neutral oil
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 125 ml boiling water
Dark Chocolate Filling Ganache
- 200 grams dark chocolate
- 200 ml liquid whipping cream
Milk Chocolate Pouring Ganache
- 150 ml grams milk chocolate
- 300 ml liquid whipping cream
- Flakes for assembly, optional
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 170°C. Grease the cake pans with butter and dust them with flour to prevent sticking.
- Make the buttermilk by combining vinegar with milk. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine evenly.
- Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Gradually pour the boiling water into the batter while whisking and mixing until everything is fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for 20 mins or until a test toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool before assembling.
- Make the dark chocolate ganache: heat the cream until it almost starts boiling and pour it over the dark chocolate (placed in a heat-proof bowl). Let the cream sit for a minute, allowing the chocolate to melt, then whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and combined with the cream.
- Make the milk chocolate ganache: follow the same steps as the dark chocolate ganache.
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake board. Spread a thick, even layer of dark chocolate ganache on top, smoothing it neatly to the edges.
- Add the second cake layer on top and repeat the process, spreading ganache between each layer. Finish with a generous coating of dark chocolate ganache on the topmost layer.
- For the pull-up effect, wrap the sides of the cake tightly with an acetate sheet, ensuring the edges overlap slightly. Use tape to secure the acetate, forming a snug cylinder around the cake. Make sure the sheet extends higher than the cake to hold the ganache later.
- Before serving, warm the milk chocolate ganache until it reaches a smooth, pourable consistency. Pour it generously over the top of the cake with a sprinkle of chocolate flakes, then hold the acetate sheet from both sides and pull it up, letting the ganache flow toward the edges. Work quickly, as the ganache may set if the cake is cold.
- Alternatively, you can pour the ganache on top for a similar effect.
Notes
- The cake layers can be made a day in advance and wrapped tightly in cling film.
- The ganache can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.
- Preparing the Cake Pans: Use butter and flour to grease the pans thoroughly, including the corners, to prevent the cake from sticking. Alternatively, line the bottoms with parchment paper for added ease.
- Homemade Buttermilk: If you don’t have vinegar, lemon juice works as a great substitute. Let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes to curdle properly.
- Even Cake Layers: Use a kitchen scale to divide the batter equally between the pans for uniform layers. Tap the pans gently on the counter to remove air bubbles before baking.
- Cooling the Cake: Let the layers cool completely before assembling. Warm layers can cause the ganache to melt and slide.
- Ganache Consistency: For smooth spreading, ensure the dark chocolate ganache is thick but spreadable. For the pull-up effect, heat the milk chocolate ganache just enough to make it pourable but not too thin.
- Serving Temperature: If the cake is chilled, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before pouring the ganache to avoid it setting too quickly.
Look, if you still wanna spend almost 100 dhs on a cake slice, I am not gonna stop you. I’ll just say that I think you’ll like this one better. The dark chocolate ganache perfectly balances out the sweetness of the cake, and the simple chocolate cake layers are super moist and fudgt.
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
