Olive oil chocolate cake with chocolate olive oil icing!

 

Hi everyone!

My husband´s birthday was on Friday and he requested that I make his favourite cake, which is this chocolate olive oil cake. I know that chocolate and olive oil see like a peculiar combination but the result is a super smooth and delicious cake. No traces of olive oil flavouring…Just yummy dark chocolate. It is easy to make and definitely worth a go! I got the recipe from http://bluestarfoodie.com and I just have to share it!

 

You will need two 20cm sandwich tins

Heatproof bowl and saucepan of simmering water

Ingredients for cake:

125g self raising flour

1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g caster sugar

3 eggs

150ml extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for greasing and drizzling)

50g cocoa (i used a good quality cocoa form Valor)

125ml hot water

For olive oil ganache:

200g dark chocolate suitable for baking

150ml double cream

1tsbp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to gas mark 4, (220°)line and grease the sandwich tins with a little olive oil and baking parchment.

Start by combining the eggs, sugar and olive oil, whisking with an electric beater to create a pale and fluffy creamy mixture.

Mix together the hot water and cocoa to form a thick and lusciously chocolatey paste, leaving to cool slightly before adding into the egg mixture and beating well.

Sift in the flour and bicarb, folding gently until achieving a smooth chocolate cake batter.

Divide between the sandwich tins and bake on a middle-high shelf in the oven for around 40 minutes. (My oven was different. It took only 25 minutes and I put a sheet of foil over the pans to keep the tops from burning.) Every oven is different so never completely trust baking times. Keep it in the oven until skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in their tins for 10 minutes before transferring the cakes to a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, create the ganache. Begin by gently melting 200g dark chocolate  in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Be careful that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water in the pan, otherwise the chocolate will begin to burn and melt too quickly. Heat the double cream until almost boiling and pour over the melted chocolate, stirring with a whisk to create a luxuriously glossy sheen. Add the tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil for even more shine and fruity, savoury flavour.

Take 1/3 of the ganache and spread between the two cakes, spooning the remaining 2/3 over the top and down the sides of the cake.

This cake is truly excellent. Not too rich and just perfect.

Same cake on a different occasion!

I hope you like this too!

xxxx Natascha