Last week, my dear friend baked the most delicious olive oil cake. It was light, airy, moist and perfectly sweet… it was so good that I went back for seconds and immediately pushed olive oil cake up to the top of this weeks baking list.
If you are unfamiliar with olive oil cake, I highly recommend you try this cake out soon for several reasons. The first and most important reason is the way that it tastes. It is absolutely fabulous. The flavors are so well balanced and the texture is light and moist and stays that way for days.
The second reason is that it is really easy to make. As long as you measure correctly, this cake would be a great cake for someone who doesn’t bake a lot. The recipe doesn’t require any special gadgets or techniques and comes together in one bowl, so it is the perfect cake for any last minute dessert needs that may arrive.
While classic olive oil cake is flavored with fresh lemon juice, today we are baking up a dark chocolate version of this Mediterranean dessert that you are going to love.
Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 1/2 cup of a good quality dark chocolate cocoa powder (I love Ghirardelli’s cocoa powders), 1/2 cup of hot water, 3/4 cup of a flavorful olive oil, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of espresso powder.
Start by whisking 1/2 cup of cocoa powder with 1/2 cup of hot water until the mixture is smooth.
Next, add 3/4 cup of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add 1 cup of granulated sugar and 3 large eggs and then whisk vigorously until the mixture is creamy and fully combined. You can do this in a stand mixer, with an electric hand mixer or just a stiff whisk and some elbow grease. As you whisk, you will see the olive oil start to incorporate and the batter will become a little fluffy. This is exactly what you are looking for before you add the dry ingredients.
Whisk 1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of espresso powder into the batter until it is just combined. Transfer the batter into a greased and parchment lined springform pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
When a toothpick will come out clean from the center of the cake, transfer the pan onto a heat proof surface to cool for about 5 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.
While the cake is still warm, sprinkle it with a little flaky sea salt and grab some whipped cream…
This dark chocolate olive oil cake is so light and tender. It’s springy and moist with a texture unlike any other cake. The flavors are well balanced between the richness of the olive oil, a subtle bitterness from the chocolate and the sweet and salty notes that round everything out beautifully.
If you are wondering whether you should bake this cake or not, do it. It is simple, but incredibly delicious and will stay tender and moist for days in a covered cake stand or air tight container.
Once you bake this cake, you will know why the olive oil cake a staple dessert in so many Mediterranean kitchens. It is one truly fabulous cake….
Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup of water, hot
- 3/4 cup of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of espresso powder
- flaky sea salt (for garnishing)
- whipped cream (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of hot water with 1/2 cup of dark chocolate cocoa powder until smooth
- Add 3/4 cup of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and whisk to combine
- Add 1 cup of granulated sugar and 3 large eggs and whisk vigorously until creamy and fully combined
- Add 1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of espresso powder and whisk until just combined
- Prepare a 9 inch springform pan by greasing the interior and lining the bottom with parchment paper
- Transfer the cake batter into the prepared pan
- Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes on the center rack of a 350 degree oven
- When a toothpick will come from the center of the cake clean, transfer the cake pan to a heat proof surface and let the cake cool for 5 minutes before transferring the cake directly onto a cooling rack
- Lightly sprinkle the warm cake with some flaky sea salt
- Serve with whipped cream
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature
