double chocolate olive oil cake of your dreams

This is the kind of cake that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with boxed mix. A generous splash of Olinda olive oil makes the cake remarkably moist. It melts in your mouth! It only takes one bowl to pull together (my type of recipe!). Fewer dishes to clean means more time to eat cake later. You can easily halve this recipe and make two mini 6-inch cakes instead of one 8–9 inch cake. It makes for a cute gift. You may also use gluten-free flour in this chocolate olive oil cake.

This cake is inspired by a cake that I saw on Bon Appetit's website!

chocolate olive oil cake

• Nonstick spray

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 1/3 cups flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 eggs, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider or distilled white vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes before using)

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, such as Olinda olive oil

• 3/4 cup water

• Juice and zest of 1/2 an orange

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, broken into small pieces

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, plus more if needed

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Flaky sea salt, optional but highly recommended

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Spray an 8-inch round or square cake pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, olive oil, water, and orange juice and zest. Whisk until smooth and free of lumps. Don’t over-mix, or your cake may turn out tough.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let the cake cool in the pan until it’s easy to handle.

Meanwhile, make the frosting: melt the chocolate and olive oil together in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and fully melted. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy.

Turn the cake out onto a plate and spread the frosting over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if you like.