Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper for easy removal. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make sure no lumps remain in the cocoa powder. Set aside while you prepare wet ingredients. Proper pan prep prevents sticking in your Matilda chocolate cake.

Beat eggs with buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined - don't overmix. Stir in hot coffee slowly until batter is smooth and thin. Batter will be very liquid - this is correct for moist texture. Don't panic about the thin consistency.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Don't overbake or the cake will be dry instead of fudgy. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto cooling racks and cool completely before frosting. Layers must be completely cold or frosting will melt.

Heat heavy cream until just simmering, pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Let ganache cool to spreadable consistency - about 30 minutes. Place first layer on serving plate, spread ganache on top. Add second layer and frost entire cake with remaining ganache. Use offset spatula for smooth finish or rustic swirls. Should have rich, fudgy layers and glossy chocolate frosting when your Matilda chocolate cake is done right.