

Olive Oil Chocolate Cake
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Cake is my ultimate comfort food, whether it’s layered with frosting or enjoyed plain. What truly captivates me is the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the crumb. In this recipe, extra-virgin olive oil takes center stage, so it’s essential to choose a high-quality one.
For this chocolate cake, I used Corto Olive Oil’s Agrummato Basil and Lemongrass Extra-Virgin Olive Oil., which lends a refreshing, herbal note to the deep, rich flavors of the chocolate. The result? A perfectly balanced cake with layers of complexity.
One fascinating discovery is that the olive oil’s unique flavor profile becomes even more pronounced when the cake is cooled to room temperature. As the cake warms in your mouth, your body temperature enhances the olive oil’s aroma, creating a truly irresistible experience.
Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or treating yourself, this chocolate olive oil cake recipe is a must-try for its delightful flavor and tender texture.
- Yield: One 9 in [23 cm] round cake
Ingredients
1 cup [240 ml] an extra-fruity extra-virgin olive oil plus extra to coat the baking pan (See Notes)
2 cups [280 g] all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup [180 g] chopped semisweet chocolate (70 % cacao)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups [250 g] sugar
1 cup [240 ml] whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F[180C]. Grease a 9 in [23 cm] round springform cake pan with a little olive oil.
- Dry whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mix in a separate mixing bowl, add the chocolate and toss to coat well.
- Add the eggs, sugar, 1 cup [240 ml] olive oil, and milk to the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender fitted with a blade. Pulse a few times until thick, creamy, and emulsified. Scrape the sides down with a spatula.
- Add the dry flour mix to the batter and pulse at short intervals until combined. Scrape the sides down with a spatula. Hold on to the bowl. The mixture will be thick and creamy.
- Pour the mixture into the large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and fold with a silicone spatula to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the top is golden brown. It will be firm and spring back when touched. A skewer will come out clean when inserted through the center, and the internal temperature of the cake will register 200F [95C]. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Release the cake from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve the cake at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature and a week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use an excellent quality fruity olive oil cake in this recipe to get a full appreciation of the olive flavor.
- You can also use flavored olive oils here: I used Corto Olive Oil’s Agrummato Basil and Lemongrass Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.
- Author: Nik Sharma
6 Responses
Hello,
Glad you both and the pets are safe and back home. After this last anxious week in LA , my happy place is cake baking and this cake sounds lovely. I’m anxious to try it!
The recipe has Olive oil listed twice. I’m assuming this is an error as I see only one cup in the instructions?
Thank you.
You’re absolutely right (regarding the oil) and thank you so much for your kind words. It means the world to me, stay safe.
Glad you are all safe – watching updates from afar has us all worried about friends and family. Hope you continue to be well and wish the community is able to bounce back.
I love the idea of this lemongrass, olive oil, and chocolate flavor combination. Do you have a suggestion for a way to incorporate lemongrass without flavored olive oil? Could I infuse it in the milk?
I would recommend using whole milk, because it needs fat as a medium to dissolve into.
Thank you for sharing our story. The Altadena area is truly a special place, and we hope that all impacted find their way to the recovery they deserve.
Lovely recipe, thank you.