I still see so many cake recipes made with butter. But oil makes the perfect tender crumb without a pat of dairy. With most cakes, you do want to use a neutral-tasting oil. But chocolate is special. It has a wonderful depth that compliments several rich flavors. Which is why dairy-free chocolate olive oil cake is such a beloved dessert.
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake that Will Make You Forget About Butter
Olive oil is a flavorful and versatile cooking oil that is often trusted in popular cooking methods such as sauteing, stir-frying, dressing, marinating and grilling. It can also earn your trust when it comes to baking.
Choosing Your Olive Oil
Unlike butter, all varieties of olive oil typically have high levels of mono-unsaturated fat and low levels of saturated fat. But it’s important to choose the right variety for your recipe.
Extra-virgin olive oil has the most full-bodied flavor, and the lowest smoke point, around 350 F. So it’s best to use it for low or medium heat cooking, or use it fresh in salad dressings or for drizzling.
On the other end of the spectrum, Extra-light olive oil has a more neutral flavor and a higher smoke point, over 400 F. It’s great for cooking and in all types of baked goods, like this dairy-free chocolate olive oil cake!
Double Duty Ingredient
When a recipe calls for greasing or buttering the pan, you can wipe it with olive oil instead. It’s an even better, naturally non-stick food.
How to Store Olive Oil
To maintain olive oil’s flavor and quality, store it in a cool, dark place that isn’t near the oven. You want to avoid keeping it near heat or light, and keep it sealed to avoid oxidation.
This photo was shared with us by Filippo Berio, and we did adapt the recipe from them and added our own dairy-free ganache.
Special Diet Notes: Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, optionally vegan, and vegetarian.
We haven’t tested this recipe gluten-free, but if you do use egg, it should work well with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of the flour.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons extra-light olive oil
- ½ cup lite coconut milk or dairy-free creamer
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten (or 1 egg replacer)
- ¼ cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips
- Dairy-free chocolate ganache (optional; see below)
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
- Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
- In large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the ½ cup olive oil, lite coconut milk or creamer, and vanilla. Add the egg and beat with a mixer until well blended.
- Scrape the batter into your prepared cake pan and sprinkle the top with the mini chocolate chips.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Place the cake on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then turn the cake out onto the rack and let it cool completely.
- Once cool, transfer the cake to a serving plate. If desired, pour on the dairy-free chocolate ganache, spreading it with a spatula as needed. If it's too thin, let it cool a little more, but if it's too thick, gently reheat it a little. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt, if desired.
