Looking for the perfect sweet something for your special Valentine? I have the right cake for you. This cake serves more than two people so you’ll have some leftovers the following day (plus it keeps for a few days).
I’m crashing a book club later this month because the book is all about cooking. Let’s just say that I’ve become a bit obsessed with it, so you’re likely to hear more about Samin Nosart’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking in other posts. In the Fat section she talks about finding the perfect cake recipe and the revelation that occurred when she realized it’s oil (and not butter) that makes for the perfect moist cake.
That rings true with this easy to make one bowl cake recipe. I loved the idea of using a mild olive oil rather than a more traditional canola or vegetable oil. You might even be able to convince yourself that it’s heart healthy between the olive oil and dark chocolate.
While I used gluten-free flour (Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour is my go-to), you can use the same amount of regular all purpose flour. This is one of those recipes where you can’t tell that the cake is gluten-free.
Trust me on the salt – use both coarse sea salt (cake) and flaky sea salt (glaze) – to intensify the chocolate flavor.
This cake is very forgiving, too. Don’t worry if it sinks a bit in the middle when it come out of the oven as you’re going to cover it up with a glaze. Glaze that is made by melting chocolate in the microwave making it super easy to make, too. Just be sure to watch it carefully as chocolate can burn very easily.
Ed gave this cake his seal of approval saying I never needed to make any other cake but this one.
| Chocolate Olive Oil Cake (Gluten-Free) | Print |
- 1-1/2 cups gluten-free or all-purpose flour (see Notes)
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa (see Notes)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups coffee (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons sweetened cocoa powder (see Notes)
- 3 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (for shine)
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and coat bottom and sides with nonstick cooking spray.
- Using a stand mixer or by hand, in a large bowl stir (low speed) together flour, cocoa, baking soda, coarse sea salt and granulated sugar. Add brown sugar and olive oil, and stir (low speed) to combine. Add coffee, vanilla and cider vinegar and stir (medium speed) until smooth.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is springy and a tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then loosen cake from pan and invert it onto wire rack to cool completely.
- Combine chocolate, sweetened cocoa powder, olive oil, corn syrup and salt in a medium bowl. Microwave to melt, in 15 to 30 second increments, stirring between each until just melted. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour over completely cooled cake and use an offset spatula to gently nudge it down the sides.
- Store in refrigerator for up to five days. Remove from refrigerator an hour before serving.
* I recommend Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour if making this cake gluten-free.
* You use unsweetened cocoa powder for the cake and sweetened cocoa powder for the glaze.
* You can use chilled brewed coffee or dissolve 4 teaspoons espresso powder in ¼ cup hot water and then add 1-1/4 cups cold water.
* You can also split this cake into two 8" round pans. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes.
Source: Variation of a recipe from the Smitten Kitchen
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