Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Fudgy, deeply chocolatey, and made richer and more grown-up by a good peppery olive oil. Hot coffee in the batter sharpens the cocoa, and the whole thing is genuinely better on the second day, so bake it ahead without guilt.
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 35 min
- Total Time
- 50 min
Recipe Card
Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
★ 4.9 · By Marguerite Hale
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 35 min
- Total Time
- 50 min
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups hot coffee
- 2 eggs
- 6 oz dark chocolate, melted
Instructions
- 1
Heat oven to 350°F and line two 8-inch pans with parchment.
- 2
Whisk flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt together.
- 3
Add olive oil, eggs, and hot coffee. Whisk until smooth — the batter will be loose.
- 4
Divide between pans and bake 30–35 minutes, until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- 5
Cool completely, then fill and cover with the melted chocolate whipped until spreadable.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (10 servings per recipe).
Tip: Won't the olive oil make the cake taste savory?
Not if you use a fruity oil rather than a bitter, grassy one. Cocoa and coffee flatten most of the peppery notes and what is left reads as richness. Save your sharpest finishing oil for salad.
Variation Ideas
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder for a darker, more bitter crumb.
- Bake in a single 9-inch pan and serve dusted with cocoa instead of frosted.
- Fold orange zest into the batter and finish with candied peel.
- Use hot strong tea instead of coffee for a gentler background note.
How long will this cake last?
Covered at room temperature it is good for 4 days and genuinely better on day two. Wrap unfrosted layers and freeze for up to 3 months.
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