Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

A beautifully easy rich and moist chocolate olive oil cake with dairy free options!

A beautifully easy rich and moist chocolate olive oil cake with dairy free options!

I might have made it to the finals of Next Level Chef on season 4, but should I try for Next Level Baker? My friend Matt Groark, a fellow NLC but from season 2, and I are training to become bakers and hope that one day we will make it again onto the set to cook in those insane kitchens. Delusional? Yes. But oh so much fun. I’m taking it back to the beginning and trying recipes I’ve never made before to test myself if the day ever comes to make it back to Ireland! 

If you have seen the last couple of recipes we have made, I’m making some classic recipes like my old go to Cherry Cream Cheese Danishes – but I made them entire from scratch with a rough puff pastry. Or the from scratch Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Both were absolute BANGERS. He’s making things the “easy” way, while I do it the “bakery” way. But this time, we both are making Olive Oil Cake – he’s going traditional, and I’m going chocolate! Check out the recipe below!

Olive Oil versus Butter

While the common saying is “butter is for flavor and oil is for moisture”, this cake turns that saying on it’s head. While butter is always a good answer, the issue with butter is that it is not a complete fat, it still contains water and air. With olive oil it’s entirely fat. And olive oil HAS flavor! If you were to pick a neutral oil like a vegetable oil, I can totally understand where the saying comes from, but it should be “oil is for moisture, but olive oil is the exception”. 

Depending on the variety of olive oil you use, it will pack a larger flavor. It can be impacted by the origin of the olives, or how much it is refined. Extra virgin olive oil is a good medium level flavor, nothing special is required in this recipe because the flavor will come through. 

Two Chocolates for Big Chocolate Flavor

Combining two chocolates will amp up the flavor. This includes chopped semisweet chocolate, and cocoa powder. Using melted chocolate in a cake is very common. Typically it’s melted with butter, and this time with olive oil. 

Then there is cocoa powder. Because this is park of the dry ingredients, this will offset the need for a small amount of flour. Use a dutched cocoa powder for this recipe.

Ingredients

The ingredients are easy to source, and likely everything you already have in your pantry! 

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
• All Purpose Flour
• Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
• Espresso Powder
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Sugar
• Large Eggs, room temperature
• Milk
• Vanilla Extract

Tools for the Job

Chocolate Chips

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Cocoa Powder

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Digital Scale

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Mixing Bowl

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Measuring Cups

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Vanilla Bean Paste

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Springform Pan

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Whisk

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Silicone Spatula

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How to Make Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

This recipe is simple to make, no heavy mixers required. 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the oven rack in the middle position. For this cake, use a 9-inch springform pan. Lightly spray with non stick spray, or olive oil spray (to keep it in the same line). 
2. To melt the chocolate – In a small bowl, add in the olive oil and chocolate and melt in the microwave for about 50 seconds to 1 minute. Or you can use a heat proof bowl over a double boiler, over simmering water that does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir frequently until the chocolate is 85% melted, then remove to stir and allow the residual heat to melt the chocolate. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder. Set aside. 
4. In a third bowl, whisk together the sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy. Whisk in the olive oil and chocolate mixture. Whisk to combine, and add in vanilla extract and milk. Mix completely. Lastly stir in flour mixture until just combined and no flour streaks remain. It is a loose batter. 
5. Pour the cake into the sprayed olive oil springform pan. Sprinkle with two tablespoons of additional white sugar over the top to create a crackle crust. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a crack in the cake comes out with just a couple moist crumbs. Bake times may vary depending on your oven, so be midnful. 
6. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 2 hours in the pan, before removing from the springform pan. 

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake FAQs

Can I add a frosting to this cake? 

I wouldn’t add a frosting to this cake, because of the sugar crackle on top. If you must, add on some powdered sugar, or a mix of unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar. This chocolate version really should stand on its own. 

Can I add in fruit to this recipe?

Raspberries or fresh berries would be a delightful additional to the top of this cake, but I do not recommend baking them into the cake, because the cake is very lightweight, even though it is chocolate. You can add in some mini-chocolate chips. 

What are some other flavors that would go good with this cake?

Oh man, anything that chocolate matches would be delightful here!! Orange, blood orange, cardamom, cinnamon. If you make the original non-chocolate version of this cake, orange or lemon would be delightful!

How do you store this cake? 

Because of this cake’s crackle top, you can place into a air tight container for 2-3 days to keep a moist consistency. Just wait until the cake is completely cool before storing to avoid any steam from accumulating.

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

Yes, use whatever milk substitute you need for this recipe.

More Inspired Homemade Recipes

Gooey Butter Cake From Scratch

Rough Puff Pastry From Scratch

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Sour Cream Chocolate Banana Bread

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