There is only one true dessert anyone could ever create for a Matilda menu: Bruce Bogtrotter’s Chocolate Cake! I’ve made my fair share of chocolate cakes in my day, but this one was almost intimidating because it’s just so iconic. It’s practically synonymous with Matilda. I absolutely could NOT get Bruce’s cake wrong. So I hunted high and low for a cake recipe that I new would stand up to the massive dimensions of Bruce’s cake. In the book, it’s 18 inches across, but since that wouldn’t fit in my oven, I went with the size of my largest pan: 10 inches. Still a pretty darn big cake, and one that I wanted to make sure would be stay moist despite having to bake longer than a small cake.

For the actual “cake” part of the cake, I used a recipe I found through Good Housekeeping. It promised to be super rich and moist, which was perfect. What surprised me was that, unlike many intense chocolate cakes I’ve seen, this one didn’t use coffee. I saw a way to sub out part of the buttermilk for regular milk mixed with instant coffee granules, so I made the change. And I’m so glad I did! The cake was that much more chocolatey, and even though you can’t taste the coffee itself, the added depth of flavor helps balance all the sweetness in the cake.

For the frosting, I tried a twist on my own chocolate buttercream. Instead of milk, I used sour cream, which added moisture while making the final product lighter and fluffier than milk would. Plus, I added a bit of cinnamon for a little somethin’ special. The final cake was just what I was looking for: a rich, luxurious chocolate cake with a frosting that matched it for intensity of flavor yet contrasted it with a smooth, light texture.

Of course, a 10-inch, 2-layer cake is too huge for just the Mister and me, so I sent half of it to work with him. It got rave reviews, especially the frosting, so I think it’s safe to say this cake is worthy of Bruce Bogtrotter. Enjoy! 🙂

A

Bruce BogTrotter’s Chocolate Cake

“The cook disappeared. Almost at once she was back again staggering under the weight of an enormous round chocolate cake on a china platter. The cake was fully 18 inches in diameter and it was covered in dark-brown chocolate icing.”

— Matilda

 

INGREDIENTS:

• For the Cake
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, separated
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla
• For the Frosting
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
  • 5 cups powdered sugar, separated
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 5 tbsp sour cream, separated

 

Makes a 10-inch, 2-layer cake

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 10-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper circles. Set aside.
      2. Mix the lemon juice into 1 cup of the milk (this will make buttermilk). In a separate container, mix the coffee granules into the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Set aside.
      3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
      4. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugars on low speed until blended. Gradually increase the speed to high and beat for 5 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape the bowl if necessary. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla and milk-coffee mix. Alternate beating in the flour mix and the milk-lemon mix, stopping to scrape the bowl if necessary.
         
      5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 22-25 minutes or until they spring back when tapped with a finger. The pans may be too big to fit side by side in your oven, so you may need to stagger then on different racks. To ensure even baking, make sure there is enough clearance for both cakes to rise and do not place them directly above/below each other.
      6. When the layers are finished, allow them to rest in the pans for 5 minutes, then loosen the sides with a knife and remove them to wire racks to cool.
      7. While the layers cool, start working on your frosting. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the butter on medium speed in a standing mixer until smooth. Beat in 1 cup of the powdered sugar mix until smooth. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp of the sour cream. Alternate beating in the remaining powdered sugar mix and sour cream until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of bowl between additions if necessary.
      8. When your layers are completely cool, level them off and turn one upside down on a serving plate. Smooth a layer of frosting over the top of the first layer (you won’t need a lot—maybe about 1 cup). Place the second layer upside down on top of it and frost your cake as desired. I went with the simple, rustic look to fit the pictures from the book and the cake from the movie.
         
      9. Serve to Bruce Bogtrotter at a student assembly! 🙂

    

   Check out my other Roald Dahl recipes!

   

   Big Apple Hand Pies from James and the Giant Peach

   

   Fried Snowballs from James and the Giant Peach

   

   Honey-Glazed Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Ice Cream from James and the Giant Peach

   

   Gummy Newts from Matilda

   

   Fish and Chips from Matilda

   

   Miss Honey’s Honey Oat Bread from Matilda