Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLISSIMAIntroduction
Although I first came up with this recipe because I had someone coming for supper who - genuinely - couldn't eat wheat or dairy, it is so meltingly good, I now make it all the time for those whose life and diet are not so unfairly constrained, myself included.
It is slightly heavier with the almonds - though not in a bad way - so if you want a lighter crumb, rather than a squidgy interior, and are not making the cake for the gluten-intolerant, then replace the 150g ground almonds / 1½ cups almond meal with 125g plain flour / ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour. This has the built-in bonus of making it perhaps more suitable for an everyday cake.
Made with the almonds, it has more of supper-party pudding feel about it and I love it still a bit warm, with some raspberries or some such on the side, as well as a dollop of mascarpone or ice cream.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Although I first came up with this recipe because I had someone coming for supper who - genuinely - couldn't eat wheat or dairy, it is so meltingly good, I now make it all the time for those whose life and diet are not so unfairly constrained, myself included.
It is slightly heavier with the almonds - though not in a bad way - so if you want a lighter crumb, rather than a squidgy interior, and are not making the cake for the gluten-intolerant, then replace the 150g ground almonds / 1½ cups almond meal with 125g plain flour / ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour. This has the built-in bonus of making it perhaps more suitable for an everyday cake.
Made with the almonds, it has more of supper-party pudding feel about it and I love it still a bit warm, with some raspberries or some such on the side, as well as a dollop of mascarpone or ice cream.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Makes: 8-12 slices
- 150 millilitres regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
- 50 grams good-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
- 125 millilitres boiling water
- 2 teaspoons best vanilla extract
- 150 grams ground almonds (or 125g plain flour / 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- 200 grams caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
- 6 tablespoons good-quality unsweetened cocoa (sifted)
- ½ cup boiling water
- 2 teaspoons best vanilla extract
- 1½ cups almond meal (or 125g plain flour / 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 3 large eggs
Method
- Preheat your oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/gas mark 3/325ºF. Grease a 22 or 23 cm/ 9inch springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.
- Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
- In another smallish bowl, combine the ground almonds (or flour) with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.
- Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
- Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond (or flour) mixture.
- Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.
- Preheat your oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/gas mark 3/325ºF. Grease a 22 or 23 cm/ 9inch springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.
- Measure and sift the unsweetened cocoa into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
- In another smallish bowl, combine the almond meal (or flour) with the baking soda and pinch of salt.
- Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
- Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond (or flour) mixture.
- Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.
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Show more commentsSo delish!!! And fluffy, best eaten hot
Amazing! I needed to use up just the right amount of almond flour and this cake was easy and quick! Moist! Rich and not too sweet. It will not disappoint.
As a novice baker, I blew my family away with this cake. I replaced 200g of sugar with 50g of sugar and 3 tablespoons of triple zero stevia to make it lower carb. It was demolished enthusiastically.
Made it this morning. Absolutely loved it! It was a hit at home !! As flour is hard to buy at the moment, almond meal is easily available. And this chocolate cake wins hands down.
Is it possible to bake this in a loaf tin?
As someone who bakes a lot and has always been a ‘Nigella Fan’, I have used this recipe a lot recently. With the awful pandemic hitting the world I have found buying flour difficult, but I’m pleased to say ground almonds are plentiful. This scrumptious cake is the perfect pick-me-up in these stressful times. My daughter who is a front-line nurse takes a cake in to share With her colleagues when working nights. Love to all in the NHS.
Everyone who's tried it agrees this is the perfect chocolate cake; better even than a conventional one. Moreishly soft and textured almond meal in the middle, but with an irresistible crumbly outer layer, and not too sweet. I like to spread a layer of sour cream or Philadelphia mixed with muscavodo, vanilla essence and cinnamon on top with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds to make it look as good as it tastes.
One of my go-to everyday chocolate cakes. Very versatile: works incredibly well also with semolina, using normal vegetable oil in a pinch for a less refined flavour, or substituting eggs with 'chia eggs' to make a vegan version (no need to whisk, double the leavening agent).
I can’t believe how well this cake turned out! It’s absolutely delicious - soft, moist and flavourful!
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made, so moist and delicious. My first Nigella recipe ever. I’m hooked. What’s next??
I have made this cake many times and it is delicious. It was wonderful to have a cake that was suitable for the GF and DF among us plus.
The cake is amazing and popular with all. With just almonds it’s gluten and lactose free. It does sink as you can see in the picture, however I put a forest looking layer of upward pointing raspberries on top. Everyone loves it.