Two weeks from today, my second cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant & Unfussy New Favorites will be leaving warehouses* to reach bookstores or perhaps your front door (if you’ve preordered the book) and I cannot believe it’s so close now. Last month, I shared the trailer for the book and told you all about the book tour that begins the day the book comes out and I promised additional cities would be added. Today is the day! The book tour page — see it in full right here, or click on the image below — now includes Minneapolis, Atlanta, Montreal, Kansas City, Denver, Boulder, Tulsa, Maplewood NJ and an additional book signing in New York City, in addition to the events already planned in Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles.
The book launch will be right here in New York City two weeks from tonight at Barnes & Noble Union Square. Amanda Hesser of Food52, New York Times, and James Beard Award-winning fame and I will chat, and a book signing will follow. Prepare to spot all sorts of Smitten Kitchen Family Members, eager to share stories about what a terrible cook I was as a kid.
Will you come say hi? I hope you do. I hope we get to hang out.
Is the book tour not coming to your town? I have you covered. No, I have not figured out how to clone myself (we all know I’d just make the clone do the dishes anyway) but even better, you can pre-order a signed cookbook inscribed any way you wish through The Strand, a beloved bookstore in my neighborhood. I am inscribing these books next week, so if you’d like yours to go out with the other preorders, with the goal of arriving when the book is released, please please please order before 10/16? I will still be delighted to sign all other orders that come in, but it will be when I can stop by between book tour stops.
Pre-Order A Custom Inscribed Cookbook
Finally, just a tiny update: The 92Y event with David Lebovitz had been listed as sold out but they moved it to a bigger room and now it is not. (Yay.)
* If you follow @smittenkitchen Instagram Stories, you might know I flew down to Maryland to personally visit them in their temporary home a week and a half ago.
Now, about that Chocolate Olive Oil Cake.
A year or so ago, I got really obsessed with the idea of making a chocolate olive oil cake for fall. Why is it a fall and not a spring or summer cake? I cannot answer this. I can only tell you that I made one I’d read a lot about but ended up underwhelmed. I’ve been asked before what I do when I bake something that comes out all wrong and I think it’s important that I eradicate any thread of an esteemed opinion you might have left for me with this: I have a tantrum. I stomp out of the kitchen in a huff, or at least the mental equivalent of it, and I’m crabby and cranky and resent the recipe that should have been better and the loss of time I could have been doing anything else. (Like cleaning out my closet!) (Let’s pretend I wouldn’t make 100 other cakes before getting around to it.) When I get past that, I rarely take another stab at it again the next day; we need some space. It’s usually “later,” i.e. whenever the craving strikes again or I think I have a fresh way to go about it. This time it took a year and it was a little of both.
The craving arrived because it was fall, which again, I cannot explain but it might have something to do with the subtle, earthier quality olive oil imparts in chocolate, especially when flecked with sea salt. It feels fall-ish, even if the weather outside is defiantly summer-ish. Separately, someone told me about his family’s go-to chocolate cake that’s made for every birthday that’s plush and perfect and never fails. The recipe had the title Wacky Cake on it. I had never heard of a wacky cake. It turns out I’m among the few.
Wacky Cake — a.k.a. “Cockeyed Cake,” if you’re a Peg Bracken fan, which really, who is not, or Depression Cake — is a single-layer chocolate cake that’s has 7 ingredients, all of which are in your kitchen right now, and takes 5 minutes to put together. Some versions are even mixed in the baking pan. I am completely burying the lede here, but it’s also vegan, as in, butter and milk-free and — this is the crazy part — egg-free as well, no flax eggs or canned bean liquid required. The chocolate glaze here is not traditional, but I couldn’t resist; it too is vegan if you use dairy-free chocolate chips.
Typically, it’s fairly thin and the proportion of cocoa powder to flour is relatively low; it yields a brown cake, but not one chocolaty enough to please the likes of me. I increased the proportions of the cake to make it taller and tweaked the cocoa to be more dominant and ended up with a nearly pitch-black cake. Typically, any oil is used but I found in this cake the perfect chance to realize my chocolate olive oil cake dreams in a cake I think we should all stop what we are doing and make right now. Because if there are people out there whose Tuesdays are not improved by a thick slice of perfect chocolate cake, well, I haven’t met any.
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
- 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (60 grams) unsweetened cocoa, any variety, sifted if lumpy
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (145 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) water or coffee
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 3/4 cup (135 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons (10 grams) cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (20 grams) light corn syrup (for shine)
- A pinch or two of flaky sea salt
Cake
Glaze
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and olive oil, and whisk to combine. Add water and vinegar and whisk until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is springy and a tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few sticky crumbs (but not wet or loose batter). Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then cut around it with a knife to ensure it is loosened and flip it out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
Make glaze: Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, olive oil, corn syrup, and salt in a medium bowl and 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 spatula to gently nudge it down the sides.
Cake keeps: At room temperature for 2 to 3 days and up to a week in the fridge. On day 4 in the fridge, ours was as moist as day one, basically a miracle.
This looks AMAZING! Perfect for my upcoming book club. Can’t wait to see you AND can’t wait for book #2!
Delicious! I thought I ran out of AP flour while I was measuring it out, so I added about 25% rye flour. I think the cake is a little bit gummier than it would be with all AP, so I wouldn’t do it again unless I was in a pinch. And I did end up finding more flour when it was in the oven, so my substitution wasn’t even necessary. Still tastes great! I also sprinkled a bit of flaky salt across the top after glazing it.
You are going to be in Houston (where I live) on my birthday! I told my husband that I want to come see you as a part of my birthday-date with him! Deb, a new cook book, and then a yummy dinner someone else cooks for me?! Happy Birthday to ME! :)
Deb is the birthday queen! I will see her in Austin the day after my birthday! Happy birthday Lisa, fellow Scorpio and Smitten Kitchen lover! :)
I see a lot of comments on falling cakes.
You need different pans. The standard cake pan depth is often too shallow to accommodate most batter recipes. The Fat Daddio pans are really the best baking pans and are inexpensive—featuring much larger depth. To improve baking, check out pastry chef sites for professional baking tips to up your baking game.
I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow. Another great tip is to add powdered milk to cake and cookie recipes.
This cake is super simple and delicious! There is somthing about the olive oil that makes this recipe stand out. I am definitely going to start using olive oil in more of my recipes. This is a keeper! Can’t wait to get your latest book :)
Oh this is going straight to the top of my to-cook queue! I do wonder, but can’t imagine you haven’t heard tons about it…have you ever made the Maialino olive oil cake recipe? A different structure and direction with orange and milk and eggs, but this makes me want to fiddle and swap in some cocoa powder there to get all of the above.
I found it too oily. I happen to love it when *they* make it so I’m okay with enjoying it outside my kitchen only.
Try using a different frosting. I made a ganache glaze frosting and the combo tasted better!!!
Thank you so much for admitting that even you have recipe difficulties and your reaction is not always mature. I moved recently and my oven and I do not get along at all. Burnt on the outside and raw on the inside pumpkin bread is not edible. So I had a 15 minute rant about how I hate my oven and basically acted like a two year old. Your blog made me laugh and brightened up my mood. So I hope you have a wonderful day and remember you made someone else’s attitude much improved.
I have recently stated to my husband that if I’d learned to cook on the stove I’m using right now, I’d think I was a terrible cook!
I have a whole new level of respect for people cooking on less than *perfect* stoves… otherwise known to most of the world as, a typical day.
Please come to Utah
Cake looks amazing. Can we please talk about those cookies on the book tour dates — are they really the kind that they sell in packages with jelly in the middle and is it as much of a messy project as I am imagining?
I actually *only want to talk about those cookies.* 1. They’re the kind they sell. 2. They are bonkers easy to make at home and taste 1000x better. 3. They’re one of the recipes I’m the most excited about. 4. It’s not that much of a mess, promise. 5. I’m not actually sure why I’m numbering this. ;)
I made this on a whim after an insatiable need for chocolate hit. The cake is GREAT — moist and rich and such a beautiful dark color — and it absolutely scratched the chocolate itch. I didn’t, however, love the glaze, as the olive oil taste was, to me, quite powerful. I think subbing butter for olive oil (not sure if a butter substitute would work for those wishing to keep it vegan) would’ve made for the perfect glaze — just a thought for other bakers.
The cake turned out okay. I wouldn’t have used extra virgin olive oil as the flavor was strongly pronounced. So I decided to use canola oil in the glaze . I measured every ingredient exactly,weighed the chocolate chips and yet the glaze was not pourable nor smooth but a bit grainy. I reheated in microwave in 15 to 20 second increments and it did not “pour”. Idk what went wrong 😫
1. The point of an olive oil cake is to taste the flavor of the olive oil. If you don’t want to taste it then an olive oil cake is not for you [personally I don’t like it so I’ve never made one]. 2. It sounds like your chocolate seized. To fix seized chocolate you can add a teaspoon of boiling water and whisk, adding one teaspoon at a time until it’s smooth again. Sometimes you have to add too much and it ruins it for the particular recipe but you can try to find another way to use it.
Or you can use a milder flavor olive oil. California Ranch Olive Oil has a global MILD blend which is perfect for baking. There are many EVOO’s that are just too strong, green, grassy and even bitter and that will affect the flavor of the cake. Just my thought after years of baking…
The cake looks amazing but my glaze is not fluid or shiny. Any ideas on what I did wrong? I’m gonna eat the whole thing anyway!😉
I thought this cake was so good that I didn’t need a glaze at all – I simply sprinkled confectioner’s sugar on top and it was to die for!!
This cake is wonderful! Moist and not too sweet-perfectly chocolate-y. My boyfriend declared it the best cake I have ever made. Substituted coffee for the water and omitted the glaze and used a dusting of powdered sugar. I actually made this in a pie tin as I didn’t have a cake pan and it worked fine- took 35 mins in my oven.
What a tease!
I’m DYING to know what cookies you’re referring to. Please?
Here you go!
Hi, what type of olive oil did you use to make this? Does it need to be fancy/high quality or will any average olive oil still taste good? Also, how do you get the top of your cake flat?
I used Costco olive oil and it tastes great! I don’t even use the glaze just icing sugar dusting on top! So good.
Wow, thought baking with olive oil was always a no because of it’s flavor! But question, would this work with swapping flour for gluten free blend? Thank you for all your recipes. Your recipes have often been my go-to.
I haven’t tried it but the cake seems pretty forgiving; it might be fine. And thank you.
I have made a wacky cake recipe numerous times using gluten free flours and the results have been fine. I would imagine using GF flours in this recipe would also work well.
A bit late to the party, but never mind! I made this with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour and it turned out really great
I can’t wait to try GF
My husband recently celiac
So I’m trying swapping out flours in different recipes.. sometimes successfully sometimes not!!
I assume I can make the glaze stove top (I’m probably the last American without a microwave).
Oldie but I think goodie! I listened to you and dropped everything and made this cake. Currently teasing me with chocolatey smells from the oven
I made this for my vegan parents and sisters family last Thanksgiving and I usually hate baking vegan but this O M G. It’s so delicious- thinking of doing it as a bday cake in a week, do you think it would work as a layer cake? Maybe homemade jam in the middle?
Sorry I meant for this to be a stand alone comment not reply 😀
Yes, I think it would work fine for a layer cake.
Glaze calls for cocoa powder- is this unsweetened cocoa powder used for the cake or hot chocolate powder? I used hot chocolate pwder and glaze came out grainy so I’m assuming I chose wrong. Cake is great and can’t wait to try again!
Unsweetened cocoa powder — it’s the default in baking and recipes. Hope it’s a hit next time.
My cake is falling in the middle. Am I underbaking?! I even have the toothpick coming out just as you described! Any tips for avoiding a fallen middle? Thank you!
Mine fell too. I followed the recipe to the letter and a toothpick was clean so I’m assuming it wasn’t under baked in the middle. I wonder what went wrong.
Mine fell too but it WAS baked in the middle. Still delish
I love this cake! How would you make it for a larger crowd? 1 1/2 or double the recipe and put it in a 9 x 13?
What other type pan can one use? Thank you
I had already baked 40 dozen various kinds of cookies and mini tarts for Sukkot and 2 upcoming bar mitzvahs. But I saw this recipe and HAD to make it immediately for our Sukkot parties starting tonight. Made it as mini cupcakes. I have always had good experiences with your recipes. and this was no different. BTW, you are right, coffee is perfect in it. Thanks!
I was looking for something chocolate for succot tonight and I am following Heather’s lead and making individual cakes of this! drooling!
This cake is SO great. Just made it tonight. I added a double shot of espresso to the water to make the 1 1/2 cup, and served the cake warm (after it rested in pan) with powdered sugar on top. Amazing and so simple. Thank you, this will be on repeat !!!
Please let us all know the results if using gluten free flour blend! I am curious. I have a son who is allergic to eggs and wheat – so would be wonderful to swap out the flour. Wonderful this cake has no eggs!
Same here! I am searching for a dairy-free, wheat-free, egg-free cake for my allergic son’s first birthday. Fingers crossed that this one works – it looks amazing!
Hi Deb,
Can I substitute the sugar for honey?
See my reply to Hilary!
I made this, delicious. However, I recommend using the parchment paper. I tried oil and flouring the pan B/c I had no parchment, and the cake stuck fast to the bottom of the pan. I also recommend using two pans. Mine bubbled over the single cake pan.
Same, I didn’t have parchment paper on hand so buttered heavily instead, and it still got pretty stuck on the bottom. Luckily the top still looked nice, so just went with it :)
See my reply to Nancy!
Made with GF flour, Pamela’s all purpose, and worked out great! And used the coffee instead of water and topped with a dollop of whipped cream instead of glaze..delish. For years I have made a vegan chocolate cake in a bundt pan and it is my kid’s favorite. That recipe did not call for olive oil or coffee and I love those two changes!
I mistakenly used baking powder instead of baking soda and the cake was still fabulous. I used coffe instead of water and to the glaze I added some excellent flakey Malden salt. So yummmy!!
How high is your 9″ pan that you used? Mine is a regular cake pan/pie dish height, but it completely overflowed. (It also took 15 minutes longer to bake than the recommended time, but it did turn out delicious!)
Same thing happened to me! The batter was very wet, and the pan quite full, so I was worried it would overflow. It did. Luckily I put a sheet pan underneath to catch the mess. Not sure what I did wrong!
Happy to report I made this with gluten free four (Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1) and it was perfect! I also used 1 cup of coffee, a half cup of water, rather than 1/5 cups of water, and that, too, worked beautifully. Thanks, Deb, for sharing this, and congratulations on birthing your new book :-)
Correction, rather that one POINT five cups of water. Keyboards are weird sometimes. Or maybe just my typing is lol.
I made this with Bob’s GF flour too. I had to add about 10 minutes of baking time and even then it seemed a bit underdone, or maybe the texture was just off. Bria, was the batter quite runny when you made yours? And did you use the GF flour with the blue label? I’m pretty new to GF baking so I don’t know all of the tricks. Thank you!
Even with regular (wheat) flour the batter is runny and many people commenting needed a longer cooking time (mine cooked for 40 min), so it may not even be related to your GF flour.
I am so 2 yrs late to this party but I made mine gf and cooked it 42 min it passed the test with the cake tester and then in fell like a house of cards.. it was also delicious but it was not pretty…
I made this and it turned out beautiful and delicious, but I had to add 20 minutes to the bake time, so it was about 50 minutes in the oven.
There’s a nigella chocolate olive oil cake recipe that is pretty similar to this (except I think it includes egg) that uses almond meal instead of flour, and it’s delicious!
Any comments on how this recipes does at high altitude??
I was just coming here to ask the same thing. We just cooked this recipe as cupcakes at altitude (one mile high) and they are a gummy, raw, and sunken disaster :( I have never had a Smitten Kitchen recipe turn out like this.
These might not work well as written at an altitude. I live at basically sea level so I haven’t tested these higher up, but these tips from King Arthur are solid. A cake without eggs that’s fairly “wet” will be particularly sensitive to height. I believe that in most cases, you want less sugar, less liquid, and less leavening to adjust for height but go with the experts at KA, not me in NYC.
Looks fantastic and easy! Is the corn syrup in the glaze a must? I have everything but, and would love to make this to surprise my kids…kind of a “Yay it’s Tuesday and not Monday” kinda cake. Thanks!
It’s for shine; can be skipped but it will be less glossy.
I used honey instead of corn syrup in my glaze and it still had a nice sheen to it! Delicious, simple cake.
I tried subbing agave nectar, and it tasted good but never set up.
I’ve made a similar cake with coffee and loved it. I wonder what it would be like to use orange juice as the liquid.
Great idea! Or hazlenut flavored coffee.
The link for personalized books seems to not be right. Really want to send it to my husbandas a ‘buy this for my birthday’
I would help if I looked at the date. Sorry!
Here is a current link for the second book, and one for the first; however, the next signing batch will ship in time for Christmas; don’t have a signing planned for sooner.
Katheen — six years later….Did you ever try it with orange juice? A friend just asked me about added orange flavor and oil and/or juice was a thought. I use coffee and love this cake.
My family calls it Goofy cake – and we always do a rocky road frosting. It’s the best!
Intrigued – what, pray say, is Rocky Road Frosting?? It sounds too good to not ask.
Late to the game, but Rocky Road anything is mini-marshmallows and walnut chunks mixed into chocolate.
My mom always frosted her Texas sheet cake (which tasted pretty similar to the “wacky cake”) with Rocky Road frosting. You do not want to chop the nuts fine for this.
If you are feeding vegans you should read labels on the marshmallows. Trader Joe’s has the right kind.
Hi Deb, do you also have the metric measurements? I think this will be my thesis-procrastination-project for tomorrow..
Yes, just added!
I used the weights given rather than measuring, not convinced they are correct? I have a very accurate “coffee” scale but for example the 3T olive oil for the frosting turned into 5T when weighed. Same for amount of olive pile in the cake. BTW the batter was water thin, and even though I cooked it 15 minutes longer than specified it still sank in the middle. Just wondering if the weight conversions are accurate 🤷♀️ Tasted delicious but I ended serving it in a bowl!
Oh yeah, team Wacky Cake here. My mom has been making it my whole life – always iced with butter frosting. In fact, I’ve been having a major cake craving for the last week or so (I think I’m eating my political emotions) and this is just the thing to take the edge off. I’ll try your recipe this time with the amped up baking cocoa, and maybe a tablespoon of espresso powder to give it that extra oomph… But still butter frosting – always butter frosting. And sprinkles.
Team butter frosting here too. I’ve been making this cake since I was old enough to reach the countertop. Sometimes we just dust it with powdered sugar, but the butter frosting is the best. My sibling and I used to “fight” over who got to have the goo that was always left at the bottom of the cake pan.
I’ve been making a non-olive oil version. The first was served with a dusting of powdered sugar (good). The second got a chocolate/peanut butter frosting which elevated the cake to outstanding. I’m not sure how peanut butter would play with olive oil… but here it is if anyone wants to try it.
4 oz chocolate chips
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons butter.
Microwave (or use double boiler) gently, stir until smooth, pour over warm cake & spread.
(Vegans can use vegan choc chips & buttery spread, of course.)
I have a very similar chocolate cake recipe from my mom – her family called it “Lake cake” for reasons unknown. I’ve never made it with olive oil before but next time I might try it!
That just made me realize how perfect a cake this would be to bake on a family vacation to, say, a *lake* cabin…thanks for prompting that connection!
YES I’m making this tonight – this looks like a great weeknight cake!
Question about the type of olive oil used… EVOO that I’d use for salad dressing? Or lighter olive oil?
The olive oil flavor is not dominant here, actually, so no need to use a mild one.
Chocolate is such a strong flavor that it covers almost anything, so any olive oil should be fine, except, of course, flavored olive oils like rosemary, etc. I remember being told once that chocolate is added to leftover plain ice cream base because the flavor covers up others. That way the large ice cream makers don’t waste other base flavors. Chocolate is magic like that!
Ooh! That actually sounds like it just might work .. rosemary olive oil. I don’t know why, but my taste buds jumped in a good way with that addition.
I’m glad I’m not the only one. Rosemary and olive oil are a great combo – I made shortbread cookies once that were wonderful. I’m less sure about adding chocolate to the combo, but I’d be willing to give it a try.
(I am trying to resist talking about the book nonstop but FWIW, there’s an olive oil — vegan too! — shortbread in the book with rosemary and chocolate chunks and sea salt and it’s not pretty at all, or it’s not when I make it, but we love them.)
And now I’m off to pre-order. I’m vegan, there’s a vegan recipe. It must be mine. :)
I’ve made this cake twice and it is delicious! However, both times it has sunken down in the middle. Any tips? Thanks!
Me too! I did make it GF and use leftover chemex (which I think has more oil?) But I had to bake 40 min and then it sunk. Still tasted good but very not pretty. Certainly couldn’t stack them!
Wacky cake….hooray! It’s the cake I’ve made for 30+ years and now make with my grandsons! They love the name of it! Grammy and her wacky cake! I look forward to baking your version and seeing you in Portland, OR. Yippee!
Your black bottom cupcakes from many years ago are actually a riff on the wacky cake recipe. It was that recipe that sent me down the delicious rabbit hole of the what and why of the “depression cake”!
No kidding! Thank you for making the connection.
Ok, now I’ll have to try both cake and cupcakes.
yes! I grew up on Wacky Cake and now my kids make it too! We’re mix-in-the-pan people and it’s so easy to get one made that we do it often.
Very interested in trying the olive oil here.
Also have always wondered how on earth this cake WORKS. What is that chemistry!?
It’s baking soda and vinegar! Familiar to many people as the leavening agent in science-fair volcanoes. :)
It’s baking soda and vinegar! Familiar to many people as the traditional leavening agent in science-fair volcanoes. :)
I’ve been making Cockeyed Cake (we called it “Crazy Chocolate Cake”) since I was taught the recipe in eighth grade, which was probably over 30 years ago. I even won a 4-H ribbon with that recipe! (I added 1 t of cinnamon and called it “Mexican Chocolate Cake”). My kids love helping make it because they can lick the bowls (no raw eggs). Can’t wait to try this variation!
So excited to see KC as one of your stops! Can’t wait! My husband and I are heading to NYC for a little get-away and I was bummed to see your launch event was the day before we get there. Now I no longer feel like I’m missing out. :) My grandmother’s recipe for “Wacky Cake” was the first cake I ever learned how to make when I was a kid. Fun to see your version posted here.
Yay, Kansas City!!! Can’t wait!
Hi Deb,
Long time fan – I’m so excited about your second book! I hope to see you in NYC at the launch :-) I’m really thrilled to see an eggless chocolate cake recipe on your site!
Quick Q – should I use natural or Dutch cocoa powder here? Thanks!
Hooray — glad you can come. Either work here. I do believe I used Dutched though. Use something dark; you won’t regret it.
Just wanted to sympathize with you re: behavior after disappointing recipes. I use Blue Apron (for a lot of reasons) but I overheard a friend tell another friend, “It’s a good option if you can’t cook,” and that really hurt my feelings. I’ve dedicated myself to learning every kind of technique and sourcing the best recipes since I was 20. But then I thought about it and realized, I can’t cook. Not in that shoot from the hip kind of way. I’ve tried and if I come away even mildly unhappy with the results the day feels ruined. Waste of time, waste of ingredients, waste of money. And now I’m ordering takeout on top of it.
What I love most about you and this site is that I can see your similar culinary stretches and taking chances, but instead of walking away in a huff forever, you’ll come back a month or year or five years later and keep tweaking. And then your readers get to benefit. Thanks for putting yourself out there and for not giving up. So many happy congratulations on publishing your second book.
Thank you and I totally disagree that Blue Apron isn’t for people who can’t cook! I know a ton of friends who use it or other similar meal services because they take some of the work out of the shopping and recipe selection and let you focus on the more fun part: cooking, pretty important when you’ve got a busy life and don’t want to defrost chicken tenders every night. Anyway, not a sponsored (lol, of course) opinion but I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the site.
Yay! Boulder!!! Thank you for adding us to you many stops :)
Beyond excited that you are coming to Atlanta!
Okay, I’m not really a fan of cake- I’ve always preferred tarts over cakes- so much so that I actually got rid of my cake pans last year because I never used them. Of course now I’m kicking myself for it because you make this sound so appealing that I. Need. It. Today. Have you any idea how this might bake up in a loaf pan? Or perhaps a square baking pan is the way to go here… with coconut oil instead of olive oil?! Now we’re talking. Or, well, I am.
I was just going to ask about coconut oil instead of olive. Maybe I’ll just have to bake 2 of these, one with olive, one with coconut and see for meself, eh? ..and I’ll try coconut nectar instead of corn syrup on the glaze with the coconut oil cake; and maybe honey? in the glaze on the olive oil cake.. well, if it turns out less shiny, I hope it’s at least quite yummy in me tummy!
I definitely think you could with coconut oil.
I’m going to try it with avocado oil instead of the olive oil!
I’m a huge fan of Avocado oil in baking too. Although it wasn’t a great swap in challah dough, it’s my fat secret weapon in just about every cake or brownie.
I have a chocolate cake “war time” recipe that I found years ago that makes a lovely moist cake without eggs. Vinegar and oil definitely. Can’t wait to try out yours. I’m making your brown butter coconut cookies foe my cousin at her request ( people are nuts about those cookies) now I need a excuse to make this! So excited about the book, hoping to catch you in SF in November!
Just made this with dark cocoa and cold brewed coffee in place of water, stellar! As usual:)
I don’t think we can get corn syrup in the UK – what would you recommend as an alternative for the shine please?
Use golden syrup.
Whoops, there was a lag and I didn’t see that Deb already responded!
Thanks Deb :-)
I think Lyle’s golden syrup might work and would give it a bit of a chocolate caramel-y flavor
This cake is very similar to my grandma’s awesome ultra-moist ultra-chocolate cake. Oil cakes can’t be beat on the moist front.
Slightly off topic, but your comment about Dutched cocoa powder reminded me of this. I’m going to Greece in November and since I’ve never been to Europe, I am wondering if there are any special cooking products/foods that I should bring home because they are either cheaper, or specialty? Greece will be the only country we go to. Thanks!
Cheese! Whenever I go to Spain to see family, I buy a whole Manchego. It travels well on the 24-hour (or more) journey home. Then I cut it into quarters, wrap it in foil, and freeze it in a Ziplock bag. It keeps very well that way.
A whole aged Manchego bought in Spain is ¼ of the Costco price in the US!
The caveat is, I make sure that the customs rules haven’t changed before I go.
You do know Spain is definitely not Greece, right? I don’t presume Manchego to be easily found in Greece. Europe is, as you might know, a collection of very diverse countries. In Greece you will find Greek food: feta, zaziki, gyros and the lovely alcoholic beverage called ouzo. That one you can take home, the rest should be consumed fresh. Oh, and olive oil. Find a nice one and take it home.
As a European, yes, I’m very aware of its culinary diversity. The Manchego was just an example of the kind of thing (cheese, you know, the first word of my reply) that you can bring back to the US. Sorry you missed that!
Mahlab and mastic, if you like Greek baked goods (not sure if they’re cheaper to buy there, but they are specialty); wine, if you drink (and/or ouzo, but unless you like the taste of anise/licorice, you might not like it); and of course, olive oil.
OLIVE OIL!!! By November you may already be able to get the really sharp fresh oil from this year’s produce. You have to taste this thing before you die. Seriously. It will be thick and possibly murky and vividly green and amazingly peppery (warning: it will get milder with time). And cheese! And a large jar of wholemeal tahini (check the production date so you enjoy it fresh for longer). And a bottle of ouzo as suggested below:D Have fun!
Is the freshness why I had a bottle of (Italian) olive oil that literally made me blush when I ate it? I’ve never found a satisfactory answer for why that happened!
Yes, this is my variation on the wacky cake too! No eggs is primary (severe egg allergy) and I too upped the cocoa, I use strong Italian roast coffee as the liquid, and extra virgin olive oil, I use balsimic vinegar….this has been our go to cake for the past 15 years of birthdays….or any time!!….I have used both glaze and butter cream frosting! Try it everyone…you will like it! (Ps….I really like SO many recipes on your site!)
This cake looks amazing and a great solution to take to a gathering where you don’t know everyone, and where someone is always egg/dairy free. I’d sub in my favourite GF blend (rice, potato and tapioca) for the win!
Deb, come to New Zealand on your tour and escape the horrible winter weather in December and January! I’m sure there are plenty of SK-followers from australasia who’d love to host you!
Silly question. Is this cake heavy and dense? Or lighter in texture?
Moist and fluffy, like an old-fashioned birthday cake.
Thanks for the answer! The kind of chocolate cake I like! Most chocolate cakes recipes I’ve made tend to be heavier than I would like or fall short in chocolatey flavor. I admit I like boxed chocolate cake mixes, because they tend to be lighter and chocolatey. This recipe is now on my to-do list.
Any possible issues with using light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar? Or is it more a matter of taste preference?
I am almost sure it is a taste preference. The “wacky cakes” I’ve made don’t even call for brown sugar, but I like that idea!
Hi Deb! First off, LOVE everything on your blog and you are my number 1 go to for almost every recipe. I made this cake e a few weeks ago and loved it! Do you think it would work as a bundt cake? Wanting to try it for the Jewish holidays this year.
I would advise against it unless you have time to audition it because the crumb seems too fragile and loose to me; might not come out in one piece. But here someone had success :https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-more-book-tour/#comment-999574
Hi Deb, My family doesn’t eat eggs which led me through many wacky cake recipes a-plenty. Please allow me to introduce you to one without which no birthday around here is complete. With a good dutch-processed cocoa powder and cultured buttermilk (and then its no longer vegan), Fran Costigan’s chocolate cake is truly to live for: http://www.veganricha.com/2014/02/the-chocolate-torte-from-vegan.html
I can’t wait to try this! I have a bottle of hazlenut oil that might be interesting to try with this one.
Oh, good idea! Been wondering what to do with that bottle hanging around…
Excited to make this very soon. Would coconut oil work as a substitute for the olive oil and corn syrup in glaze and still give a shiny finish? Also can’t wait to read your new book; although looks like you have a very busy pre Christmas travel schedule😳
Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature (unless of course you’re in NJ in october😳), it will make a hard shell for the glaze. Like the chocolate magic shell dip you used to be able to get at ice cream parlors.
Thank you for the tip! Don’t think chocolate magic shells ever reached Northern Ireland, but I don’t imagine that’s the glaze I’m after!
Coconut oil will work for olive oil; won’t work for corn syrup but the corn syrup is more of an extra. You can make it without it, it’s just less glossy.
I’m excited to try olive oil but I LOVE using coconut oil in this cake. Yay for Maplewood, Deb!
I just saw you’re coming to my town! Whoo hoo!!
Can I skip the corn syrup? Should I substitute with honey?
Not sure if honey works the same; corn syrup is for shine. You can skip it if you’d like.
I have this in the oven now (totally not kidding). I make crazy cake a lot (kid with egg allergy) and I couldn’t wait to try it with brown sugar.
Will you come to the UK at some point?!
Your recipes never fail to inspire me, but this reminds me a lot of an Italian classic cake from the Ada Boni book, called Bilbolbul. I make it all the time, it has even less ingredients than this one, but no olive oil. It can be easily tweaked to be vegan, too, and it could certainly be made with coffee. Just wondering if you had come across it before?
I’m gonna try this version, though!!
I hadn’t heard of it so I just Googled it and it looks wonderful — similar, so it must be delicious.
I’m still nursing my six-week-old who has possible food allergies so I’m currently off both dairy and eggs. I just said to my husband that I really want chocolate cake or brownies and, once again, you come through for me! Thanks, Deb. Congratulations on the cookbook – I can’t wait for it to arrive on my doorstep!
I’m off dairy as well so this is perfect timing.
Just when I thought I couldn’t love you more..you post an Egg. Free. Chocolate. Cake.
P.S. Actually, if you came to Germany on your book tour I would love you a teensy bit more …I mean I can dream, right?
I would be happy to go! I’m not sure I’ve yet found a publisher happy to send me. :) And thank you.
And India? You have lots of fans here as well. I would be thrilled to host you in Bangalore! Congratulations on the book. I have high expectations for it! 😊
Oh my gosh! I have to make this cake ASAP! This looks amazing!
For the Montreal event, will you be talking or just parked at a table signing books? I’d love to go, but it’s hard to justify a 2 hour drive each way on a work day if only to buy the book.
I believe it’s just a straight signing, unfortunately. I can find out more, though.
I’d love to know if it turns into a talk, demo, etc!
I got so happy you are making it to Minneapolis I actually teared up a little. On my calendar. Already pre-ordered…like, on the first day possible. See you there!
Your site and cookbook are my first stop for anything I plan to make. You are an intimate friend in my kitchen and food is a big deal for me. Can’t wait to come fan-girl-out; I do not plan to maintain my dignity. Let’s be friends :)
Just forwarded the chocolate cake recipe to an old friend who suddenly developed lactose intolerance. As a longtime vegetarian she had always adored cheese and other dairy products and partly relied on them for protein, and of course baking became difficult. This should cheer her up.
1. Those 2 munchkins are so darn cute, I don’t know how y’all stand it!💙
2. Awwww, love Peg Bracken. Now I’ll have to dig out my lil paperbacks and giggle.
3. Big fan of wacky cakes, KAF has several variations. Made many for us and vegan friends. Love your ramped up version and will get to it very soon. As soon as the humidity here in central NC drops below 743%.
4. NC has bookstores, ma’m! Several independent ones in the Chapel Hill area. Just sayin’!
I also was so happy you mentioned Peg Bracken, Deb. Like you, someone to read for the attitude (in a good sense), not just the recipes.
We call this “cowboy cake” in my family and my dad always requests it for his birthday. Instead of frosting, we usually do a cinnamon-sugar combo sprinkled all over the top. So many happy memories of eating this cake!
You’re coming to Vancouver, BC !? THANK YOU! I had to check myself for a second and say “calm down, it’s probably Vancouver, WA because who comes to Canada?” but you are :)
If you haven’t been here before know that we are now considered to have been better Chinese food than Hong Kong, so if you like Dim Sum and dumplings plan a few stops. See you on Nov 12th!
Thank you! Can’t wait.
Can I substitute balsamic vinegar for the other vinegar? Thinking black cherry balsamic or fig…
Want to make ASAP. I own an olive oil specialty foods store and this recipe is perfect for our customers!
Wow, that sounds good! Let us know how that goes. Do you have a link to your olive oil store? and maybe you can post the recipe there if it turns out, please?
Perhaps but it’s not about the taste of the vinegar (you won’t taste it) but activating the baking soda. It also darkens the cake (mine is almost black). I’d add some if you want the flavor, but would be nervous to use a less acidic vinegar.
Could you use lemon juice?
It will probably work fine; it can be slightly less acidic but I’m sure it could work. (And will of course impart a lemon flavor, albeit subtle one.)
Word of caution about the glaze: the oil gets very hot very quickly (hotter than melted chocolate gets under normal circumstances), making it difficult to control the melt. The first batch charred the chips (I used mini, so they perhaps had less room for error), and I was left with an extremely hot, partially smooth ganache full of tiny bits of burnt chocolate.
The second time I pre-melted the chocolate (it took about a minute total), then added the oil, cocoa powder, and salt. I then threw it back in the microwave for 30 seconds. (I did not have corn syrup on hand — not sure if that would have affected the temperature.) It seemed to work well.
Yep
Same here!
The glaze just turned into a hardened mess for me. I suspect this was my problem as well. It all burned in the microwave.
thank you for this tip. i made a notation on my copy of the recipe and will follow your lead when I make the glaze tomorrow morning.
This cake was super moist and chocolat-y, but it was so moist it crumbled to bits when I tried to cut it. Structurally it didn’t hold up. I wonder why?
That’s happens here whenever my husband makes a cake [particularly if it’s a boxed cake] because he stirs and stirs and stirs. It incorporates too much air and ruins the gluten structure.
It shouldn’t crumble — the cake is tender but doesn’t fall apart when I make it — but it’s important to adjust our expectations when making an egg-free cake. Eggs provide structure in most cakes. If you like firmly structured cakes and can eat eggs, you should make a cake with eggs. If you cannot or do not eat eggs, this cake is a miracle (or so friends tell me), a plush, easy, delicious cake with no ingredients they cannot eat.
Sigh – smells great, looks terrible (huge crater, as others have noticed) and is still in the oven after 45 minutes. I hope it tastes alright, as it is meant for my mother’s birthday.
I had these same issues, but I thought it was cause I didn’t have a 9 inch pan. I tried using my springform pan, but it was leaking, so I dumped it into an 8 inch one. It just keeps baking and not cooking through in the middle. I turned the temperature down after 45 min to avoid burning the edges while trying to cook the middle, but it didn’t really cook through, even after an hour.
Made this tonight, it was wonderful! My 5 yo said “mom I think this is your best cook ever.” Although to be fair he’s not very discerning about treats ;) I didn’t make the ganache, just sprinkled some powdered sugar on top. As others mentioned it did take longer to bake than the recipe indicated, I didn’t keep track but it was probably around 45 mins. Will definitely again!
My glaze microwaved fine, but I did it in 10-15 second increments and stirred very thoroughly in-between.
Maybe only one child is “taking guitar”, but there is one in the photo who is “TAKING” the guitar. Both also “take the cake” for cuteness. This recipe is going to be a family fave…I can feel it , hoping soon to taste it!
This looks so luscious! Any idea if it can be made successfully with gluten free flour? I’ve got a couple family members with allergies.
Not sure but I do think the cake is pretty forgiving.
Yes it can be made with GF flours! Has always turned out well when I’ve used the wacky cake recipe so am confident Deb’s recipe would be good made with GF flours.
This cake is so simple to make and turns out moist and delicious and perfect for a rainy Tuesday!
I didn’t have the ingredients for the glaze, so I sprinkled powdered sugar on top and served with a few raspberries as a garnish.
Great idea!
Half coffee/half water and red wine vinegar rather than white vinegar. Skip the icing. Sprinkle with powered sugar if you must.
Fan*tas*tic*
Woohoo! First test-cake just came out of the oven. Want to make this for my 4yo’s birthday on Thursday, but would really like to have a tall fat cake (plus, he’s requested 2 layers with blackberry jam in the middle). So I’m trying it out in an 8″ pan tonight to see. And used 1/2 cup home cold-brewed concentrate with my 1 cup water. The bake time is obviously took a bit longer for the thicker cake.. Hope it comes out as stellar as yours looks! Hubs and I are excited to have an excuse for pre-birthday cake!
One question: I ended up with a bit of a valley in the center. Is this because I overfilled my pan? Or baked too long after all? It looks like it should still stack and ice just fine. But I’d love to fix that one little blip before the birthday bake!
The depression in the center happened with me too. I baked in a 9 inch pan for 33 minutes.
I’m sorry to hear. It often happens when there’s too much baking soda. It is a bit high here but I found it consistent with other recipes and of course, it worked fine in my kitchen. I do wonder if 1 teaspoon might be just fine, however, for you next time.
My cake had a slight depression as well. Deb is right about the baking soda. I noticed that the cake had a noticeable baking soda taste the day after. I’m going to the use 1 tsp as Deb recommended the next time I make this.
Question: did you by any chance use Dutch process cocoa?
Does it matter if the coffee is hot or cold?
I had exactly the same problem today! I will try and reduce the amount of baking soda next time. Used a 9 inch pan as per the recipe.
UPDATE – made the cake again today using less baking soda (about 1 tsp / 5g ) – perfect! No sinking :) Guests loved it!
What is your elevation, Heather? That can make a huge difference to baked goods. High elevation baking typically needs a bit more flour or less leavening, I think.
Thanks Deb, and all! The birthday bake went we’ll! Amanda, I’m basically at sea-level, haha. So I don’t typically have things fall unless I COMPLETELY forget about rising bread or something. But never a cake! I will play with the baking soda amount next time.
Yeah, it sounds like a lot of other people had the same issue and lowering the baking soda quantity should help.
I got a slight depression too which I thought might have been because I opened the oven and tested at 30 mins when the cake was still basically liquid. It wasn’t pronounced enough to make a difference to how the glaze settled, though.
I baked this today with the 1tsp of baking soda as Deb and others suggested and it turned out great. No depression and lovely texture. Super moist, and almost melt in your mouth!
Made this with the chocolate butter cream in Deb’s I-Want-Chocolate-Now Cake and it paired great together.
Cannot wait to try this! What about using black cocoa?
You could (I’d only do a partial swap) however the coolest thing about this cake is how dark my cocoa came out (it’s the baking soda and vinegar), it *looked* like I’d used black cocoa.
Made it for desset! The cake was amazingly moist. I had to bake it 5 minutes longer than called for to get it cooked through. Husband says it’s one the best cakes he’s had.
Deb, I have been looking for a good dairy free coco powder for a co-worker who is dairy/nut free due to allergies. What kind of coco powder did you use here? Can’t wait to try this to share with her!
Unsweetened cocoa powder is dairy free.
Any kind works here; hope you like the cake.
Cocoa powder shouldn’t have any ingredients other than cocoa — there won’t be any problem about dairy or nuts.
I’ve been making a version of Wacky Cake for years! I think I originally ran across the recipe in the American Heart Association’s cookbook but like you said, the recipe is very old. You can really just mix the whole thing up one the pan. Sift in your dry ingredients, make three wells for the oil, vinegar and vanilla. Pour the water over the top and mix with a fork. Thanks for the vegan frosting recipe. My brother is vegan.
Oooooooooohhhhh! Montréal! How wonderful! I hope you won’t mind fans bringing you homemade food gifts, although I admit that could be seen as eery-creepy…. Maybe I’ll stick to some small-batch maple syrup :-) Have a great tour!
I made it tonight and it totally overflowed my pan! Such sadness–but I am totally going to eat it anyways.
Me too. Looked like a big muffin lol! Also it took nearly 40 min to get done in center. But I plan to eat it anyway :)
My sister made this cake and said she followed the recipe (she even brewed coffee). Well, she used an 8 inch pan so maybe that explains the “problems”. The cake overflowed on to her baking stone and the center fell — and she had to bake it for 50 minutes to achieve a clean tester.
But what a treat!!
Before she, my mom and I got to the cake, we tasted the crunchy spilled portion which was intense. Then she hacked through the crust on the rim of the pan to turn the cake out (which took some encouragement). The cake was luscious – glistening and gooey. I scraped a taste of the remains off the parchment paper with a spoon and was quite content after scraping the liner clean, but she cut a small slice and forced me to have some of that. Oh.So.Good.
The ONLY bad thing about this cake was that as a caffeine-avoider, I am susceptible when I do indulge and with this over-indulgence, I was awake past 3am. Still, it was worth it!
Now I want to try my hand at the recipe in my own pan in my own oven and see what I get. Could it be any better than this mistake which is likely to live on in family lore for years to come?
My roommates and I each had Not Great days today, so I made this! It was super quick and it was great. We ate the cake warm while watching Practical Magic.
It was exactly what we needed. Thank you.
I will say, I advise going for smaller portions because this cake is rich. You will be more than happy with a smaller slice.
I’ve seen that movie over a dozen times.. maybe a baker’s dozen times ;) this Friday..
I’ve read some commentary about humidity affecting baking. I live in a rather humid environment. Are there any precautionary measures I should take in regards to baking this chocolatey madness in a humid environment? Thank you.
I don’t think it should be an issue with this cake.
I just made the cake after work today. It was super easy to pull together. The cake was denser than I thought though and very moist. It made me question whether it had been completed baked through. The center of the cake was depressed. Any thoughts on why this would be? The cake tester came out clean in multiple spots.
Maybe try less baking soda as discussed above? (I had the same problem!)
Crazy cake has been one of my favorites since childhood. My favorite variation is black bottom cake. Like your cupcakes. It was what I always wanted for my birthday. I still make it fairly often. Thanks for the new ideas!
It looks delicious!
So disappointed you won’t be coming to south Florida!!!!!
Looks delicious!
I have a vegan daughter so am thrilled to get this recipe. I made Anna Del Conti’s olive oil and apple cake once and loved it.
Congrats on BOOK 2!!! Your recipes are all fab. If you could add Europe to your book tour that would be amazing, but I know it’s prob impossible. Don’t even know how you fit in all the cities you have included.
*This cake looks moist and decadent. And just abt perfect!
And, it is great to have on hand for those young people who may be trying out the vegan path.
I must ask, though, what’s with all the advertising? This is an amazing helpful website but I am getting overwhelmed with plugs for the book and other ads.
There are 2-3 ads on the whole page; this hasn’t changed in 10 years on the site. (It’s also very low for a website these days, but I don’t budge on it.) As for the book plugs, this is where I announce the book tour. There’s really not a better place to tell everyone. It’s of course more than usual as the book is two weeks out but I always make sure that I never post *only* about the book, there’s always a new recipe too. Like this cake, which we love and think others will too.
I can’t wait to add this one to my repertoire of perfect baked goodies~
Question: Can this be baked in a loaf pan or would it sink in the middle?
I have been making this cake my whole life! I, too, tweak it—it can be good with raspberry vinegar, for example, and I always use coffee (instant espresso if I don’t have any brewed). I also add chocolate chips to the batter, which gives it some nice melty nuggets. It was my family’s go-to cake when I was a kid, the first thing I ever baked, and a staple now since we have vegan family members.
When I saw on Instagram that you posted an added appearance in MAPLEWOOD NJ I got so excited! I quickly text’d my daughter – we plan on being there. We can’t wait to meet you! Your recipes are ALL.HOMERUNS.!
This is also my go to chocolate cake! I stumbled across it in a Moosewood Cookbook probably 16 years ago and it’s been my family “everyday cake” ever since! YAY. When it’s winter I add chopped crystallized ginger to the batter, do it you’ll be glad you did!
I can’t wait to try this. I LOVE olive oil cake. How though, did this make it to day four in your fridge?! You all must have amazing self control.
I love that you upped the choc factor here. I am going to do one tiny tweak — replace a tablespoon or two of the olive oil with walnut oil because I bought a bottle of it and I’m damned if I’m not going to use the bloody thing — and then possibly two more (smoked salt on the top and maybe a fine dusting of powdered walnut. The end. If anyone’s interested, I’ll pop back and tell you how it went.
Thanks, Deb. I’m excited for your tour! Eat everywhere you can and then come tell us about it!
Hi Deb,
I love your recipes , but would also love get some of your comments and pictures as well. How can I get the entire article…pix included/
Thanks,
Susan
I’m not sure I followed — you wish to print the whole post including photos and comments? I don’t have the template set up like that because people get very unhappy with me when a post prints for 10 pages; only the recipe prints.
Deb! You are coming to Atlanta I’m so excited! Your signing is at Manuel’s Tavern, an old Atlanta institution for journalists and politicians (Jimmy Carter announced his first run for GA governor there in 1970, for example). Can’t wait to see you!
Chocolate and olive oil! What a fabulous combination. I use so much olive oil everywhere everyday. It makes cakes much lighter and I prefer it to butter. Yummy cake!
I made this last night (and also got the depression in the center, but I definitely overfilled my cake pan) and brought it into work this morning. I’ve already been informed I have to make it again for our next office party!
This reminds me of the Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse recipe I just tried from Food 52. It’s divine! But it does have eggs (not that you’d oppose :)
Congrats on the book and tour, can’t wait to welcome you to Boston!
https://food52.com/recipes/39633-olive-oil-chocolate-mousse
This looks AMAZING! What do you think about replacing the water with red wine?
I think it would be great but I might start with half since there’s so much liquid here.
I can’t believe this is your first foray into Wacky cake! It is one of my go-tos that I try to convince newbies is ‘easier than cake-mix!’ and I love the fact that almost everyone can eat it. It lends itself well to making as a giant sheet cake so great for parties etc.
I made this as soon as I got home from work and tried it…and didn’t love it. BUT this morning? OMG.
The olive oil taste was a bit too heavy against the chocolate for me when it was first made — which might be the olive oil i used (Trader Joe’s Greek) or could just be personal taste. by morning, the flavors had really set and i love everything about it.
I’d definitely make it again, and probably will next month to help celebrate a vegan friend’s book tour!
aw, boo — made it a second time (in 8″ which i thought I’d done before…?) and it was taking so long to bake that i was worried about the edges burning and i took it out and it cratered. argh. making this note for myself for next time — either go 9 or let it bake longer!
Others said that lessening the baking soda to 1 tsp helps with the depression in the center. Curious: did you use a different olive oil for your second batch? How’d the flavors compare?
I bake Julia Turshen’s “Happy Wife Happy Life” chocolate cake on the regular and currently have a little under half a cake sitting in my refrigerator waiting for it’s final hurrah after dinner tonight. We like having chocolate cake in the refrigerator (who wouldn’t) and I’m going to give this cake recipe a whirl this weekend. I do plan to top it with your chocolate-sour cream frosting just like Turshen does on her cake because to me that’s the world’s greatest cake topping.
Just a comment on the olive oil. I use olive oil in all my cakes…actually in any baking that uses oil. Maybe because it is COSTCO olive oil and not a distinctively flavored olive oil it seems to make no difference. I hope it is healthier. I hardly use any other oil these days, except when I make Asian style food I use sesame oil. I have made Wacky Cake in the past…Cook’s Illustrated has a version of it in its Lost Recipe cookbook, but I like the idea of a thicker cake (from upping the amount of the ingredients) and so I will certainly try yours. Thanks for the new look at an old recipe.
will you be adding any more Midwest tour stops? ahem::Cincinnati::ahem
I have made a similar wacky cake since high school (MANY years ago). I make it with a broiled brown sugar, butter, coconut and nuts topping, and it’s like a super moist German chocolate cake. Never thought about using olive oil, but have used coconut oil, which is awesome with the broiled topping.. Love the idea of using coffee for the liquid.
Instant icing for this cake – while still hot from oven, sprinkle with semi sweet choco chips and about 5 dollops of peanut butter. Amounts can vary and will demand repeating to get just right. Let melt then smear it all together until totally mixed or leave it streaky. Our go to birthday cake. Or Tuesday cake.
I’m so excited about the new cookbook!!!! I just love flipping through a new cookbook repeatedly or even revisiting an old one. Your first book is one of my go-tos, as is your blog. You’re so trustworthy and I just love your sense of humor + curiosity.
Anyway, another olive oil + chocolate cake combo I adore is from Tara O’Brady’s Seven Spoons cookbook. She has a chocolate + zucchini + olive oil + walnut + chocolate chip muffin in there that I crave every few weeks. So good, and you can really taste the flavor of the olive oil. Plus they freeze well.
I just made this and it’s so yummy! Mine was nice and moist, but a little crumbly. Any ideas what might be going on? Or how to avoid that next time?
If crumbly it likely comes from it being an eggless cake. I found it to be loose-crumbed, i.e. not dense, but not crumbly per se. It didn’t seem overbaked at all, did it?
Ya- definitely not overbaked. I think it’s probably just a little different than what I was expecting since there are no eggs (like you mentioned!). It also got a bit less crumbly after a few more hours out at room temp. Perhaps I hadn’t truly let it fully cool — it looked too good!
I made this today. It was super quick and easy. I delivered to my husband’s office still warm. I don’t have an 9″ pan, so I made a 8″ and a mini. I also used Costco olive oil. I suspect this would taste super awesome the next day, but didn’t keep a piece to test this theory. Next time will use coffee.
MY FLATMATE JUST MADE THIS AND IT IS GLORIOUS! You just made two vegans very happy! Now time to sleep for a week….
Hey Deb! Long time follower, first time poster with a quick question.
Do you think this would work as a loaf cake? I’m a loaf kind of girl and my 9X5 gets much love. I’m wondering how to adjust the recipe (for time and possibly temperature) for that size loaf pan.
Hoping to see you at B&N, my fellow New Yorker :D
Thanks, can’t wait. I haven’t tried it as a loaf and it might fit or it might be a bit over. Helpful, I know. I’d say try not to fill the pan more than 2/3 and you should be fine; if there’s extra, make a few muffins.
Most loaves seem to take 45-60 minutes to bake at 350, and you may want to let it cool in the pan for longer… good luck! :)
I did it as a loaf. The batter didn’t overflow, but it did sink in the middle. Bake time was around 52 mins. I left it cool much longer as well. Also don’t skip the parchment paper step…that was a mistake I won’t repeat again!
I probably would’ve eaten the glaze with a spoon by itself if I hadn’t made it for my husband’s bday…
OK I am feeling like I have to make this — and yes have all the ingredients EXCEPT I have light brown sugar, not dark brown. Abort mission? Wait for the dark brown?
Oh goodness no; use light brown sugar. It’s a small difference.
I have made wacky cake for close to thirty years as our younger daughter is allergic to eggs. My version of rocky road frosting….someone asked in the comments… Is to put small marshmellows on the cake once it is done and to put the cake under the broiler, watching closely…then pour on a chocolate glaze on top of the marshmellows…. I am sure you could also add nuts in there if you wanted…. Another person also described the mix of brown sugar, coconut and butter mixture, broiled on the hot cake… which is also delish!
The flavor of this cake was wonderful, but it did sink a lot, & I had to bake it about 15 minutes longer. It ended up being very moist and fudgy. I would make it again, but with less baking soda and less water. I’m surprised to get this poor result as I’ve never had anything but wonderful success with every other recipe from here.
My experience as well. Took 40 min or a little more to get done in the middle, plus big sink in center. I used white wine vinegar, I wonder if that matters?
Me too! I love this site and have never had a dud, but this cake did not work for me. I cooked it 50 minutes and still it fell in the center and seems not fully baked. When I iced it all the frosting pooled in the middle and made it fall further… and then seeped inside! Also the icing tastes way too much like olive oil… but maybe will be good with the cake? If there is a next time, I will use less baking soda, as many have recommended, and omit the olive oil from the icing. Too bad, since I was really looking forward to serving this tonight for Halloween with a visiting Italian friend who makes olive oil.
I made this cake a few times and it always worked well and loved it. Today however it just never really baked. I kept it in the oven for probably about 45 minutes and finally took it out. When I took it out of the pan after cooling it for 10 minutes, the bottom was totally wet and underbaked. I don’t need it until tomorrow so I’ll probably let it dry upside down overnight, then frost it upside down and put berries in the center indentation. I’m sure it will taste fine, but can’t figure out why it didn’t work today.
I just made this – started it at 8:15 and just ate my first piece at 9:30! SO FAST! AND GOOD! my roommate also loves it!! I halved the recipe and made it in a 6in round tin, baked for 40 mins at 350 and followed the recipe exactly except used honey instead of corn syrup in the glaze. It’s delicious! and so easy!!
Really? You can do that? Does it act in the same way – giving the shine?
I’m so glad you mentioned using honey in the glaze. I don’t have corn syrup and don’t want to buy any, so I’ll try using honey. I’m not too worried about shine. On another note, tempered chocolate does produce shine… I could look in to that…
This is tasty — but, as my kids pointed out, even prettier with star-shaped-sprinkes!
And you’re going to be in my town — I’ve received instructions from the teenagers to attend and be all fangirl on you. (I would’ve anyway…) Perhaps they will attend with me, since they’re supposed to be making a dinner per week per teenaged boy, and your cookbook and website are favorite starting places.
This cake was sooooo easy to make, and it’s so rich and moist!
Mine did sink a bit; I’m assuming that’s due to high altitude or that It could have used 5 more minutes in the oven and 5 extra minutes cooling in the pan. Regardless, it’s incredible! Thanks for the recipe :)
That is an intense book tour schedule, my hats off to you! Congrats on the new book!
Gosh that looks insanely good. I don’t have light corn syrup in the house; can I make a substitution or do without it?
Congratulations on the new book!
You you use another liquid sweetener (such as honey) for smoothness; the corn syrup provides more shine but most liquid sweeteners will make it more smooth. You can also skip it.
That answers my question above. Thanks!
I think the miracle is that you still had cake left four days later, fridge or not, moist or not. That would never happen in my house (maybe 1 day if I’m lucky but I’d place bets on only 15 hours). But, lasting 1 day or 4 days, I am excited to try this cake, in large part because in my cake vanishing house, I need a quick and easy, but chocolately and moist, cake recipe. Thank you.
Made this tonight with coffee. It is so moist. I did use EVOO. Delish.
Coming back here to say that the baking soda definitely needs to be reduced. On the second day, you can definitely taste it in the cake (blech). So 1 tsp. is probably suffice. I did also have that round part in the middle that sank even after baking it for 35 min. Should have done 40, as it’s a tad under done.
Delicious! I made it for my anniversary last night and it was super easy, even with a two month old in tow, I didn’t do the glaze, I cut out some heart designs from paper and sprinkled vanilla bean sugar so it had a nice pattern on it.
Oh, my goodness! I’m in the process of emptying my kitchen after 2 years in Sydney. I looked at this and thought “perfect was to use up the cocoa powder, olive oil, sugars, and flour. I took a lot of liberties–like 1/2 regular flour & 1/2 bread flour, regular brown sugar, brown vinegar, wrong cake pan, TJ dark chocolate bar instead of chic chips, no corn syrup, etc. The cake is moist and tender, and wonderful!
This made about 12 cupcakes. I baked them for 18 minutes and they came out moist with an airy texture. I also added a splash of vanilla extract. I threw all the glaze ingredients into a microwave-safe bowl and placed the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stirred until everything was combined and then dipped the tops of the cupcakes into the glaze. Looking forward to tasting them tomorrow.
Thanks for this comment! Mine made way more than 12, I made 18 cupcakes, but the 18 min in the oven was spot on and super helpful!
Made this yesterday with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour and 1 cup of coffee, a half cup of water. Absolutely divine. My new go-to. This is my favorite type of recipe: simple and easy, yet tastes complex and elegant, while looking beautiful. Thanks, Deb!
Hi Bria! I’m looking to make this gluten-free as well, did you add anything else besides the 1 to 1 gluten free flour to stabilise it? Was there any difference in your cake’s appearance to Deb’s?
Hey, I’m jumping in as I just made this today using Arrowhead Mills Heritage Blend (GF) and coconut sugar for both the regular and brown sugar. (I feel like I’ve become a cliche). Cake came out super good and icing even without corn syrup is really shiny. No idea if using stove top instead of microwave worked to keep it shiny??
Heating the glaze in a metal bowl over simmering water works perfectly.
Many many chocolate cakey thanks, Bria! I just picked up my first bag of Bob’s 1 to 1 and was dying to know whether I should try this recipe with it!
My favorite gluten-free flour sun is King Arthur’s 1-1 all purpose flour. I sub it into “normal” recipes all the time and no one notices! I’ve not had as consistent luck with other cup for cup gluten free blends, including Bob Mills.
I just purchased Blood Orange Olive Oil from D’Avolio. This recipe sounds like the perfect one to try out my new find!
Thanks, Deb, for another great recipe as well as your efforts to get there :-)
This looks fun! The version from the Moosewood Cooks At Home cookbook is my go-to recipe for cupcakes. I started making them when the baby (now 12) had an egg allergy. I’ve never tried olive oil (I usually use canola) but felt like a fancy cook when I switched to using red wine vinegar. I think it adds a nice touch.
In college I worked in a restaurant where we made a couple of double sheet cakes of essentially this same recipe daily for sack lunches (plain oil, though). We called it crazy cake rather than wacky cake, and it was VERY popular. Sometimes we made chocolate buttercream icing and sometimes green-tinted mint and chocolate chip icing. One difference is that the baking soda and vinegar were mixed together and the foaming mixture was quickly stirred into the cake batter at the end. I’ve seen this technique before, but never an explanation of why or whether it truly makes any difference.
We’re coming to NYC for a wedding, and we leave the morning of the 24th. We’re missing your book release by mere hours! It’s a tragedy.
Is the egg toast recipe anywhere on the site? From IG? Looked so good, but I forgot to screenshot it!
After reading the comments, I decided I must be the person to test the recipe with slightly reduced baking soda, you know, for science. I used a just barely rounded teaspoon. The cake still tasted fluffy and moist and lovely, and was just barely rounded on top. Certainly no valley.
I used Seville orange coffee lurking in the cupboard – yum! I didn’t have ingredients on hand to make the glaze, but I admit I was very tempted to add the orange syrup from the orange chocolate chunk cake. Next time..
I just tried it with 1 tsp of baking soda, too, and it was even and perfect! (I also took another poster’s advice and added minced crystallized ginger – YUM)
This cake is delicious! So good, I’m making it again two nights later. I did not care for the glaze, though. This time around I’m using a ganache.
I used the swiss buttercream recipe from here. I recommend it.
This looks delicious! Do you think this type of cake would work as a yule log?
After having just made this cake (although I know you are asking Deb) I do NOT think it would work as a yule log. It is very moist and even poured thin, I bet it would not have enough structure to roll. Just my two bits though…Deb may know better!
Thanks!
No- you should try a fatless sponge for a swiss role/ Yule log cake. They roll better! I’d recommend that you try this one- Mary Berry never fails! http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/yule_log_15656
Thanks! I was trying to make a vegan yule log. I’ll try Mary’s with egg substitutes. After I eat this olive oil cake first…
Just made this with coffee. So delicious! I’m sure that it would have been even better with the glaze, but it is fantastic without.
Hi Bria! I’m looking to make this gluten-free as well, did you add anything else besides the 1 to 1 gluten free flour to stabilise it? Was there any difference in your cake’s appearance to Deb’s?
I once helped a friend make a wacky cake for a vegan classmate she had a crush on and it worked so well that now they’re married! So I’m a big fan of wacky cakes and interested in trying this one–had never thought of making it with coffee or olive oil.
If you make two wacky cakes and level them off, you can sandwich them with jam and then put the glaze on and damn that’s good.
Also, the “Tuesday cake” thing reminded me of Catherine Newman’s blog about “Yay It’s Wednesday Cake” cake! http://benandbirdy.blogspot.com/2016/02/yay-its-wednesday-cake-cake.html
I will start by saying I love your recipes and you are my go to blog. However this cake turned out to be the one that didn’t work. It bubbled up over the side of the pan and took much longer to cook than 35 mins. It tastes great but looks awful! I used the weight measurements, as I always do but was wondering if you did and was wondering if they were off a bit?
I used the weight measurements too. I had the same issues as the other bakers: sink in the middle, overflowing pan, underbaked center, and overcook sides. I am tempted to make the cake again, using some of the suggestions from other posters – you know, for science – but I was pretty disappointed it din’t work this time.
Do you think this recipe would work well as cupcakes?
I brought this to an early morning mom’s group as a surprise birthday cake for someone and trusted that if you said it was delicious, it would be. And it was! Truth be told, I was somewhat concerned that the grassy green olive oil flavour in the batter (yes, I taste tested the batter…just in cases) was going to overwhelm the final product. But no! It did not. Instead, it was an incredibly moist, incredibly chocolatey cake with just a hint of olive oil flavour. So yummy, and so easy, and so quick (which is what I needed it to be with two small kids and a 9 am deadline). Thank you!
LindseyJoyFoxParker, Love Actually – just in cases. My husband and I say it all the time!
I made this for our anniversary today and I had a few problems. I got the sinking in the middle…wish I had used less baking soda as later suggested. Also, even after 10 minutes of cooling time, I had trouble removing the parchment paper because it wanted to rip off a thin layer of cake! What that is about, I do not know because I did spray the parchment with cooking spray. I used a cake strip around the pan to get a layer without doming…I wonder if that was the problem? It took longer than usual to bake. Maybe 45-50 minutes. I have a feeling once it is glazed it will be a very moist and tasty cake, but I usually have so few problems baking a cake I was surprised at the turn of events.
Yay cake! Boo no San Diego date. 😥
This cake is incredibly moist and rich, and it was easy enough to make while wearing a six-week-old baby! The cake has a very slight depression in the middle and the glaze didn’t set very well (may do better after the fridge), but it’s too decadent for me to care about that. I used instant espresso powder+hot water and the chocolate flavor came out really deep and the cake is just all around satisfying.
Thank you for bringing the moistest chocolate cake I have ever eaten into my life! I only wish I had recognized the potential of my humble pantry ingredients a long time ago…
I completely forgot the granulated sugar. Then I sloppily eyeballed the ganache measurements and ended up with more of a chocolate frosting that I plopped on the warm cake and spread out thin. Clearly, I’m not the best at following instructions when it gets late on a work night!
Forgetting the sugar doesn’t seem to have done it any harm; it’s still moist and delicious. Plus, I’m glad it’s less sweet because the icing–which hardened and now reminds me of hardshell ice cream topping–adds a nice amount of sweetness. I popped the cake in the fridge when it was finished to keep it away from my naughty and curious cat, and I’m finding that I really like it cold!
Between the coffee and the cut sweetness, I’ve been considering it a breakfast treat. It’s been a delightful thing to wake up for even on this muggy, unseasonal week in NC :)
Wow. Just WOW. Thank you; this is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve made.
Word of advice. If your husband comes home with “LIGHT” corn syrup, throw it out or return it. Don’t try to add it to the chocolate glaze – it makes the chocolate seize and then you have to cry. And then you have to make a ganache instead because you give up for the moment and don’t want to waste the last of the chocolate you have in the house.
I did not use light corn syrup and this happened to me anyway. It looked so easy and the chocolate mixture was nice and smooth, but the moment I tried to pour it, it thickened and would not spread. It tastes good, but the whole look was ruined. sigh. What went wrong?
I am wrong about this. I did use light corn syrup, that is clear.
Hi Beth — So weird, I always use “light” corn syrup. I thought it relates to the color (clear, not dark), not diet. And I’m so glad you like the cake.
BTW, you are right about the “light” corn syrup which refers to the clear color. There is also “dark” corn syrup which is brown. It has nothing to do with diet or “lite”.
This looks great! I follow a ketogenic diet, do you think almond or coconut flour would hold up well in the recipe? Thank you!
Is this recipe supposed to say 1 and 1/2 cups of water or coffee? Because the “batter” I made was way more soupy than in any cake I’ve ever made, and then although the cake seemed baked after about 34 minutes (springy, tester with a couple of crumbs on it), when I went to turn it out of the pan it made a huge mess, with all this gravy-like goop under the cake, which proceeded to slop all over my counter and floor. What’s this about? I’ve made lots of your recipes Deb, and never encountered a mess like this. Ideas?
I made this last night and it came out very fudgy and moist – not my thing, but other folks who ate it enjoyed it, so it comes down to whether you like light crumbs or dense crumbs in your cake. Notes on cooking:
* baked for 50 min; at 30, the top had just barely set and the cake was quite liquid.
* baking soda – reduced to 1 ts per Deb’s note in the comments, and there was a slight depression in the center, but not much, and the cake didn’t have a baking soda taste.
* corn syrup – I didn’t have corn syrup at hand, so I subbed in a dark buckwheat honey. The glaze came out fine in consistency and was even shiny, but the honey taste was strong and distracting, and so I think the corn syrup would result in a purer sweet flavor for the glaze. If you’re using honey, I recommend using one that’s less strongly flavored.
* salt – start with one pinch in the glaze. The glaze stays liquid for a while after it’s combined, so start with one pinch and then taste it once everything’s mixed together to see if you need to add more.
* making glaze – someone commented that their glaze scorched in the microwave. I made it in a sort of double boiler (put a chinois over a pot of boiling water, and put all the glaze ingredients in a bowl in the chinois) and that worked fine.
Please expand the D.C. one too! I should have bought tickets the second they came out …
We are looking forward to meeting you in Vancouver (me and my friends)! Just Fyi, I am President of Club Eat. Its a small un-club (4 of us) but our cooking skills are seriously respected by our friends and family. I am your biggest fan in Vancouver and can prove this because when I just type s into Google….well you know where that leads to!
I made this last night – would’ve been 2 nights ago but I realized we had no cocoa powder, the horror! – and it was so easy and delicious! I did have a slight dip in the center but gave it an extra 3-5 minutes in the oven and it came out fine. This is the first cake I’ve made from scratch, so I was very pleased with the result! :) I didn’t make the glaze since I was really craving something purely cakey, but I’m going to give it a go next time – if I want to leave out the corn syrup (don’t feel like I’d get the use out of a full bottle) is there anything else I should substitute, or can I safely just leave it out and keep the rest of the recipe as-is? Going to try it with a little less baking soda next time too, but I definitely see this cake becoming a go-to! It was moist and delicious and made for a great breakfast too ;)
Just made this tonight! I made it into cupcakes (I got 12) and substituted cup for cup gluten free flour. Was my first foray into turning a recipe gluten free but it seemed to turn out correct, the cake was super soft and moist and fudgy but airy at the same time (seems contradictory!). The olive oil flavour really came through. Super simple but great recipe!
Forgot to add I left out the corn syrup from the glaze and it was still shiny and worked out great.
I did a cup for cup substitution with King Arthur Gluten Free Flour and was not successful with cupcakes – they just fell apart and I couldn’t get them out from the pan. Glad it worked for you. Maybe I did something wrong.
How long did you bake the cupcakes?
yummy and delicious cake.. thanks for sharing
That cake sure looks good! And unlike you, I’m a huge huge dessert fan, I’ll try this recipe and I’m pretty sure it will go in my top favorites. Liked this post a lot 🙂
I made this last night. Had the depression also but when topped with the glaze you cannot tell. Everyone loved it and commented about how moist it was. Total hit.
I made this today with what I had:
1/2 C of Hersey’s cocoa powder
apple cider vinegar
1/2 c each of granulated & brown sugar
1:1 GF mix from Bob’s Mill (blue label)
2 tsp hazelnut extract (because : )
1 C strong coffee + 1/2 c water
only 1 tsp baking soda (per suggestion from other commenters)
rest was the same… easy to put together & clean up
made 1x 8″ cake pan plus 2 tall muffin cups
baked 35 min (sea level)
domed beautifully….It fell a little when I tried to get the wax paper off the bottom…
a little bit of b.soda smell & slight taste of b.soda when I tried it (still warm–couldn’t wait!) which didn’t stop me from eating it with a dusting of icing sugar on the top.
I am not fond of the GF texture but wanted to try this mix. It worked. The cake was more to the fudgey side of things with all these tweaks.
Will try to make this with a regular flour next time. Also, I will wait until I can put in the full amt of cocoa pwdr to try this again …and probably add a little more sugar than I did this time. I’ll skip the hazelnut flavoring–didn’t make a difference.
Thanks for inspiring a Saturday morning bake, and letting me share my results!
I feel like the BRM 1:1 gives a kind of gritty texture. When I make banana muffins for my husband I use 1 cup 1:1 and 3/4 cup GF oat flour and the texture is completely indistinguishable from regular glutened muffins.
Thanks for the tip! It is the grittiness that puts me off a little.
As a follow-up:
*even with the GF flour, this slices beautifully & I found that it was perfect with a smear of jam between the layers…will add a bit of whipped cream on the side next time, too!!
*the b soda taste & smell are less the next day, & the cake is still quite moist
Yay!! Thanks again for the recipe
(I did a search for wacky cakes & found some versions without cocoa–this is a rabbit hole for sure)
another follow-up…I have made this cake 4 times this year, and it has not failed me at all! I usually make it GF for friends with sensitivities, but the cake I made yesterday for Christmas was with reg flour & absolutely sumptuous!! I made it with reg AP flour, baked the recipe in two 8″ cake pans, which turned out v well. For a seasonal filling, I made a cranberry jelly with cardamom and a delightful cream-cheese-stablized chocolate whipped cream icing…I didn’t have coffee in the house, but used coffee substitute & found that it created a wonderful flavor. (used 1 tsp B soda as well)
Again, thank you for this lovely recipe. It was a hit–again!
Hi Deb!
This looks amazing. Do you have any tips for substituting corn syrup in this recipe? I currently live outside the US and grocery stores here don’t really offer corn syrup.
Thanks! Can’t wait to make this.
Not sure where you live but golden syrup is great. Or try another liquid sweetener like honey. It’s for shine, not otherwise essential.
Fabulous chocolatey cake, but it took almost an hour to cook, not the 35 minutes specified.
Hello….your cake looks great!! Can the granular sugar and dark brown sugar be substituted with honey? How many ml the honey be? Thank you for your reply…
Often in cakes, it’s not a problem but I cannot say for sure here. It’s already such a wet batter… I might start with only swapped the brown sugar.
I have a blood orange olive oil I’ve been wanting to try in a recipe . Do you think it would work with this recipe?
Sure. Not sure how strong it is but you might use only a partial swap if it’s robust.
Follow up: I used half orange olive oil, half regular olive oil. If you’re into flavored oils, it works like a charm!
So now I know what to make when my next chocolate craving strikes. Also, so sad I’m missing you in Philly :( as I just moved to London last month. I am sending my BFFand cooking partner in crime so be sure to say Hi to Danielle and sign an extra book for me! Oh, and come to London!!
I’d love to come to London! But thank you.
Why isn’t the Santa Cruz date listed on the poster? Don’t tell me it’s off?
Oh no, it’s totally on. It might have gotten lumped in with … San Francisco? I know they’re more than an hour apart. I know Santa Cruz has it’s own unique (awesome) thing going on.
I made this following the metric instructions and ended up with a very liquid soup-y batter. Baked into quite a dense, pudding like cake. The frosting never hardened and was more of a chocolate sauce. It looked terrible but was tasty! (though I’d probably leave out the sea salt flakes, the flavour was too strong) Something must have gone wrong, but am not entirely sure what …
Easy, quick and yummy Cooked for 45 minutes.
Cake is amazing! Just a word of caution — it is SO light and moist and crumbly it is VERY DELICATE coming out of the pan. More so than an eggs-and-butter cake. I broke a big chunk out of mine that way! (A delicious chunk I promptly ate so no real tragedy, but FYI if this is for company.)
I made this cake yesterday for my book club today. It almost overflowed the pan when I poured it in, but didn’t overflow in the oven. It did take longer to bake than suggested, it sank in the middle but tested done. It was crusty on the outer edge but I was still able to remove it from the pan; didn’t glaze because it seemed like too much sweet for our book club gals, used a dusting of powdered sugar instead. Everyone loved it, said it was very moist. I think the size of the pan might be key – my 9″ pan has 2″ sides; I looked again at photos and Deb’s pan looked like a 3″ deep pan. I used the amount of soda called for and didn’t notice any off taste from that. I too used to make the whacky cake and loved it, also a similar one called a mayonnaise cake. I will definitely make it again after I get a bigger pan! Thank you Deb. Look forward to your new book!
I’m sorry it gave you trouble; it’s definitely not you that’s experiencing dipping, although I hadn’t in the times I made it. My pan definitely has 2-inch sides, but the cake is on the tall side for the short pan. I’m wondering if a little less baking soda (1 teaspoon vs. 1 1/2 teaspoons) might resolve this. And thank you.
Are you at altitude? I’m in the Mile High city and every single dang cake I make is sunken in the middle.
Mine sank in the middle too, and I’m at altitude (in Denver, so about a mile above sea level). I don’t always have sinking issues–the I Want Chocolate Cake cake, for example, comes out perfect every time. No overflowing issues. I did open the oven at 30 minutes when it was still very liquid (altitude means that everything takes longer to cook), and it sunk shortly after, so maybe that did it?
Any thoughts on what we could tweak to avoid sunken middle?
Lovely! I made this over the weekend (just because)! All the best with the book tour… if you ever come to Australia we would love to have you!!
Me too! Come to Melbourne! It’s fun here!
This looks amazing – I absolutely need to try this cake!
To be honest, I had never heard of or tried a chocolate olive oil cake before, but oh, do I intend to fix that now!!
I made this with self raising flour and no baking powder, I also halved the amount of sugar (I used all brown sugar), didn’t use the vinegar and didn’t make the glaze (it’s a lovely cake to have with a cup of tea, glaze or no glaze!)
I did have to add some more cocoa powder as was too oily, probably due to less sugar, but turned out great.
Took out at 30 mins and could have taken it out earlier- due to it being dark brown I didn’t realise the edges were getting crispy. There was a distinct olive oil flavour on the day of baking, but on the second day it is not very noticeable.
Great cake and will be making again in the future for my vegan sister :)
Interesting twist on the old “Wacky Cake” recipe which I have been making for over 40 years. It was also published as “Six Minute Chocolate Cake” in the cookbook “Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.” The ganache in their recipe does not call for oil or corn syrup and it works well for me with just dark chocolate, hot water and vanilla. I often substitute whole wheat pastry flour (note it must be “pastry”) for some or all of the all-purpose flour. Even though the old standard will be hard to beat I can’t wait to try your version with olive oil and brown sugar!
Yes! I was about to comment the same about the Moosewood recipe. It’s a family favorite. Love the ganache on top.
Just made this last night. Did not realize it was vegan till I got into the recipe. Let me just say, this is all pantry staples and I served this up for Sunday dinner, and it was truly delightful…. I used the coffee and it was dark, rich and with some whipped cream and vanilla bean ice cream, it rocked my world. Can’t wait for your cookbook…, Love from Columbus, OH
Hi again, Deb! I took your suggestion (from Questions) and replaced half the water with a bold red wine. I then served it with the mascarpone cream from the red wine chocolate cake recipe. It was divine! Thank you :)
Ooh, thanks for the suggestion of the mascarpone cream from that other cake! We’re going to try that with this one :-)
I made this with King Arthur Gluten Free flour and it did not turn out well, I actually had to throw it away. My son wanted to make cupcakes and due to the GF flour (I assume), this was too crumbly and I could not get the cupcakes out of the muffin tins. I sprayed with non-stick spray and it is a non-stick muffin pan. The cake just fell apart and did not hold together at all. I will try again with regular flour when I have an event to go to. My son is allergic to eggs, wheat and all nuts, so was hoping this cake was the answer!
If you used gluten free flour there would be nothing in this to act as a binder. You could probably come up with an alternative to use, but that is what the recipe was probably missing?
Adding to what Anon said – Unlike King Arthur’s measure-for-measure g-f flour or other cup-for-cup g-f flours, this blend contains no xanthan gum to act as a binder and stabilizer (to give the cake structure). I think that the xanthan gum would be especially important for this recipe which doesn’t have any eggs to provide structure. Perhaps you could try it again, adding ~1/2 tsp. of xanthan gum
Hi Carol J., since I use gf KA flour all the time, I was pulled in when you mentioned something doesn’t have xanthan gum. I wasn’t sure if you were referring to the KA GF measure for measure flour, but I have a bag and it lists xanthan gum as an ingredient in the flour mix.
Any reason this couldn’t be made as cupcakes? Any adjustments?
I haven’t made them but would expect it to work just fine; same temperature, check in at 15 minutes.
Deb, you are my baking-fit-throwing sister from another mother. I feel exactly as you do when a baking recipe goes awry. Cheated and deflated. Usually wine and ice cream come to my rescue. My husband, on the other hand, will make the same recipe over and over until it’s right. We once had 5 different batches of butterscotch pudding in the refrigerator (I think the final winner was your recipe!)
I forgot to mention that I have a wacky cake recipe that was passed down from my grandmother. Her recipe does not call for coffee – but I have used that instead of water and it really does add to flavor. I usually throw in very small pinch of cinnamon and white pepper too. Sometimes I top with a Bailey’s spiked buttercream. Very simple to make. I’ve never tried it with olive oil, but I will now.
Even though I made this on the weekend, I feel like this is the perfect weeknight cake. So quick and easy to pull together. I made it with raw cocoa powder; also may have added a little more coffee than 1.5 cups which made my batter a bit runny; it took about 7-8 minutes longer to bake but came out just fine. Light and fluffy the first day, denser and moister the second day, equally delicious both days. Today is Day 3 and I’m wishing I had a slice left over for a post-breakfast, pre-lunch snack. Alas, not a crumb remains.
I’ve made this twice already and loved it! First time with coffee in an 8″ pan, which is all that I have. I baked it for 40-45 mins and it came out great. The second time I just used water and it was also delicious. I only filled the pan 2/3 and made 4 little cupcakes. They were all a little more moist than the first time. I didn’t love the glaze on its own but it was perfect with the cake, though I also loved it without it.
This looks simply divine—just what I was looking for today. I just pulled the cake out of the oven, and it smells wonderful. Can’t wait to glaze it and dig in later tonight for an impromptu birthday celebration.
Thanks, Deb, for keeping these brilliant recipes coming.
Congrats on your new book. I pre-ordered from Barnes & Noble, and I’m counting the days until it arrives. :-)
Excellent! Made it without the glaze. Nice crisp edges. It has the flavor intensity of a brownie but lighter in texture. Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.
I made this cake over the weekend and it was great. My boyfriend, who is usually very underwhelmed by my baking, now trusts me significantly more. Thanks for another fantastic recipe, Deb! Good luck on the tour!
Also, I generally try to bake vegan, so it’s really awesome that you now have a vegan cake recipe! I know I can trust your recipes to be great, even though vegan baking can sometimes be sub-par. Thanks again!
Also also (is this getting excessive yet?), I made the recipe with coffee and no corn syrup and it all worked out beautifully!
This is nearly identical to my go-to chocolate layer cake recipe; I got it from the Moosewood Book of Desserts (and made some tweaks along the way) a million years ago. Said cake is insanely popular with every single person I’ve made it for so now it’s the only chocolate cake I bake. I can’t wait to try an olive oil version!!
So easy and so good! I was disappointed when I made the “everyday chocolate cake” – THIS is what I was craving! The olive oil has just the right earthiness to accentuate the chocolate, and the glaze is perfect (I made it without corn syrup). One bowl, as promised. I slightly overbaked it and had to cut off the edges, and it still was perfect for company. Next time I’ll try coffee instead of water.
I made this last night and my friends and husband loved it. I used coffee, baked it for the specified time, and did not have a depression in the top. It was a bit fragile turning out onto the rack and an hour later sliding it onto the serving plate but tasted so good there were no complaints. I did top the glaze with toasted, chopped hazelnuts. It’s definitely a keeper for me.
Thanks, Deb. My friend and I are attending your event in the Columbus area soon. 🙂
So excited to get my book in the mail! Next time try to come to Edmonton, I promise it’s not the frozen tundra everyone thinks it is ;)
I made this cake and it is delicious! I must say I was very skeptical that it might taste odd because of the olive oil, but it is fantastic! Honestly, it is one of the best and easiest cakes I have ever made. I used Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil because that’s what I had in the pantry and the cocoa powder I used was Valrhona which is a Dutch Process cocoa. The cake is a very dark chocolate color and moist and fabulous. The only thing I had an issue with was that my glaze never made enough to drip down the sides. It was more like a thick frosting and it took a lot to get it barely to the edges. I followed the directions exactly and did not over-microwave the ingredients so I do not know why mine didn’t flow like yours but it is delicious none the less and will become a regular at our house. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Deb! I saw you in Atlanta at the book tour for your first book! Unfortunately, I no longer live in that area. Come to North Carolina, pretty please? I promise, you’ll love Raleigh if you decide to make a quick stop there!
Deb! I left work early, speedwalking the entire way to Union Square, fearing I would be too late and all of the wrist bands would be gone… only to be told by the (laughing) information desk attendant at Barnes and Noble that I had the wrong week. 😳
I am very excited to do this all over again next week!
Oh no! I’m so sorry. I have done that before too. I am flattered by your enthusiasm and hope the extra week is worth the wait.
This cake was delicious! The only problem I had was with the glaze icing once it cooled. When I went to cut the cake, the glaze cracked and it made for messy serving. It still tasted great (it kind of reminded me of the icing on a Ding Dong or a Swiss Cake Roll–Yum!). Did I do something wrong, or is it supposed to be like this?
I’m not sure. Mine was totally different, like a thick ganache. From the fridge (which you can see in the top photo), it lost its sheen.
I’ve made “wacky cakes” before but this was the best recipe yet. Wii definitely be making again. Based on the comments I reduced the baking soda to 1 tsp and the coffee to 1 cup. I totally forgot the apple cider vinegar but it still turned out well. Can someone tell me what it’s for?
I believe the vinegar reacts with the baking soda to make the cake rise.
Made this recipe last weekend with a little less amount of suggar. Very delicious! This seems to be a “death by chocolate” cake… Thanks for sharing! Greetings from Mrs Go
:-)
Thanks for the conersions into grams and ml! It makes my life easier ;)
Greetings from Italy
Made this on Sunday. Delish! Did not know difference in unsweetened cocoa powder, and cocoa powder…my store did not have just cocoa powder so I added a little sugar to the unsweetened for the frosting. Came out quite good. So moist and rich.
I’m very excited that you’re coming to my town (Austin)! Quite jazzed about this cake, too, but I might have to add a wee bit of cinnamon…that would put it squarely into the Fall category for me!
Made this cake last night for a dinner party and it was devoured with not a crumb left on the plate! It was moist, fluffy, intensely chocolaty and delicious. My only addition was to add some chopped pistachios on the top for some color.
The only part of the recipe that needed to be altered was the cooking time because when tested at 35 minutes the center was still wet. I added an additional 10 minutes and it was perfection. Bravo for another fantastic recipe.
I made this last night with the full baking soda amount, but I added two eggs (trying to avoid crumbly cake). The cake turned out perfect despite the thin batter looking like chocolate water….no depression in the center, fully cooked at 40mins, and tasted wonderful. The only issue for me was that the glaze had a rancid (or maybe burned) smell to it which I suspect, based on comments, is due to the oil getting too hot in the microwave. Next time I’ll use double boiler to make glaze or maybe just use butter instead of the oil. Overall it’s another winner from Deb.
Hi Debbie,
I made Apple-Sharlottka-it turned out to be a dream. My friends called for MORE.
Success!! Thank you!
Made this and it was delicious! Like some other commenters suggested, I dropped the baking soda to 1 t. and it was great – rose beautifully without a dip in the middle.
The glaze was a bit stiff, though – I wasn’t able to get it to pour down the sides, and the next day it was hard to cut through. Next time, I would add more liquid.
I had the same problem with the glaze. It cracked badly when I went to slice the cake. Still tasted great though!
We have been making this for years. In our family, it is known as a wowie cake. It is made slightly different, but quite a keeper..
this cake is so chocolaty i cant wait to try it
thank you for sharing
I’ve already made this cake three times and it was absolutely amazing every time! Everyone’s favorite cake now. I am not smart enough to do this myself, but I want to adapt it to make a vanilla version (for a two layered cake). Does anyone have any ideas how I can do this? Thank you!!
I’ve never made a chocolate cake before and my husband said this is his favorite! So thank you! I messed up on the glaze though I think I probably overheated it because it was not smooth like your picture – I’ll try again.
Just made it! It was great! I did not make the glaze, but it was super chocolatey and good. I left it for 32 mins. and when I checked it with the tester it came out clean. I was worried it would be overbaked but it was only a tiny bit over. I could tell it didn’t need the extra 2 minutes on the edges. But it’s great. Mine did not sink.
Ok. Do not know what happened here. Followed recipe to the letter, except used a 9 in sloped pan (almost a pie dish, i guess) which just made the entire thing overflow — thankfully i had a foil lined baking sheet on the next rack down. But also, it took 40 min to cook and was still quite wet inside, and HUGE depression in the center. Additionally, I had same issue that others are having with the glaze—it immediately hardened/thickened while whisking and was utterly unspreadable. Any thoughts???
Having said all this: the flavor and texture of the cake itself was DIVINE. I cannot wait to make this again, but I’m going to have to use a different pan, less baking soda, and figure out something else for the glaze. This was definitely one of the least attractive things I’ve made, but my god was it delicious…
I tried it 3x because of course I thought operator error and had the same problem each time.
I wanted to confirm that the unsweetened cocoa in the cake and the cocoa powder in the glaze are the same ingredient. Or are they two different things?
I used dutch cocoa in the cake and regular cocoa for the glaze.
After reading the helpful comments, I reduced baking soda to 1 tsp (and also cut the sugar to 100 grams brown and 100 grams white) and it turned out wonderfully. I also subbed coconut oil (~100 grams) for olive and it was lovely. Came out perfectly after 31 minutes in the oven. Super easy and my new go-to quick chocolate cake. I did use a different frosting though, so no review on that. Thanks for the great recipe!
I wonder if it’s the cocoa powder that causes the cake to have the “depression.” If you used Dutch process (like I did), it will mess things up. Dutch process cocoa, I learned after a bit of research, should not be used in a recipe that calls for baking soda. My cake seemed underbaked, even after 40 minutes in the oven, had the depression in the center, and was much too fudgy and not enough cakey. I will try it again with regular cocoa and let you know. It’s still delicious, by the way.
Ah, now this is interesting and might explain my results also. What’s different about Dutch process?
Here’s a link that explains the difference pretty clearly : https://www.livestrong.com/article/539346-dutch-processed-cocoa-powder-vs-unsweetened-cocoa-powder/
This is an easy quick recipe if you are craving some chocolate cake. I followed all the steps and the cake turned out super moist. The only problem I had was the glaze got really hard the next day. I think the reason is my chocolate? I used those dark baking chocolate discs. Did anyone else have this problem?
I made it using self raising flour and no baking soda and it rose evenly – no dent in the middle as people mention below.
Really, no vanilla? I’ve made the moosewood version of this (6 minute chocolate cake) more times than I can count, and every variation I’ve ever seen calls for vanilla…
I made this for my birthday this weekend. We were in a Cape Cod rental, so I used what they had for a baking pan, which was a rectangular Pyrex dish. I mixed up all the dry ingredients for both cake and frosting at home, and carried them with me in Ziploc bags. I used whole wheat pastry flour, espresso granules instead of coffee (in both cake and glaze), and Hershey cocoa. I added a tsp or two of vanilla to both the cake and glaze. I added 2 TBSP of corn syrup to the glaze. I reduced the water by 1/4 cup, and added an egg (just because!). I used some Greek olive oil that came from a specialty market, but next time I will used a milder olive oil – I thought it gave a too prominent a grassy, or astringent quality to the cake. Overall, the cake had a fabulous, moist texture and the glaze was not overly sweet. This cake would also be fabulous using unsalted butter, or half butter and half olive oil. Next time, I may add a pinch of cinnamon to the glaze – I felt it needed a bit of something extra, although I’m not sure what. Overall, it was delicious with vanilla ice cream and this is definitely a keeper recipe.
Delicious. It is Mouth Watering and so Chocolaty.
I will surely try it.
Thanks for sharing.
I hadn’t been able to eat processed sugar for a few months, and a couple weeks ago, I found out that I finally could again. Yesterday, I finally baked again, and it was this. Thank you thank you thank you! So easy, so delicious!
For the glaze, what is the best method to use if you dont have a microwave?
I had all the ingredients at home, and so I couldn’t simply not make this. Turned out perfect in taste and texture – until I couldn’t wait for it to cool, tried to turn it over so I could have the flat side up top to cover in chocolate, and accidentally broke it into two crumbly halves.
I was able to cover it up nicely with the chocolate frosting, though, you can barely tell. It’s yummy and I’ll definitely make this again.
this cake is so good my family love it they did not is vegan
Help! How do you get rid of the poufy top of the cake? Does it just get smooshed when you turn it over on the cooling rack (I always just leave it to cool in the cake pan so I am missing some critical skills here..)
Hi! If I want to bake this in a 9x3x5 loaf pan do you think I should bake for the same amount of time (30-35 mins.)?
I needed this to be oil-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free, and this was the perfect starting recipe. Substituted gluten-free flour for regular, switched out the olive oil and used apple sauce instead, used dairy-free choc chips and used flax oil (the only oil I can use) for the glaze. Turned out beautifully! What a nice treat. Perfect for anyone with MS following the OMS program.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing. Speaking of accidentally vegan, I’m thinking of making this for a vegan coworker but don’t have a reliable cake pan. Could I use an 8×8 brownie tin? Or would I not get the same result? Thanks in advance!
This lent itself well to my minor tweaks, incl. cutting 2 Tbs. of brown sugar plus 2 Tbs. of white sugar and using half ww pastry flour and half all purpose. I also added 1 t of vanilla since I can’t imagine chocolate cake without it– and used 1 tsp. of espresso powder mixed with part of the 1/1/2 cups water for the recipe, warmed a bit to help it dissolve. Also used 1/4 cups special dark cocoa from Hershey and the rest, Natural Cocoa from Trader Joe’s. The cake has a really deep chocolate flavor, almost as if removing the dairy and eggs has let that shine through more. It is very moist, but also crumbly so I’d suggest being extra careful as you remove it from the pan to cool and then onto a plate after that. I stayed true to the glaze though I went with Trader Joe’s pound plus dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips. I think some poster said this reminds them of ho-ho’s but more sophisticated–and I’d agree. Fwiw, used California Olive Ranch Everyday EVOO as my oil and that worked great. The cake did sink a bit in the center, but nothing a bit of glaze couldn’t cover. This has so much potential as a great pareve cake for those who keep strictly kosher. Am still trying to decide if I like the glaze but overall, am really enjoying picking away at this cake, as is my family.
ps
I used a heatproof bowl set over simmering water to make the glaze, rather than the microwave, melting the chocolate a bit first, before adding everything else and that seemed to work well…
I am a big fan of cake.Chocolate is my favorite one.Can’t wait to try.Thanks….
How do you think buckwheat flour would work in this recipe?
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe since I saw it here – and today was finally the day. It came out perfect, and everyone at home thought it was delicious. The only thing I changed in the recipe was to use some blueberries as decoration – I really liked the freshness of the berries against the sweetness of the chocolate.
I will definitely be coming back to this recipe again – such an easy and delicious cake!
Tastes great with strawberries too!
Update: Attempt number one, using Dutch process cocoa and 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, baked for 40 minutes. Result: got the depression in the middle, cake was very dense and fudgy. Attempt number two, using regular cocoa and 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, baked yet again for 40 minutes. The cake ran over the edges of the pan, dripped down the sides and made a burnt mess in the oven. I’ve turned it out and it’s still cooling, but appears to have a small depression in the middle. Thoughts?
I’m wondering if I need a pan with higher sides and less baking soda. I really loved the original Cockeyed Cake and jumped at the idea of a darker version.
I made this cake tonight with the glaze for my parents 50th wedding anniversary dinner. It was divine! Pitch black, rich and not too sweet. Chocolate nirvana.
Thank you for this incredible recipe, it’s a winner.
I am having a hard time with this cake. It was liquid still at 30 minutes, felt cooked through at 35 so I took it out… after 10 minutes the center fell and when I flipped it on to the rack, it turned out it wasn’t baked through at all – it was a gooey mess! I popped back in the oven for 10 more minutes… still gooey at the center! I bake all the time in this oven so that is not the problem. Any ideas what is going wrong? The crumbs taste really good and the dark color is amazing. I have been saving this for a Halloween cake since you posted it!
I made this cake as well and it took 10 or so minutes longer to bake than the stated time in the recipe and even then, it was very moist, and more dense and fudgy than I expected… I think with this cake it may be better to err on the side of baking over the stated time.
This is very similar to my favorite hershey’s black magic cake. That one has buttermilk and eggs. Must try your version to compare. I have a lot of vegan friends.
This was my first thought as well!
Can’t wait to see you in Vancouver and get my book signed. I bought it the first day it was available in store and have enjoyed everything I’ve made so far. Tonight, it’s the sheet pan chicken with olives, cauliflower, potatoes.
I do wish you could make a stop in North Carolina. Thanks for all you do!
I made it for Saturday night supper when my son and his girlfriend came over for dinner and game night. We loved it, one bowl so very easy. I read the comments and put some of the extra batter in a small dish so it didn’t overflow. I also reduced baking soda but mine still fell a little in the center. It was delicious and even better throughout the week.
Huge success! I had the same dip in the middle with 1.5t baking soda (darn, shoulda read the comments first!) and baked for 50 minutes. I live on the CA coast so no altitude. Perfection regardless. As always, thanks Deb.
My two year old and I quickly threw this together at 4:30 for guests who were coming at 7:30. It turned out perfectly! No issues with the rise or sinking, but we are at sea level here in on the west coast. Next time I might sub a different oil for the glaze as it tasted a bit too olive for me, and add a little more salt than I did this time. I didn’t have any issues with the glaze in the microwave – I just did it in small increments (ie 20 seconds) so I wouldn’t burn anything. I used up a few decaf Starbucks Via’s to make coffee to use instead of the water. Very thrilled with the results!
I absolutely loved the cake though – will make again. So did my toddler!
For the past 34 years, 20 of which my husband and I lived on a 40′ sail boat, my mother-in-law’s Wacky Chocolate Cake was my go to cake. This recipe takes that cake to an entirely new level–outrageously choclatey and DELICIOUS!!
Thanks so much!
A truly decadent and amazing cake! A crowd pleaser for sure. I am making forbthe second time today, feeds a lot of people because it’s perfectly rich!! Thank you for all of your fabulous recipes!
This may have been mentioned but Nigella Lawson has a chocolate olive oil cake that can be made gluten-free by substituting almond meal for the flour. Her recipe headnotes state that she actually prefers the fudgy texture imparted by the almond meal, so when I tried it that’s what I used and I’ve never baked it with flour even though I’m not a gluten-free person! So I’m going to try this recipe (which has, um, double the cocoa…) with almond meal and in so doing, blend basically my two favorite kitchen people ever!
Side note: Deb, it was so cool meeting you in Dallas! It was very much like when I was 5 and at Disney World for the first time and Cinderella came to our breakfast table. (Also, that was a COOL bookshop that I had never been to before.)
Just made this and it turned out beautifully. The batter (and ease of putting it together) reminds me of my favorite Hershey’s Black Magic Cake. Came out a bit fudgier than that one, but perfect and delicious. I like the bit of sea salt in the glaze! I will have to keep this in my back paocket for when I don’t have eggs on hand.
How delicious is that chocolate cake!! I am definitely making this one tomorrow! Thank you very much!! :)
Made this cake this weekend. Used 1 tsp baking soda as Deb and many commenters suggested, and used 1 c coffee + 1/2 c water. Result was delicious and moist, but warning: it did stick to the cake pan sides much more than expected so the sides looked less finished, and it baked for 40 min (all of this is in line with other comments). I made the glaze in a double boiler and had no problems spreading it, so perhaps that may be easier to control than with the microwave method. Any suggestions to help with the sticking to the pan the next time? (Cause there definitely will be a next time!)
The cake was a success – rather similar to Margaret Fox’s Amazon Chocolate Cake. The glaze, however, was another story and was not successful. Turned into a pasty (and not tasty) mess. Served with powdered sugar.
So nice meeting you yesterday, sorry about the rain (Raincouver). I hope my friend Rochelle’s restaurant suggestions helped you in finding a dinner spot last night. Being celiac, I was glad to find so many non gluten recipes.
I made this over the weekend and overall I think it turned out great!
I hate sifting so I barely ever sift anything, and didn’t for this cake (also, I’m a regular cocoa powder person, not Dutch process). I used plain Pompeian EVOO because that was what I had on hand. Went ahead and reduced the baking soda to a slightly-heaping teaspoon due to the comments and also due to having experienced a bunch of sinking with a previous olive oil cake, I think it was a good adjustment. I’m a little mystified by the folks saying they had to reduce the sugar or it’d be too sweet because this cake seems way less sweet than most others, but to each his/her own… mine was barely sweet with the called-for amount of sugar and the glaze together. Used coconut flavored coffee which my husband could taste in the final result but I couldn’t, and used apple cider vinegar.
My cake needed an extra 5 minutes of baking time, but that need was obvious after the toothpick test so it was fine after that. I had prepared the pan and used a parchment circle and all of that, but some of the cake rim still stuck to the pan… not a problem for just enjoying at home rather than for entertaining, but just a note.
I put the glaze ingredients into a bowl right after the cake went into the oven (and covered the bowl with cling wrap), and my cake took hours to cool so it took awhile until I microwaved the glaze, but I had no problems with that… it was almost melted together after the initial 30 seconds so I just microwaved for 15 seconds more and then used it. I didn’t find the olive oil flavor to be prominent in the glaze at all, but wouldn’t really have minded if it was.
I also agree that this tastes like a more upscale version of certain squiggly snack cakes of yore. I’ll definitely be making this again since it is so quick, dark, and moist. I might add cinnamon this time (as other commenters have mentioned) since I usually add it to baked goods that don’t already call for it.
Love this recipe. My favorite chocolate cake.
Can this be frozen completed? Thanks so much!
Use your recipes all the time!
Love your books and recipes, deb! Use them often
Want to make a few of tour chocolate cakes for thanksgiving.. Best cake I ever had!
Can I freeze them?
Thanks so much!
Carrie greenberg
Hi! You said “fall” so I’m making this for Thanksgiving! If I store it for 2 days out or longer in the fridge do I cover it? Put it in a tupperware? Help!
Has anyone tried to make this with GF flour?
It seems that many people have tried using various GF flours with some success. Do a search on this page for gluten and you should find some!
I made this with water and adjusted the sugar a bit. I made a raspberry glaze for the cake and it was absolutely delicious! It is moist and decadent. It’s perfect. My daughter absolutely loved her birthday cake. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! This will now be my staple chocolate cake recipe.
Different recipe with olive oil wow nice
I made this without the glaze and it was excellent. I bought vanilla bean powdered sugar and used it to make designs on the cake (a bit like latte art)
Delicious! I used coconut oil in place of the olive oil as that is what I had on hand. & I used coconut sugar in place of granulated. I also added a splash of vanilla because I’m obsessed with vanilla. I took the advice in the comments & only used 1tsp of baking soda. It was so yummy and chocolate-ly & I could taste a hint of the coconut oil too. I’d like to try it with avacado oil next time too. It was fluffy and moist! I preferred the cake heated over room temp/cooled & it actually reminded me of a lava cake, ha. Love!
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This cake looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it :)
I cut the sugar to 1/2 cup granulated and half cup brown and Was happy with result. I did the glaze so i was ok with a less sweet cake.
I made this as cupcakes; I did 1.5x the recipe and got 12 normal-sized cupcakes and 12 mini ones. Because I wanted to keep them vegan (to bring to a hippie picnic party), I only lightly oiled my tins instead of buttering and flouring like I normally do. Well, quite a few did not come out of the pan in one piece, but they were salvageable enough to bring to the picnic, and their fudgy, moist texture and rich, earthy, perfectly sweet taste made up for their fragmentation! I didn’t use the glaze because I didn’t have time, but they definitely didn’t even need it.
But learn from my mistake: if you make this as cupcakes, use paper liners or go crazy on greasing your tins!
hello Grant, can I ask how long you baked the cupcakes for? I am thinking of baking them as muffins/cupcakes but unsure how long to leave them in the oven. many thanks, Maryam
I made them as cupcakes before and could not get them out of the pan, had to throw them out because they were not salvageable. I second your recommendation to use some kind of muffin liner.
Right! use liners and don’t overfill. I did the cupcakes and didn’t use liners for the first time ever, and that was a mistake. I think this is much better as a layer cake.
Good advise
Thanks
made as directed
loved this! so moist and almost brownie like…like the perfect in between a cake and brownie.
definitely satisfies my chocolate cravings and my bf who doesnt like chocolate much couldnt stop eating this.
our whole family enjoyed and will continue to make in the future!
Because two days before Thanksgiving you’ve got time to answer questions about cake… but, you’re Deb, so you might! I’m making the non-pumpkin pie dessert this week, and this is in my sights! Two questions: 1 – will this work in a standard bundt? Should I double? 2 – Because i’m a cheap-o, could I swap some of the oil for veg or canola? PS – I love you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Ok – I am NOT a baker. I tried this 3x – love the flavor, but I’m having so much trouble with the glaze. The first time, I think I microwaved it too much and threw it out and started over. The second time, it was so thick, I just spread it over the whole cake and called it a day. The third time, it still came out so thick, I could not get it to pour like your photos. Also, mine came out a black color – the same as the cake, not brown like yours. I used dark chocolate chips the yellow bag. Also, the only thing I used instead of corn syrup was pancake syrup all 3 times. Please HELP me, what to add to make it thinner? ( I tried olive oil but it made it too much olive oil – how about just water? :)
Very excited to try – can I put the glaze on a few days before serving, or is it best right before? Asking because I’m planning on making this 2 days before serving to take away for the weekend. Thanks!
I made this…and forgot to put in the granulated sugar since the kids burst through the door home from school at just that moment and broke my concentration. Didn’t notice until I tasted it…it rose beautifully (1 1/8 tsp baking soda), and tasted a little bland but not terrible. Very noticeable olive oil flavor from extra virgin oil, and the oil in the glaze is especially prominent. The kids didn’t complain, but I’ll have to make it again to see what’s up with the real deal.
made this today. Let it cool in the pan, then removed it from the pan and put it on a cooling rack. When it was cool I attempted to carefully move it to a serving plate – and oh no, it broke into several pieces as I tried to pick it up. Totally fragile. What did I do wrong?
Wao this cake looks yummy. I am going to try it, thanks for sharing a recipe with us.
I made this for a vegan Thanksgiving. The cake turned out incredibly moist and pretty tasty for, you know, a vegan dessert. I used a heaping tsp of baking soda and didn’t have the sinking issue noted in other comments. If I were to make this again I would use a less flavorful (cheaper) olive oil, as the flavor was a little overwhelming, and all coffee instead of half coffee half water to cut the olive oil flavor. My glaze was not a glaze at all but a frosting that wouldn’t spread to the edges; it was far too dense. I recommend using half the amount of cocoa powder so it’s thinner. I did use a double broiler and had no issues with burnt chocolate.
Hi. I’d like to make this cake in a 9×13 pan. Shall I use glass or metal? Also, how should I increase the ingredients and cook time? Thank you so much!
I used a 9×13 Pyrex glass baking dish to make this twice and it was just fine. Use a mild olive oil, and I did add an egg to mine both times, reducing the water/coffee by 1/4 cup.
I have been following your blog for long. Congrats on your new book. The recipe also looks another delectable one and perfect for the upcoming holiday season.
This looks great nice stuff.
https://west-coast-waterheater.com
I made this cake using King Arthur GF flour (replaced by weight, rather than cup measurements). I also added 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum (Bob’s Red Mill) to stabilize. It took around 45-50 min. to cook through. I made two cakes, stacked and filled with raspberry jam, and frosted with the recipe from the “I-want-chocolate chocolate cake” (using vegan butter substitute for the buttercream). So it was entirely gluten free and vegan and incredibly delicious. Rich, intensely chocolatey with a light crumb. I was thrilled. Thank you so much, Deb!
Oh, I also dropped the baking soda to 1 tsp, rather than 1 1/2 tsp. There was a little dip in the middle, but no serious sinking, so that was a success, too!
this is like an amazing and fancy version of chocolate frosted chocolate tasty cake cupcakes. so easy to make and so worth it. the olive oil adds wonderful texture but doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate flavor. we brought it for a dinner with friends and they wouldn’t let us take the leftovers home ;)
This came out incredibly good (should note that I subbed mashed banana for half the olive oil, cut the total sugar down to 1 cup and added some walnuts)
Still perfectly moist 2 days later. I’ll definitely be using this recipe as a cake base.
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How do you think this would hold up as mini cupcakes?
I made this for a vegan friend for her birthday, and everyone agreed that it was better than most non-vegan chocolate cakes! I added a little orange zest to the glaze, and it worked really well with the subtle olive oil taste. I’ll definitely be making this again, and not just for vegans!
I made this with freshly brewed coffee instead of water. I also reduced the amount of sugar to 1/2 a cup of dark brown sugar and 1/2 a cup of white sugar. Absolutely delicious! The chocolate glaze was the best part of the cake. The cake itself was really moist, rich and chocolatey. I didn’t get good results from any of the other egg-free chocolate cake recipes that I have tried previously but this one was different. I am going to make this cake multiple times because the first one disappeared so quickly!
After reading many of the comments from people who tried this cake, I made it today (with my kids) for my son’s 5th birthday. I reduced the water to 1 cup and the baking soda to 1 tsp, as others suggested, and baked it a few minutes more than the 35 minutes listed in the recipe. I also added 1 tsp vanilla and subbed all of the sugar for 1 cup honey. The texture of the cake was wonderful, and I didn’t have the depression issue a lot of other people mentioned. My only complaint is that the taste was a bit too cocoa powder-y for me. I might use melted chocolate instead of some of it next time (or maybe in addition to).
Hi Deb, how do you think this cake will bake in a really pretty bundt pan?
thanks.
I tried it in a bundt pan, and it was nice but was a small ring. I would worry about it cooking evenly if you increase the recipe though ( but I’m a complete novice when it comes to baking – so let me know ). I also buttered the pan really well and it came out easily.
Thank you Julia.
I appreciate your insight. I have a gorgeous man I am itching to use, but I think I might go with the prescribed pan this time around.
hee hee, I like your typo. :) I meant to say that this cake doesn’t rise very much is why.
oh my! typo indeed. anyway, I understood what you were saying, Julia. thank you for your insight and a good chuckle.
Deb, everyone in my house is having a bad day. I was looking for a recipe that would make life a bit better and found this. Chocolate cake solves all of life’s problems. I’m making this right now. The best part is i can put this together while the baby naps. Thank you!!
It looks so amazing. It is also so easy and quick recipe. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m sorry if it’s already been asked, but does this cake freeze well? Thanks.
Without the glaze, should freeze just fine.
A few weeks ago I made a double recipe of this cake and stuck it in the freezer. Last night I took it out, put the frosting on, and left it on my countertop overnight. It was delicious at lunch! It’s the perfect parve dessert for anyone looking for something easy to make ahead. Thank you so much for this recipe and the many others in your new book, which I received for Hanukkah and can’t wait to devour :-) wishing you the best in 2018 !
My glaze became gritty (but not burnt) after melting. After reading the comments, I omitted the corn syrup and it worked perfectly.
SO GOOD. Totally easy to make (the only challenging part is flipping it from pan to rack to plate, because it’s so tender and delicate). I froze it for a few weeks, thawed and ganached the day before. Vegans and non-vegans devoured it. I will definitely make this again! I used KAF Triple Cocoa.
I made the OOCC for holiday meal — having baked the cake on saturday. the cake itself took an additional 10 minutes in the oven* and the glaze on monday morning. I was anticipating a pour-able ganache, but wound up with something more fudge textured. hmmm.
I did a partial melt on the chips before adding the oil, but the chips were slow to melt ( * i should say that all of my appliances are brand new {approx 5 weeks} and I am still in learning curve mode with the newness of them,) so i added the remainder of the ingredients and checked the result every 30 seconds or so.
It seemed to seize up no matter how much stirring I did. I added a tad more olive oil and tried to coax the mixture to a more liquid state. I was not successful in that aspect. However, the end product spread really well and I would up with a lovely finish which i decorated with sliced almonds in a sunburst pattern.
The cake turned out of the pan to the cooling rack, and from the cooling rack to the plate quite easily. Yet, when I attempted to turn the cake right side up there was some resistance from plate to flip, so I left it alone.
Rave reviews all around. Great texture, great flavor, rich, chocolaty and wonderful. there are still a few slices left for after work snacks. yes!
Thank you for sharing that lovely food recipe. This is one of my favorite dish. If you search for pizza restaurant Albuquerque than visit my website.
Hi, this looked so delicious and doubly so because no butter and no eggs=awesome! I followed the recipe exactly, and was a little worried about the seemingly large amount of finished batter, but decided to forge ahead …. the batter was way way too much volume for a 9″ cake pan. It has overflowed into the oven and burned, made a huge smoky mess. Oh dear. Next time I will have to try maybe 2 8″ pans? I’m stumped. Help please?
I made this with Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa and love it. This recipe is probably the first chocolate cake I’ve loved (that I have made) outright on its own. Thanks Deb!
When I was a child my mom got a camping cookbook from Marlboro and a very similar cake recipe was in it. It called for sprinkling the top with an abundance of cinnamon-sugar before baking to form a slightly crunchy top. We’d both made it dozens of times in a 9×13 pan and it was always delicious. It was one recipe that we were both sad she lost with her other belongings in a house fire, so I was really happy to find it online a few years ago and that it wasn’t some obscure thing that no one else had heard of. I taught it to my husband so he can make it for my birthday if he wishes, or when I’m not feeling well but need cake [because you know we all “need” chocolate cake sometimes ;-)].
Made this for our NY dinner and it’s my first attempt at baking a cake! It is inspiring me to explore this area a bit more! Folks really enjoyed it and it was fun to introduce everyone to something “new”. I hate the word moist, but that was the comment over and over again from everyone :)
For reference I did the following:
(1) I weighed out my ingredients on a scale (thank you for including that in the instructions!)
(2) I only revised one ingredient proportion, which was to reduce the baking soda to 1 tsp — everything else remained the same.
(3) For the glaze, I melted the choc chips first in 20 sec increments until mostly melted and then added the remaining ingredients to finish it off in the last 20 sec interval.
(4) I toothpick tested to ensure it was ready. It took me an extra 5 min.
The only thing “issue” that I had was a few slight cracks in the top. Which based on research can be from to high of a temp. I preheated to the right setting and checked my oven thermometer that I have as a secondary validation and I was at the right temp. It wasn’t really an issue since the glaze solved the issue…but if I really decide to get into baking…I will try to make sure I get it perfect with no cracks!
Super happy and this is a keeper!
We really love this cake, especially for the ease of preparation needed at the end of the week. It’s a great option that way. I made this the other day as a birthday cake and without a microwave (we don’t have one) to make the glaze. It turned out grainy, smelled less than chocolatey, and wouldn’t spread well. However, after cooling down the whole cake tasted just fine and was served with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Outstanding, although some advice on the glaze would be appreciated.Thank you so much!
I made a gluten-free version for Christmas since the family has a lot of allergies including egg, peanut & gluten. All adults and kids could have one dessert and loved it. I used 50:50 water & coffee & decorated with toasted almond slices, fresh raspberries and powdered sugar. Great, easy & delicious recipe!!!!!
What gluten free flour did you use?
I’ve made this GF many times (including once for a 4 tier birthday cake) using the Bob’s red mill cup for cup flour (light blue label). Follow the recipe as written otherwise.
I made this for Christmas Eve dessert and it was fantastic. Used dairy-free chocolate chips because one of our guests was vegan, and it was the hit of the dessert table. I made the cake the day before I needed it, and as advertised, it was incredibly moist the next day. Thanks for a great recipe. I’ll definitely make it again.
Cake number two for week two of January. So delicious, and had to share with my parents, who are dairy-free.
I love how many chocolate cake recipes you have. I’ve got this one in the oven right now for a rare Friday night dinner and a movie at home.
Deb, this cake is amazing! I used a cup of cold pressed coffee concentrate, a little less than a half cup of water, and added a teaspoon of Mexican vanilla. Add chopped hazelnuts on top of the glaze and whipped cream with orange zest if you really need to pretend it’s not Tuesday.
Hi Deb, will this cake work in a loaf pan?
I haven’t tried it but here is a comment from a person who has: https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-more-book-tour/#comment-984159 (She said it sank.)
Thank you Deb! I had a feeling you’d already answered that one…I tried scrolling through but you have (absolutely justifiably) SO MANY fans! :)
Hi there! I made this once (with water), and it tasted pretty good and was super easy to make. Would love to make it again with more flavor, but I can’t eat/drink coffee. Any other liquid suggestions?
Can you drink, uh, wine? :) I’d only do a partial swap (1/2 to 3/4 cup) but it might be nice for a grown-up dinner. (We’ve made another red wine chocolate cake here.) If not wine, maybe a strong tea that you’d like with chocolate. Earl grey? A little orange zest too?
Sigh, can’t do wine or caffeinated tea either. When I could, though, the red wine chocolate cake was amazing! Orange zest is a good idea, though!
There are any number of decaf herbal teas that might complement chocolate nicely! Plain ginger tea comes to mind, as does a grocery store brand orange & spice tea I just finished a box of. But I have also made this cake without the coffee and it’s still delicious!
Finally made this with half a Cara Cara orange worth of zest, and it was DELICIOUS! I also used good quality, local olive oil and Equal Exchange cocoa. Even better after being left out for a day!
Making this today for a second time. I took it to a lunch New Years days my daughter is vegan but I don’t like to make cake with beans, chia eggs etc…it was such a hit I was getting asked for the recipe. So making again toy for family dinner
Does Dutch processed cocoa work for this?
This is the very first Smitten Kitchen recipe that has failed me! I weighed my ingredients for accuracy, substituted almond flour, and only used 1 tsp of baking soda (as comments suggested). My batter was a thin liquid, but I persevered with a 9in pan. My cake was about to overflow at the 15 minute mark, but (thanks to the comments again) I had placed it on a lined sheet pan and I was watching it carefully. I took the cake out of the oven and scooped out some of the batter before putting it back in. I baked the “cake” for another 30 minutes before I gave up. It smelled a little bit burnt and the edges were bubbling furiously (perhaps due to the oil?) the whole time. The cake never even got close to setting.
Smitten Kitchen is my first stop for baked goods, but this was a wildly disappointing recipe. I have no idea how anyone made this recipe work and I do think this recipe needs to be re-tested. I live in Boston so I don’t think it’s the altitude.
I made this cake 6 times already and it was perfect each time.
I don’t remember it saying you can use almond flour?
I have used almond flour on the past for baking but it is definitely not a substitute for regular flour
Wow, Deb, the flavor of this is great, but I had SO much trouble with the recipe. When I added the olive oil and brown sugar to the dry ingredients, there was no chance of “whisking.” The mixture was like mud and sawdust, and it took every bit of the coffee and vinegar to turn it into batter consistency. While making the glaze, the chocolate seized up after just 30 seconds in the microwave. I saved it by adding heavy cream and a tablespoon of butter, but of course that wouldn’t work if you were going vegan. Just sayin’. It’s a cool, humid day in Virginia, so that may have something to do with it as well….
I made this cake 6 times and it was perfect each time. When you make substitutions any recipe may not work! I bake with almond flour and it simply isn’t a substitutions for all recipes calling for flour. It is really an awesome chocolate cake and my go to!
Hi! Long time reader, first time poster. Thanks for your work, SK is my go to for recipes and inspiration.
Planning on making this for my love’s bday cake. Looking to add chunks of whole roasted strawberries(I think this will be ok). Also looking to add strawberry puree in place of half the liquid. Does that jump out at anyone as immediately problematic? Thanks!
I think it should work! Let us know how it goes, if you can.
From my experience making cakes containing fruit: the fruit pieces can scorch if they touch the pan, and sometimes excess sugar in the batter can cause it to brown more along the crust, imparting an unpleasant bitter flavor to that part of the cake. Personally, I’d rather drizzle warmed purée over the cake slices before serving — I get chocolate cake with strawberry puree at a certain restaurant every time I go there and it’s delicious.
Hi Deb-
I’ve made this cake many times for family- I’ve got vegan and GF cousins and with the bobs red mill 1:1 this satisfies everyone’s needs. Now we’ve got a 1st bday coming up… and the V+GF mama has requested this, but with a white/vanilla frosting. Thoughts on vanilla+olive oil/chocolate? I’m worried about the flavors
I’ve actually really been wanting to make a vanilla version. I’d probably start by swapping the cocoa by weight for flour, dark brown sugar for more white sugar, and you could use coconut oil, I bet, instead of olive oil, if you wish. With coconut, I’d probably add some vanilla.
I made this today. I used a packet of Starbucks instant coffee and added the 1 1/2 cups of water to it.
This cake was such a hit! My family, all connoisseurs of chocolate cake, fell in love with it. So moist, yet a slightly fruity background and the tiny bit of flaky salt in the glaze made it perfect! Thanks for another fabulous recipe Deb!
This is by far the best vegan cake I’ve tried. It stayed moist and flavorful for several days. Even my husband, who is usually underwhelmed by baked goods, sent me a text message the next day telling me how much he loved it. It will forever be my go-to cake. I didn’t have corn syrup so I used agave syrup instead and it worked well. I also used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour because of my stepdaughter’s wheat allergy. The results were perfect.
One thing I want to do is use this recipe for cupcakes but I’m not sure if I need to adjust the baking time. What would you suggest?
So I made this and it totally exploded out of the pan and all over the inside of my oven. The cake is delicious despite the Armageddon it caused, but I think I will be reducing the baking soda next time. Made it with cold brew instead of water, and the flavor is delish! Definitely put a sheet pan under it just in case. Learn from me!!
Smells heavenly but my cake fell in the middle a few minutes after I took it out of the oven?
Google tells me that I opened the oven before the cake set, the cake didn’t go into the oven as soon as the mixture was made (I had a 3-5 minute lag), or too much raising agent. What do you think?
Thanks!
Interesting ideas! My mom made Wacky Cake a million times and never had that sinking issue. But sometimes it sinks for me and sometimes it doesn’t. Some posts said to reduce the baking soda but her recipe called for 1 tsp and we are at sea level so it can’t be altitude either. Next time I will make sure the oven is ready to go when I mix it up. I’m sure I’ve let it sit a few minutes, too, before putting in the oven. It’s makes sense that it could lose some of it’s “oomph” if it sits as the combo of vinegar, soda and salt is what makes it rise.
Doubled this recipe to make two 9″ cakes with half water half coffee. One sank one didn’t and looked perfect. I made a coconut milk ganache. The coconut flavor of the ganache did not match too well with the olive oil in my opinion unfortunately. Others seemed to enjoy it but I also felt the cake itself was a little bit bitter once cooled. Not sure if that is the baking soda coming through or using extra virgin olive oil. Perhaps I should have used light or a different oil… did anyone else taste bitterness? What type of olive oil did you use? It otherwise was a great texture perfect amount of chocolatey and the 2nd bite was better than the first.
I probably used one that is light to medium in flavor. You could try with a lighter one, or try with coconut oil next time if you prefer that flavor profile.
I’ve made this cake successfully several times in a rectangular glass Pyrex baking dish and it’s come out great, and is more portable for taking somewhere else. I also think a lighter olive oil works best – or half olive oil and half lighter, neutral oil like sunflower. In addition, I ended up putting more corn syrup in the glaze.
I have made this twice and love te flavor and how well it keeps in the fridge! However both times my cake sunk in the middle. I cut the baking soda to 1 tsp the second time, as suggested in other comments, and it helped, but the cake is still a bit slumped. Welcome any other ideas for next time to prevent this!
Almost identical to the great Laurie Colwin’s recipe, who credits her friend Karen Edwards, who adapted it from Marion Cunningham. Quite the pedigree. Their version is also eggless and uses cocoa, a little less sugar, only 1 tsp baking soda. Buttermilk instead of the water/coffee. But really, it is quite similar in texture and taste. Laurie Colwin said whoever invented it should get a Nobel Prize, so in our house it has always been called Nobel Prize Cake.
Why did mine come out a soupy mess??? It also expanded out of its cake tin like one of those black cobra fire crackers. Woe is me.
I’ve been reading & cooking your recipes on and off for a long time now, and today need to make a vegan chocolate cake – requested by my daughter for her birthday. And so I found this when I googled smitten kitchen etc.! Thank you! My mother-in-law’s go-to cake was always Wacky Cake, but somehow that never came to mind when looking for a vegan chocolate dessert! Maybe because it was never my favorite . . .? I agree, it just wasn’t chocolate-ly enough! So I am excited to try your extra-chocolate version with olive oil! I will let you know how it turns out.
This is an outstanding cake. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9 X 13″ pan. It rose quite a bit but did not overflow (though the top did sink a bit – will reduce the baking soda as suggested next time.) It also took almost an hour to bake. The glaze stayed soft, and tasted luscious. It was a huge hit in my office and I will definitely make this again. I may add a bit of vanilla next time. Thanks Deb!
Made this last week with red wine instead of water in the cake, and a blend of milk and white chocolate for the glaze (what I had at hand), and it was incredible- definitely ADULT, though, so keep that in mind! (Have made it the original way and it’s also stellar, but wanted to point out some variations that are also great!)
Do you recommend using extra virgin olive oil or light olive oil? I wonder if the EVOO will taste too grassy. I’m planning on making this for a vegan friend who is turning 40 this weekend! Very excited I found this cake for her.
Update: I used 50-50 EVOO and light olive oil and it was delicious. Also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and cut the baking soda to 1 tsp as recommended above. Came out perfectly after 40 minutes.
Amazing and now my go-to easy chocolate cake. Made for large party, vegans had to swat non-vegans away. Baked three days in advance, kept crumb texture and extra virgin flavour mellowed beautifully, iced the day before without syrup but with vegan sprinkles so didn’t miss the shine.
Please amend this recipe to include the height of the sides of the pan, as in “a 9- inch round cake pan with 3-inch tall sides.” My cakes overflowed the pans, feel in the middle, and burned the bottom of the oven. This is information that would have been helpful at the start of the recipe.
Thank you.
I’m sorry it was such a mess for you. But I didn’t make it with a 3-inch deep pan. The cake pan shown with room to spare is 2 to 2 1/2 inches tall, standard layer cake pan depth. I wonder what happened when you made it; are you at an altitude? Maybe we can troubleshoot.
Last night I was having a dream that I was going to eat chocolate cake, but right before I actually got to eat the cake my baby woke me up wanting to feed. I was so disappointed that I didn’t get to eat the cake that I decided to make a real chocolate cake and chose this one. I’m so glad I did, it was beetter than any dream cake could have been!
I love the cake, but I seem to have a problem with the glaze opposite everyone else. My glaze seems really thin. I’ve tried it twice, but both times it never seems to really set into anything like the photo or a ganache. Does it matter if I’m not using a different chocolate than semisweet chocolate chips? I’m using Trader Joe’s dark chocolate bar because it’s the only vegan chocolate I have, but I thought that would probably make it thicker. Does the kind of cocoa powder matter for the glaze at all? I used Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder, which is a mix of both natural and Dutched, for both the cake and the glaze.
I was prepared not to like this. How can you make a chocolate cake with no eggs?? And the batter was super-runny. But what do I know?? It was delicious! I made it for a party thrown by a vegan friend (which I find very challenging to cook for…), and everyone loved it! The leftovers have been in my fridge for 4 days now, and they are still moist and yummy. I cut up some strawberries and tossed with a little sugar to serve with it, and it’s a big hit. I’ll definitely make it again.
Do you have to put the corn syrup in the glaze? It’s not an ingredient I use and I’m not keen on buying a bottle just for a Tablespoon of it in this recipe..
It’s just for shine; you can skip it.
I think I just died and went to heaven. I need to make this with gluten free flour, but I think it will still work with a pinch of guar gum added. I am so happy I could cry. This looks PERFECT for me with all my stupid food issues and allergies! You have no idea how I have been jonesing for that perfect chocolate cake, and now it’s within reach. *happy contented sigh*
I love that you brought peg bracken and this cake back into my life.
Woot woot I somehow ran out of baking powder and needed a recipe that didn’t need any. This looks perfect. I’m loving how you link to recipes in Instagram, but I’m making more of your recipes than I ever did. :)
I followed this recipe…but the baking time was nowhere close to 30-35 mins. I had to bake my cake for 45-50 mins. I’m wondering what could contribute to such varying baking times for this cake?
I gave mine an extra 12 minutes and it was still raw in the middle. We ate it anyway. I wonder what could have happened. I used an 8×8 glass pan and we are at 1600 ft elevation. Could those things have made it fail?
I made this again but used a much larger pan (9×13) and still had to bake for 40+ minutes. Everyone raved about how moist it was. I love the glaze too.
I love having a vegan option. I made the recipe with a few changes.
* 1 t baking soda (due to others comments)
* Boiled the water and added to the unsweetened cocoa. This blooms the cocoa, drawing out more of the flavor. Let cool and I added where the water (or coffee) gets added.
* 8-inch (8″) round cake pan for 35 mins. Probably could have used 5 mins more.
* Made Julia Child’s whipped cream that works great as a frosting. Whip 1-1/4 c heavy cream, 2 T sour cream, 2 T sugar, 1 t vanilla till firm. Just frosted the top and sprinkled some rainbow nonpareils for a lovely birthday cake.
The center did not sink and the cake did not overflow the pan. Next time, I’d like to try in a bundt pan. It was so yummy and loved by the entire family. Thanks, Deb!
I made this tonight–loved the cake, thought the glaze made it not as good. Will skip the glaze next time.
I used to make a similar cake, no eggs, but using vegetable oil and not nearly as much cocoa powder. It was an ok cake that I used to make if I didn’t have much time, but…then I tried this recipe.
Oh, my goodness!!! This cake, this is the chocolate cake of my dreams, dense but not heavy, very chocolatey and so moist. I would spend two hours in the kitchen for this cake, but what! I can have it in the oven in 15 minutes!!
I made it exactly to the recipe, using water, not coffee and baked for 40 minutes. After putting it in the fridge, the glaze hardens and I like it even more. As for whether it will stay moist for one week in the fridge, I will never know if this is true. This one lasted 48 hours and only because a lot (a lot!!!) of restraint was used. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this delicious, easy to make and impossible to resist recipe!
This cake was AMAZING. The only change I made was reducing the sugar to just 1 cup of white sugar with no brown sugar. I think I could have brought it down a little more even. Depends how sweet your sweet tooth is :) but with the glaze I found there to be a good balance.
Just baked this cake. Did not rise in the center. Haven’t tasted yet. Still on the cooling rack.
I have just made this with coffee, not water. Amazing. However, I was thinking of using water and espresso powder next time. Any suggestions on how much espresso powder to use?
I made this today following the recipe exactly, using coffee as the liquid. My olive oil is very good quality so it’s pretty strong tasting and the flavor comes out in the finished product. It’s very tasty and dark chocolate-y. My husband didn’t love it because of the olive oil flavor. The texture is amazing considering there are no eggs!
I made this cake for the third time this past weekend. I use a mix of Calivirgin blood orange infused olive oil and a bit of sunflower oil. I do add an egg (reduce liquid by 1/4 cup) and I also used whole wheat pastry flour and I also add vanilla. I use espresso powder. I bake it in a 9×13 Pyrex baking dish which is the perfect size. Doubled the corn syrup in the glaze. It’s a delicious cake – I make for someone in our family with a dairy allergy. The texture is a bit different and while I miss the buttery flavor or real butter, it is a terrific dairy-free cake.
Is the cocoa powder in the batter the same ingredient as the cocoa in the glaze?Thanks. Can’t wait to make.
I’m not sure I understand; you mean, the same kind of cocoa powder? Yes, in general, but for the glaze, any kind will do.
That looks so delectable! <3 I have long ago stopped baking, but seeing your photos, I might try this along with my daughter who enjoys baking….ahhh even the glaze looks perfect!
This will be my third time making this. We love it and I always have these ingredients (well duh) so on a day like today when the fella is making a curry feast for some friends and I think I’m going to make my mum’s brownies but we’re out of butter – ta da! I’m thinking of creating a chart on all the recipes from smitten kitchen that I’ve made and remade with no failures (well,I failed at something with frozen puff pastry but I’m blaming it and me – not the recipe). Thank you Deb! Okay three minutes left on oven timer so I’ll stop.
Could you provide directions for the glaze if one doesn’t have a microwave. The cake smells so good while it’s baking.
Helme
Melt it in a saucepan on the stove, low heat, watch it carefully.
Lovely cake: deep, dark chocolate flavor, fine crumb, and moist as stated in the recipe. I had none of the sunken center issues (baked in a 9-inch springform for 35 min). I don’t like my cakes overly sweet, and reduced both sugars to 120g each. Perfect in my book, even without the glaze. Will make again.
Excited to try this as I need a vegan+gf cake for my child’s 4th birthday this weekend—I’ll be serving 30 adults and 20 kids (yikes) and so am thinking of making two 9×13 pans —- would that be x4 of the recipe or just doubling it? Thanks!
I really cannot say…I’ve only made it in 2x 8″ pans…However, Deb has a formula for this, iirc….it’s part of the wedding cake story from a few years ago. You could check that. Alternatively, you could try the recipe as is and bake it in one of the pans you mentioned, so you can see how much cake you would end up with. If it’s thin, it will bake much faster. And it’s easy to make a layer cake out of it by cutting it in half (assuming vertical in this case bc it will likely be a thin layer).
….hmmmm…layer cakes serve more…it might help you get the #s… just a thought. Best wishes! Let us know what you do & how it turned out for you.
Ariel – Did you make this in a 9 x 13 pan? Did it work out? Did you double the recipe? I want to make 1 9 x 13 cake for my son’s birthday.
It is entirely possible I’ve already posted about this, but now I’ve made it for the third time and I’m convinced: THIS IS THE BEST VEGAN CAKE. It’s so easy and turns out consistently perfect. Those with whom I’ve shared this cake have gone absolutely bonkers for it. It’s moist and rich and just delicious – for vegans and omnivores alike. My biggest hope is that Deb adds more vegan cake recipes as good as this one to SK – like a vanilla cake… or a lemon cake… or coconut! The mind reels.
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe, Deb! I had been scared to delve into vegan baking but whenever I’m scared of a food thing, you’re the next person I consult for a recipe, after Ina. (We both know Ina is 👑.) Anyway, this turned out SO WELL and I’m already excited about some tweaks I want to make!!! Thank you for inspiring kitchen confidence!!!
This is spectacular! I used coffee and added a generous dose of cardamom, which really compliments the bitterness of the coffee and chocolate nicely. So fluffy!
So, I work in animal welfare and therefore (while I am not vegan) I work with a few folks who are.
I made this cake the other day for a work party, and I made a vegan peanut butter frosting to go with it. I doubled it and stacked it to make it more celebratory…
… And one person told me I should start a business, and another told me it was the best cake she’s ever eaten. I’d call that success!
Doubling it, there was a little too much batter for two cake pans, so I did make a few cupcakes as well. The batter is wet but not excessively so, and I had no problem with overflowing. Came out deliciously moist!
I made this cake last night. I reduced the baking soda to 1 tsp but in a 9 inch round pan I had to bake it about 45 minutes. After 35 minutes it was still uncooked in the centre so I just kept it in the oven and watched it. The cake was fudgey in the middle but still delicious. This is the perfect week night cake.
I have a question about this recipe, and want to note a variation I tried.
Question: During the 2-3 times I’ve baked this recipe, it is always undercooked in the middle, even after I put it in the oven for ~50 minutes. I usually cut out the middle circle and call it a “donut cake.” It looks like other commenters have had issues with the cake sinking in the middle. Do you have any advice to prevent this problem?
Variation: Last night while snowed in, I was craving a spiced cake, and had no eggs on hand. I ended up using this cake’s recipe as inspiration, but subbed an equal weight of flour for the cocoa powder, and added 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves. I also made a ginger glaze consisting of 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp water, and 1 tsp ground ginger. The texture of the cake was the same as the chocolate version (including the sunken middle). Highly recommended!
Hi Liz…thanks for sharing the info about the flour/spice version!
re: sinking in the middle… I have been using only ONE teaspoon of baking soda, per suggestion of several others…(rather than 1.5 tsp of B soda)…. I have found that the whole cake falls a little once I flip it out of the tin & is quite dense/fudgey. Hope that helps!
Also! There’s a new vegan cake recipe here today: Plush Coconut Cake!!!
hi..what type of olive oil…i sometimes think evoo is too strong in sweet stuff but always have on hand. thanks
I LOVED the taste of EVOO here. It adds a depth of flavor and balances the sweetness perfectly. You can’t quite put your finger on what the flavor difference is — it’s just more complex.
Oh my gosh! The best chocolate cake!!! Used 1 teaspoon baking soda only. Sunk a bit in the center. Went about 8 minutes beyond the 35. Used some leftover raspberry sauce from Ina’s Panna Cotta. This was amazing! I think the chocolate glaze would have been overkill.
I made this as written 2x. Once in a 9″ round pan and once in an 8″ square pan. They both turned out perfect. I also made icing as written (all mixed in a bowl and then microwaved in 15 sec. increments; stirring very well before each additional heating). No problems whatsoever. I was able to perfectly spread over both cakes.
For the 8″ pan, I didn’t add all the batter (had enough for 2 additional cupcakes). It still needed about 35 minutes in the oven while the 9″ pan need closer to 40 min. It is a slightly crumbly cake, but really delicious.
For those of you cooking at elevation, I thought I’d throw this in the pile. I’m in Denver.
Baked with 1tsp. Soda and reduced coffee to 1 1/4c. Baked 45 min in an8″pan plus a small extra mini loaf.
Still dipped slightly but very very good.
My glaze thickened slightly as I’ve read others doing. I added more oil and pulled from the heat early. Went on beautifully.
I saw this recipe yesterday afternoon and just *had* to make it immediately. Every ingredient was just sitting in my pantry already and it was a cinch to mix together and get in the oven. I made it at 5pm when I hadn’t even started cooking dinner yet and it was incredibly easy. And oh so delicious!! I have made olive oil cakes in the past and also vegan cakes and they are usually ok – often they have a weird, too-oily texture, so i was delighted when this cake turned out actually cake-y! Love the deep chocolate flavor and the soft texture. I used 1 tsp baking soda based on other comments but might try it with the full amount. The cocoa powder I used was not Dutch process.
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. I made it for the first time a few months ago, and have made it several times since. It’s come out perfectly every single time, and been quickly demolished. If I’m baking an everyday cake, you can bet it will be this one. (And, for a Christmas potluck, dressed up with sparkly gold sprinkles it was appropriately festive.) Thanks, Deb!
I love a good olive oil cake and was delighted to try this chocolate version, but mine didn’t quite pan out (no pun intended). Despite all the chocolate you can still taste the olive oil (our apartment smelled like popcorn, not chocolate, when the cake was baking) and the glaze never came together – it was more like a stiff frosting. I used 1 1/2 tsp baking soda and baked the cake for 45 min – it’s certaunly moist! Willing to give this another go because it could be beautiful.
I am at high altitude (6,500 feet) and was worried this cake wouldn’t work after reading comments that it sunk in the middle even at sea level. I’m happy to report it worked just fine with the following adjustments: increase flour by 1/4 cup, increase coffee/water by 1/4 cup, decrease baking soda to 7/8 tsp. I used two 9 inch pans as I had too much batter for one. They baked in about 20 minutes in dark nonstick pans at 350. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I made this cake recently, replacing all of the water with freshly brewed coffee and it came out unreal. I wasn’t trying to be vegan but used vegan chocolate chips anyway to make a ganache using coconut milk. Came out great in a loaf pan and as cupcakes. It tastes a lot like Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake, which had been my forever go-to chocolate cake but this version is just as good (better? Dare I say it??) and WAY less fussy.
PS. I’ve been an avid reader for the better part of a decade plus (and was even an EV neighbor for awhile!) and was so moved by this recipe that I finally felt compelled to post! :)
Does it matter which type of olive oil? I presently have extra virgin in my cupboard.
Oh my goodness, this is a keeper. (I think at least 70% of my cooking repatoire is SK at this point). I cut the baking soda to 1 teaspoon, baked in a square 8×8 pan. (It dipped a wee bit in the middle, but no big deal.) I let it cool, spread a layer of seedless raspberry jam over it, then frosted with a whipped ganache (next time I’m going to put fresh raspberries on it). I think it might be the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made and has officially dethroned the back-of-the-box Hershey’s one I’ve made since college.
I made this as cupcakes and got 18 using a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Baked for 18 minutes at 350. I reduced the sugar slightly to about 5/8 cup of each kind and it was still good. However, I took a gamble and did not line my cupcake tins (usually my nonstick ones release things pretty cleanly) but liners are a must for this one! (I ate the parts left behind with a spoon, so no complaints there.)
This cake is AMAZING. I made it with my 5 year old on the weekend, it’s super easy to make. I read the comments and adjusted the baking soda to 1 tsp, and melted the chocolate before adding the oil etc., then microwaved for 30 seconds. It all turned out perfectly. This is now a new family favourite.
This is an awesome cake: huge flavor-to-effort ratio! I used just 1 tsp of baking soda (per so many comments!) and it only sunk the tiniest bit (a great space for extra glaze!). However, I used a Trade Joe “California Estate” olive oil, and for me, it had too strong a flavor. To compensate, I used avocado oil in the glaze, but I couldn’t get all the choc. chips to melt after multiple 20-second bursts in the microwave, and then suddenly I could tell it was about to seize, so I slathered it on top of the cake just in time. Looks fine, tastes fine, but no alluring drips off the sides.
One question: my cocoa (yes, it’s T.Joe too) seems to be super light: 3/4 cup is like 35 grams! what up? I put in a total of maybe 45 grams, but then had to add 2-3 Tbs more brown sugar.
Next time, I’m going to try with almond meal for the AP flour; then I can bring it to my knitting circle that has several GF people. If/when I do, I’ll report back.
I believe it was Anton Chekhov who said about writing that if the gun on the mantle had not been fired by act two, remove the gun. Each component of a story had to have necessary purpose. This cake fulfills this type of beautiful economy and purpose including the pinch of salt in the icing ! Delivers dark chcolate intensity and moist crumb for such little effort! Thank you this genius transformation of the wacky cake. This is my go to for luscious flavor with little effort.
This was simple and good! We didn’t frost it, and it was a nice dark cake. I thought there was too much sugar, but between the chocolate and the coffee, it was not very sweet at all. (I used 1c coffee, 1/2c water.) Next time I’d reduce the baking soda or increase the vinegar just a tad, but the base flavor wasn’t strong enough to ruin my enjoyment of the cake.
This was so easy and so good – moist and very rich. I didn’t include the corn syrup because I realized too late that I was out of it and the icing is still great (although of course not as shiny). Thanks!
This was SO GOOD! I made it with the 1 tsp of bicarb as suggested in the comments and cooked for the suggested time and it turned out perfectly. It was fluffy and rich, and went down a treat with everyone who tried it.
I doubled your measurements and baked the cake in 26″ pan. Took longer to bake but it came out perfect. Dusted with powder sugar. Will make it again for sure.
This cake is my go-to vegan cake! Whenever I bring a dessert to a party, I often show up with that and then this cake and it’s always a hit. And so easy I can make it as a second dessert most times. Changes I often make: I add a layer of raspberry jam (strained of the seeds) between the cake base and the chocolate glaze and then a pile of fresh raspberries on the top in the middle, covered in powdered sugar. Sometimes I add around a teaspoon of vanilla or cinnamon to the cake base as well. I usually omit the corn syrup and sometimes swap it with honey when I don’t necessarily need the cake to be vegan. Or I omit it altogether. Such a reliable and standard recipe I get requests for all the time!
This cake was amazing! I used light brown sugar, added vanilla, and went with a mix of coffee (1 c) and water (1/2 c). For the glaze, I had a coffee and cream chocolate bar and used that to make a ganache. Needed an extra 10 min in the oven. The cake was SO moist and flavorful.
I just made this for the second time (my 5 yr old requested it). I made cupcakes this time. The recipe made 19 cupcakes and they took 20 minutes to bake.
I made this twice with very different results!
1st go – Followed the recipe exactly but swapped out 1/2 cup of the flour for coconut flour since I’ve had it lying around. I also used light brown sugar since it’s all I had (instead of dark). I used cider vinegar and coffee. It was amazing! Took an extra 5 mins to cook and could’ve used a few more minutes, the texture was perfect but a little stickier than it needed to be. My friends loved it, so decadent and I loved being able to say it was vegan!
2nd go – I wanted more of the cake but had run out of olive oil. This time, I used all regular flour and swapped coconut oil w/ a top off of vegetable oil for the olive oil. I might have overbaked this one, but it was much cakier and dry, not at all moist and lovely like first one.
P.s. the glaze is amazing – so easy! May never make another type of icing/frosting again.
I like making wacky cake and wanted to try this twist on one of our favorites. I made this twice over this past snowy weekend and it just didn’t work. The first time, I intended for it to be a layer cake so I doubled it. It overflowed both pans, had a horrible depression in the center, burned on the top and edges, and never baked in the center. Plus, it set off the smoke detectors while my two little ones were in the bathtub (NOOOOO!) because I did not put down anything to catch the overflow. The next day, I was convinced I made an error when calculating the double-portion, so I made just one. I weighed the ingredients, only used 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and put a pan underneath. Same problem(s), but at least the smoke detectors didn’t go off. The recipe went into the trash along with all three cakes. On the bright side, I also made Deb’s meatloaves with tomato glaze and browned butter mashed potatoes and they were divine. So good that we can’t stop eating them and we don’t even miss the chocolate for dessert.
Maybe you should try her recipe! It’s wonderful the way it is!
This turned out to be delicious and so moist! I ended up halving the recipe and making it as cupcakes (it made 8). (Was so pleasant to halve a recipe without an egg in it!) I read the warnings of other commenters to use cupcake liners, foolishly ignored them, and regretted it. USE LINERS. Because these were just for me, I didn’t mind eating out of the pan with a spoon, but I couldn’t get any out cleanly. I used the chocolate buttercream frosting from the “‘I want chocolate cake’ cake” and it was delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!
So do I double the recipe if I want to make a 9×13 cake?
Yes.
Has anyone made this as a layer cake? Did you bake two cakes or cut one in half? I’ve made this cake many times and LOVE it. Just want to see if I can fancy it up for a birthday. Any advice and suggestions welcome!
This cake is my new, ultimate, forever cake. My mixer broke before Christmas AND I had been craving home made cake for way too long –> search in the smitten archives for an easy chocolate cake yielded this bad boy . I switched out butter for the olive oil, since my costco brand EVOO was not something I wanted to emphasize in a cake, and i dialed back the sugar to 1 cup. I added 2/3 a cup of trader joe’s dark chocolate pound plus, chopped. FOREVER THIS IS MY CAKE. maybe i don’t even need to replace my mixer.
This was great! I had to make something for a work function that was both gluten free and dairy free which is not my area of expertise, so I was worried.
I doubled the batter and used the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 GF flour. I chose to use vegetable oil so I could control the flavor more (same amount as the olive oil in recipe). I did use coffee in place of the water (again same amount), I just grabbed one of those refrigerated cold brews from the grocery store. Lastly, went with the other recipe notes and did 1 tsp of baking soda per cake (so 2 tsp total).
Baked in two 8in pans and they were done in about 32 minutes, probably could have used around 35 but I was worried the cakes might be dry. They definitely were not!! Super moist and a really nice chocolate flavor. The tops of mine domed and cracked significantly but I was leveling them to make a layer cake anyway so this was no trouble for me. This was my first time using a GF flour blend and I think it worked really well in this recipe.
Layered/topped with a whipped frosting made from chilled coconut cream with some coffee, vanilla, and rum flavors.
I made this a few weeks ago and it turned out great, as expected. I made it again last night and it literally exploded all over my oven. I think the difference is that I used white vinegar this time versus apple cider the first time. It still tasted great once I cleaned up the mess and finished baking it in my other oven. (Glad I have 2!!!!) Definitely using the apple cider vinegar from now on!!!
This might be one of the best cakes I’ve ever had. It tastes nearly identical to Beatty’s Chocolate Cake (my favorite chocolate cake recipe). I was so nervous while this was baking! After I added the liquid to the dry ingredients, I accidentally over-mixed everything because I had lumps of brown sugar floating around the bottom of the bowl and I really wanted them to be mixed in.
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9 x 13 pan. I also used some of the batter to make 6 cupcakes, because I was worried about overflow in the 9 x 13 pan. I only used 2 tsp baking soda, cut the sugar by 1/4 cup, and used half EVOO and half canola oil. I also added 2 teaspoons vanilla. It took 42 min to bake and didn’t dome in the center, nor did it sink. First time I’ve actually had a flat cake!
It is so moist and fudgy, like a brownie. Hopefully it tastes just as good after being refrigerated overnight!
I was looking for an eggless cake recipe on a Saturday afternoon because I wasn’t able to get to the store (bad planning) and came across this. Added the zest of one orange rubbed into the sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp of Penzey’s apple pie spice (cinnamon blend & mace) to the cake, added 1 1/2 tsp of apple pie spice to the glaze. It is DIVINE. Next time I’m thinking maybe leave out the orange and add a little cayenne for a Mexican chocolate take on it. I am highly picky about my chocolate cakes and this one is a keeper for sure. Thank you for this!
I made this cake last night to bring to a Mother’s Day dinner tonight. It fell significantly in the middle, and then when glazed, gravity drew the glaze into the depression in the center! No matter, though, it tasted great. Now that I have read many comments I will make it next time with less baking soda and see if that lessens the depressed middle.
I made this on a Wednesday night and am writing this on the following Tuesday and the cake is still delicious! I brought the leftovers in to my office and people are raving about it, and it’s not just because the cake has caffeine in it :-)
Now I really feel foolish: I went to my recipe file and lo and behold I DID reduce the baking soda to 1 tsp.! (My earlier comment said I would do that next time, but in reality I had already reduced the amount to 1 tsp.) But the cake fell in the middle anyway. So now, do I reduce it further? Abandon ship? What do you suggest? The cake is delicioso, but it does look like someone punched it in the stomach…. not the best presentation.
Could I use avocado oil for this cake?
I think so — especially if you’ve baked with it before.
This may be a novice question – but in the ingredients list, for the cake you list “unsweetened cocoa,” and for the glaze you list “cocoa powder” — are these intentionally different? Or is this the same ingredient?
They’re the same.
Adding hot coffee plus 1/4 cup of bourbon for the liquid was a great idea. Brilliant even. I also added mini chocolate chips.
I have now made this cake twice – and it is going to be my favorite cake forever. I can’t believe it’s vegan, and even though I am not, I have impressed others who are. So easy. So amazing. Though – I also can’t tell what it would be like with less amazing cocoa powder – I used Droste, which is the best in my opinion.
I should also say – the second time I made it with white vinegar, it completely overflowed the pan. I rescued it, but it was rather explosive.
I thought I would be clever and adapt this recipe for the bread machine. How great would that be? Throw in the ingredients, press “go”, and come back later to delicious cake! Unfortunately, it DID NOT WORK!!! It didn’t mix well enough, it didn’t bake enough, total failure.
I made this cake in a loaf pan and sprayed it liberally with oil. It came out of the pan no worries. I let it sit for 10 minutes before turning it out, having learnt my lesson with a previous loaf cake. It smells great and is nice and springy on the bottom. My vegan uncle is going to love it. I’ll frost it with some cocoa and nuttlex icing.
I made this last night for one half of my daughter’s birthday cake (she wanted the other layer to be strawberry, and who am I to argue with a four year-old). As she and one of her best friends has an egg allergy, I was pleased as anything to remember that SK had an egg-free chocolate cake recipe. I find many vegan cakes to be too involved and complicated.
I doubled the recipe for a 9×13 cake. There was way more batter than needed, and I baked the excess into a small loaf cake (hey, it gave me a sample to test, just in case it turned out poorly, which of course it didn’t).
As many commenters suggested, I scaled the baking soda back, using 2 tsp for a double recipe. The cake rose beautifully, and domed ever so slightly in the center. I wanted to use coffee instead of water, but horror of horrors, realized I was out of my instant espresso that I use for such occasions. Being too lazy to brew regular coffee, I had a stroke of genius: I used some decaf Starbucks Via I had on hand! Added a bit of coffee flavor without the caffeine. The cake came out dark and moist and fudgy but somehow still light.
If you DO make this into a 9×13 cake, a suggestion: Let it cool completely before handling it. Eggless cakes are more delicate than regular cakes. I needed to freeze mine and thus needed to wrap it in plastic and maneuvering a large slab of extra delicate cake nearly ended in disaster.
Anyway, 5 stars! And I’m always excited for a one bowl cake recipe.
Oh, and it took about ~35 minutes total to bake. The cake was probably just shy of 2 inches high, for reference.
I’ve made this luscious cake many times. Turns out perfectly every time. I usually end up scraping the remaining moist, dense crumbs along with that amazing frosting with a fork to get EVERY LAST bit before the pan gets washed. Don’t let the unusual addition of olive oil give any hesitation. It adds a silky tang that most tasters can’t quite place until they are told. :) So GOOD. 😊
Hi! I’ve made this several times now (with coffee in lieu of water, along with a little added to the glaze) and it is consistently amazing! I was wondering if this could be successfully converted into cupcakes, and if so, would you recommend changing the baking time. Thanks!
This was spectacular! I made it this weekend for my brother’s birthday and we all ended up licking our plates. I realized in baking this cake that my pans are actually 8 inch cake pans, not 9 inch … and I ended up with a mass of lumpy cake in the bottom of my oven (whoops!). Let me tell you — even that was DELICIOUS! This may become our new family cake tradition. One thing was the glaze — I ended up with what looked like sugar crystals speckling it. Not sure why, though it could be the age of my corn syrup?
Thank you, Deb, for the always fabulous chocolatey baked goods! <3
It’s Tuesday and I am making this cake @9:30 pm because my day could needed some improvement…. Waiting anxiously…
My coworker made this cake and sent me the recipe. I made it today, followed it exactly as is and it turned out amazing. I will definitely be making again. The texture is perfect, just the right amount of sweetness. My new favorite cake :)
My cake cracked! Any thoughts as to why?
My children have a few food allergies – would you have any recommendations for a gluten free flour for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Deb,
Do you know if this recipe would work for cupcakes? If yes, how many cupcakes would 1 recipe of this batter make, and what would you recommend for the baking time? We’re going to a barbecue with many kids and adults. Cupcakes are easier for the kids to hold and eat.
I made the cake for a July 4th barbecue and everyone, vegan or not, LOVED it. We served it with a fresh berry salad – blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. 10 gold stars, Deb, for this delicious and easy recipe. Thanks!
Yes — here are a bunch of comments with tips from people who made it as cupcakes:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-more-book-tour/#comment-977696
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-more-book-tour/#comment-978599
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-more-book-tour/#comment-980162
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-more-book-tour/#comment-991246
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-more-book-tour/#comment-1361032
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-more-book-tour/#comment-1371596
I have made this cake twice. I am a very experienced baker. I measure and weight my ingredients for accuracy and have no problems with my oven temperature. While this cake tastes delicious the presentation does not meet my standards.
Do you have any tips or suggestions?
Thanks so much
Try reducing the baking soda to 3/8 tsp.
I love this cake! Since I went vegan, this has become my go-to cake recipe.
Last month though, my spouse asked for a white wine/olive oil cake for her birthday, so I googled a yellow cake version of this recipe, subbed olive oil for the vegetable oil and white wine for the water. It came out fine, but it wasn’t special or exciting. The wine and olive oil flavors really didn’t come through. I’d love to see a Smitten Kitchen amazing version of that: a vegan white wine olive oil birthday cake for grownups.
I am making cupcakes for a first birthday. This is my go to in general, but would you recommend this one or the celebration cake in your second book?
Thanks!
This cake is eggless and dairy-free; it’s excellent but has a unusually plush, light crumb. If eggs or dairy aren’t an issue, I do like the celebration cake in the second book, especially for kids birthdays.
Thank you! Maybe plush/light is good for a smash cupcake? But I think I’ll branch out, since I can make this one almost in my sleep now.
I ended up realizing that my baby doesn’t have an opinion on chocolate but has STRONG opinions about blueberries, so I made a double recipe of your perfect blueberry muffins and half a recipe of the cream cheese frosting from the book so that I could frost a few, including the one for the birthday boy, but leave the rest plain, since the rest of the guests were adults. Thank you!
Just made this tonight for visiting vegans and it was not only a hit with them but was better than the regular chocolate cake recipe I have AND easier to make.
I didn’t use the olive oil, just safflower as I dislike the flavour of olive oil, and I chose the coffee vs water option. I also added a tsp of my homemade rum vanilla to it. Because I put that in everything. ;)
I think I’ll be using this one on a regular basis! Thank you!
I have never warmed to the idea of making a cake with cooking oil in it but as this was with the “good” oil I thought I would give it a go. Very easy to make and the closest I have come to making a moist chocolate “mud” cake. I only use 1 tsp of baking powder and had no problems with the rise.
I made this cake for a birthday and it was a bit hit. I used coffee that I roasted brewed instead of the water,which added a new depth of flavor to the cake. Thank you Deb for this wonderful recipe that is easy to make and delicious.
I came looking for a chocolate zucchini cake, and came out with a Principal Trunchbull, make all my chocolaty cake dreams come true kinda cake. Thank you so much! Also made my whole family write a poem to me about me and my wonderful self so I would share this recipe with them muahaha. Best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. Thank you again and again. Love and hugs!
I made this exactly as written (with coffee, not water), and it was delicious. Cooking time was at the high end of the range (a minute or two more than 25 minutes). The top never really got springy, but tester came out clean. It was very sticky coming out of the on, so the glaze helped cover where some small bits had gotten stuck. Of course I had to eat those bits right away, just to keep things tidy!
I mean a minute or two more than *35. About 38 minutes.
I’ve made this a couple times now and I really like how simple it is that I can make it with things that I always have on hand in the kitchen. Made one for my sister who LOVES chocolate for her birthday. Didn’t glaze it. She loved how moist and rich it felt yet somehow light. I enjoy it too and I have to be careful not to eat an entire small cake of it myself! (I’m trying to lose weight…)
This has been my go-to recipe for many years, for my once highly-allergic-to-eggs- and-milk toddler, starting 30 years ago. I could bring cupcakes to school for him & everyone else with this tasty cake. He’s now grown out of those allergies, but it sure was a life-saver! Great you published this for others.
This worked out well for me. After reading comments, I reduced the baking soda to 1tsp, and it did not sink. It took about 40 minutes for the toothpick tester to be clean. The batter was delicious; no olive oil flavor at all. I used decaf Nespresso coffee, and California Olive Ranch brand olive oil (extra virgin, “everyday” oil).
The glaze was made with Guittard chips (no dairy!), light Karo syrup, and the same olive oil. It tasted great, no olive oil flavor. It was creamy just like regular ganache. I stirred everything together before microwaving, and needed three 15-second bursts to get it melted and smooth.
I took the cake in to the office where my vegan friends are, and we all thought it was tasty. It’s moist, and dense, but better than I imagined a vegan cake would be. Also, it was very pretty!
This cake is absolutely AH-MÂ-ZING! It was just so easy and delicious. We’ve been combining it with pistachio ice cream. I strongly recommend making it « as is » and using coffee instead of water!
Bon apppetit!
Just some info regarding cake tins:
I didn’t realise beforehand how runny this batter is, so I advise you don’t use this cake as an opportunity to whip out your new springform tin, as I did, or you’ll end up, like me, with batter leaking out all over your kitchen bench. I therefore had to substitute a square tin (my usual brownie tin) and it turned out perfectly. I adjusted by cooking for a little longer on a slightly lower temperature, to avoid any burning. Can now report that the cake is absolutely delicious, and is my new go-to for delightfully dark, borderline savoury chocolate cake!
I’m not vegan, but sometimes I bake for a friend who is, and she tells me that not all chocolate chips are vegan. But they exist. I found a bag that passed muster in the kosher section of a local supermarket.
This recipe is wonderful! Thank you! My partner made it yesterday for my birthday, using rice flour to make it gluten free. The result was so good, very moist and squishy with a crispy top. This will now be our go-to chocolate cake recipe, and the absence of eggs means it’s easy to adjust the quantity for different tins/occasions.
This is our go-to chocolate cake. Except that you forgot a very important ingredient. The chocolate chips.
Just thought you should know!
Thanks for always being amazing.
I LOVE this cake recipe. Now, I’m taking it on the road to a crowd! Do you have a suggestion for turning this into a sheet cake? I have a full sheet pan, so it will be just a thin single layer. I’m happy to just double and monitor the oven, but I wondered if you had any tips. Thanks!
Deb – love this cake and am planning on making it for Thanksgiving. I need to serve 15-20, though. Would you double the recipe and bake in a 8×10 rectangle? Or, some other suggestion?
I would do it in a 9×13.
Does anyone know if this cake will suffer if I bake it, leave it overnight, and only glaze it the next day prior to serving? It looks like the glaze loses its shine if it sits in the fridge overnight. I want to keep that shine, but I also won’t have time to make the whole recipe on the same day that I’m serving it.
It will be fine to just glaze it before serving.
Thank you! I ended up glazing the night before as my schedule changed.
In case this helps anyone: on the test cake I made previously, I ran into the same problem some others did with the glaze tightening up too much to spread after I added the corn syrup. I had microwaved the chocolate, cocoa, and salt to melt, then mixed in the oil and corn syrup. I suspect it was that the mixture had cooled too much and would have been fine had I given it a bit more time in the microwave. If I were to do it again, I’d have just done it all in a DIY double boiler, so I could be less paranoid about overheating things. In my case, I ended up adding some heavy cream to the glaze (in addition to the olive oil and corn syrup) as I wanted more of a pourable and softer ganache, and that worked well, made in a double boiler.
The whole recipe is delicious — rich and deep with a moist crumb, and sophisticated tasting without being too sweet. I used some smoked flaky salt, just 1 tsp of baking powder, and added 2 eggs to avoid any potential textural/fragility issues as the cake needed to travel. If anything, my cake domed a little — definitely no caving! I left the test cake at room temp, haphazardly covered with cling wrap over 4-5 days, and it was tasty ’til the end. One day I’ll try it as written with no eggs!
Thanks for this treat Deb, happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Er, that should say: “ended up glazing the night before and leaving it overnight at room temp”
This was really good. I had to add cooking time like others and used some honey instead of corn syrup, but am stunned at the result.
I’ve made this twice, following the recipe exactly, and each time, it’s been a total mess! It tastes delicious, but falls apart when I try to remove it from the pan. Does it need more cooking time? I adore the taste and convenience of this cake and am hoping to make it again with less messy results. Please advise :)
First off, this is the first cake I baked ever! (I don’t know *anything* about baking)
A friend made it for me and I loved it so much I asked about it and she gave me the recipe, I made it twice and loved it both times. (there were slight differences in the cocoa or chocolate used, while I got a bit different results, loved both)
when I made it both times I used roughly 20% less sugar, but my friend told me changing the sugar qty can be sure way to ruin a cake (again, I don’t know anything about baking)
I am wondering, is there a way to make it with (much)less sugar without ruining it?
thanks!
20% reduction shouldn’t destroy a cake. Sugar contributes moisture, so with less, it can get more dry or brittle. However, this cake is very, very moist, so it might not be an issue.
Thanks a lot Deb!
My first attempt at making this is in the oven right now. About 20 min into the baking, the batter overflowed and now it’s been in the oven for 50 min and shows no signs of firming up in the middle. I double-checked all the ingredient amounts, pan size, and oven temp and can’t figure out what went wrong. Anyone got any ideas?
Are you at an altitude?
Do you think I could successfully substitute red wine for the water? My daughter loves your red wine chocolate cake but is dairy-free.
Yes.
Hi, I was wondering if i could double the recipe and use a bigger pan to make this as a birthday cake. also can i freeze it?
I haven’t doubled it but it’s a finicky cake and I cannot promise it won’t cave if you do. You can definitely freeze it.
Just wanted to leave a note saying I made this *almost* as directed (with leftover coffee) but reduced both of the sugars by about 1/3 because most cakes are too sweet for my taste buds! I had zero issues! Cooked in 35 min, nice and level, and the glaze came together without issue in two 15-sec bursts in the microwave!
I like very chocolately, rich chocolate cake that isn’t too sweet and can stand on its own without needing to hide behind frosting. Alas, baking cakes isn’t my strong suit….until…..THIS ONE! It’s easy! It tastes like everything I could wish for! This cake changes everything about sheltering in place. More for meeeee!
In a couple of weeks it will be the new base of my chocolate-bacon birthday cake with brigadeiro filling.
I used all light brown sugar and baked for 45-50 min.
Made this a few days ago while we’re all stuck inside amid the pandemic here in NYC – perfect recipe for right now when eggs and butter aren’t easy to find. I made it exactly as written with non-dutch processed cocoa because from a chemistry perspective that theoretically makes the most sense with the quantities of baking soda and vinegar (thanks, B.S. in biochemistry!). All those stoichiometric calculations and I still had it sink in the middle, but this is a cake for a pandemic, not for show! Everyone here agreed it was MUCH better the second day right out of the fridge, perfect crumb and very chocolatey. It begged for vanilla ice cream, but again…pandemic. My new favorite accidentally vegan recipe!
Any common on how this recipes does at high altitude??
It depends on your altitude. CSU extension service has guidelines on specific altitude adjustments. Generally, at 5-6000 feet, the sugar is reduced by 1 tbsp. per cup, and total leavening is reduced by about 25%.
I have made this many times because my daughter is allergic to eggs.
1. First time followed recipe with coffee and cider vinegar exactly and came out good.
2. Doubled and made into 9×13 sheet pan with melted butter instead of olive oil. Used Hershey’s Cocoa chocolate frosting recipe instead. Came out a bit dry and needed warming up to taste better when eating.
3. As cupcakes made with butter instead of olive oil and used the coffee. These are AMAZING! Used Hershey frosting again. People begging for recipe. Super moist and delicious.
After repeating the above versions multiple times I can confirm that these are absolutely amazing as cupcakes, better than any other way. Highly recommend making with coffee as well. Works great with butter instead of olive oil if a more traditionally tasting chocolate cake is desired. Swap out frosting recipe for a more traditional version too. I’ve done chocolate, peanut butter, and cream cheese frosting and all were great.
I have made this cake several times since it was posted. It’s my lazy-day, no need to soften butter chocolate cake.its very simple to pull together. I haven’t made it with the glaze, I usually top it with a cream cheese frosting or a peanut butter frosting. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Made this tonight after a long, difficult week and I just needed chocolate. Used coconut oil (rationing my olive oil!) and leftover coffee. Absolutely delicious!
I can’t wait to try this. I regularly make a polenta cake with similar ingredients (olive oil and wine) and vary it with orange or lemon zest. One bowl, 5 minutes and a simple but delicious dessert. I was wondering how changing it up with cocoa might work but you’ve done the research here! And I’ll bet a dusting of powdered sugar is just as easy and a nice finish (well, maybe frosting is nicer).
I made this cake last night…our daughter can’t have gluten [or dairy], so I changed the flour to gluten free and she was so excited! It tasted amazing and really hit the spot. Will definitely make this again :)
I love your website and have enjoyed cooking through your cookbook recipes. I am quarantined at home and don’t have any more all purpose flour. My supermarket is out and only had cake flour. How would I adjust this recipe. Is it a 1for 1 substitution? Hope you and your loved ones are safe and doing well.
Thank you. I would swap by weight, so just use a tiny smidge more. And make sure it’s not self-rising cake flour.
You say it stayed moist until day 4? I do not comprehend. No cake (good, bad, ugly) has ever made it past day 2 in this household! Planning to make this cake on the morrow.
Hi, made it yesterday for my son’s birthday and it came out really really nice. The best cake recipe ever with very easy steps and readily available ingredients. Its going to be my go-to chocolate cake recipe for my sone. He just loved the chocolaty taste. Awesome
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks again ❤️❤️
This cake is soooo densely chocolate, I knew that, for my taste, it would require buttercream instead of the chocolate glaze. It’s one of the easiest and best recipes for chocolate cake, and it whips together very quickly.
1) I made it with gluten free flour. 2) I used safflower oil because it is what we have the most of. Again, thanks for this recipe. I will make it long beyond our isolation period!
This cake is divine. I needed cake after a long quarantine day and was amazed at how easy this was to make. I was slightly hesitant about adding olive oil for the glaze, but it was delicious. I used coffee instead of water and some absurdly old unsweetened cocoa and the cake flavor was still wonderful!
Deb, I have made this cake three times during the quarantine. Every time it was loved by family and guests. We made it with the glaze once, but the flavor is such a nice deep chocolate that we prefer it with cut strawberries or ice cream. Tonight, I made this with my 5 year old son, and it was still in the oven in under 10 minutes! We rarely get a chance to see how long the cake stays moist, as most guests want to take some for the road.
I made this cake and it was beautiful and delicious! There was only one problem- there was way too much batter for a single 9-inch round cake pan. I probably could have split it between two 9-inch pans or at least made a few cupcakes out of the extra batter. I didn’t know how much it would rise so I ended up with a lot of overflow that was (luckily) caught by the cookie sheet I placed the cake pan on top of in the oven.
I used non-dairy chocolate chips so I was able to make this pareve and it’s a great end to a Shabbat meal. Thanks for the recipe!
Deb this cake is wonderful. Thank you. I used to make something sweet once a week from your site or book, but a few years ago we left for six months of cycling in Europe and hiking in the US Southwest (we live in Victoria, BC), and I transitioned to a fish + plants diet along the way.
It was too overwhelming to figure out how to substitute egg and dairy, and we had a lot of travel time in the last three years so I was away from my kitchen anyway. I came across your chocolate vegan cake last week and made it. It’s one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever made.
I added cardamom, and used water. Next time I’ll use coffee too. My partner still eats eggs and dairy and has always loved “plain” chocolate cake. I’m making your s’more cake, lighter-than-air-chocolate cake, gramercy tavern gingerbread non stop November – January, and he’s “I like plain. NO sprinkles.” I used sprinkles this week to divide the chocolate cake evenly, so he wouldn’t eat my half.
Today I made your other vegan cake, the plush coconut cake, and added vanilla powder, lime juice and zest to the glaze. It is delicious. I’m going to love having these two simple blank slate but perfect as is cakes in my repertoire. They are so wonderful. Thank you for sharing these.
Yours was the first blog I read regularly, and ever made more than one or two recipes from. I have made 100+ of your recipes. Thank you for evolving your content, and always sharing so many “I tried this, don’t do this, do it any way you like”, you’re wonderful to learn from.
Thinking of you often in New York and sending love
Made this – delicious! Don’t skip the parchment paper. 😂 I was out so I just greased the pan well…but it fell apart when I took it out. But DO make a peanut butter glaze and serve with chilled berries.
My crumbly cake isn’t pretty, but it is tasty!
I made this two nights ago for my family as a bundt cake (whilst in quarantine, I’ve been doing quite a bit of baking and was eyeing this cake recipe for quite a while), and I’m shocked. The cake is totally gone. After finishing it, my brother almost licked the cake stand, though I’m not sure if that’s a testament to this recipe or his lack of self-control. I’m making it again tonight, due to very popular demand.
I do have to say that the cake had to bake for roughly 45-50 minutes before being ready, contrary to the 35 minutes in the recipe. After reading through the comments, I also saw some people had problems with a depression forming, so per Deb’s advice I cut the baking soda to 1 tsp instead of 1 1/2 and had no problems. I also made a different glaze due to comments saying Deb’s was a bit strong on the olive oil- my family probably wouldn’t be a big fan. I substituted it for a simple chocolate glaze from Baking a Moment and it was perfect for us.
The cake is perfectly chocolatey and decadent, and I’m sure I’ll be making it for years to come! Thanks for another stellar recipe!
I can honestly say that I have never baked 2 cakes in one week, let alone the same cake, unless maybe it was a holiday and I had a house full of guests, but I doubt even then. On Sunday, I baked this for 6 people. We devoured what was left on Monday. Today (Wed), I looked at my older son and asked if it was too soon to bake it again. Being the intelligent young adult that he is, he said “Of course not!” Both times I made it with coffee instead of water. Even the non-coffee drinker in the house understood that coffee improves the chocolate flavor. My oven required the full 35 min. The first one I checked at 30, then baked for another 5 and it sagged slightly in the center. The second one turned out perfectly at 35 with no opening of the oven (except rotating the cake about halfway through baking). The first one was allowed to cool thoroughly before adding the glaze. The 2nd one was slightly warm as we were impatient, so the glaze pooled a bit at the bottom and was quite gooey when we ate it. Not really an issue in my book. My son, the “super taster,” declared this glaze to be the best glaze he’s ever had on anything. It’s such an easy recipe. The cake is moist and intensely chocolate in the best possible way. My family declared this to be the best cake I’ve ever baked.
I love chocolate cake, but I never tried chocolate olive oil cake. Now, I’m going to try it. Let’s do something productive during lockdown and give taste buds a treat.
I made this last night and hubby “swooned” over it. I didn’t even frost it, just a shake of powdered sugar on top. We LOVE it. As always, another great recipe. Thank you!
Hi there! I may be dense, but cannot figure out how to print your (wonderful) recipes without all the comments. I enjoy the comments a lot! However, don’t always want 10 pages printed. Thank you in advance. Love all your stuff!
There is a print icon that leads to a print template at the bottom of each recipe, where it says “DO MORE:” You can also click CTRL + P from any recipe post and it will take you to a streamlined print template. We will definitely make it easier to find when we next redesign.
Yum! Looks fantastic and easy! I made this the past weekend and the kids as well as myself LOVED it. Thanks for sharing a delicious recipe.
I’ve made this cake countless times and 1) it’s always flawless, 2) it’s always best the next day, 3) it’s excellent with traditional chocolate buttercream frosting, and 4) it’s unreal with cream cheese frosting. Forever grateful for this recipe!
I’ve made this several times, halved, in a 6” pan. Still needs the full 30 mins or a smidge more. However, I routinely get a sunken middle. The cake is so good and simple that I keep making it despite this! I need to remember to try limiting the baking soda to see if that will help. I often sub canola oil for olive oil for flavor reasons and always use coffee instead of water. Have used express powder dissolved in water and that worked well too. Would love to make for company but the sunken middle isn’t too pretty but the flavor and texture are fab.
Cake looks amazing
Cake is delicious and glaze is too, but something weird happened when I made the glaze…chunks of it (the corn syrup?) solidified in the first 30 seconds in the microwave. Not sure why – old corn syrup? Too long in the microwave? Should’ve mixed before microwaving? Anyhow, I’d probably just use a chocolate chip and cream ganache next time.
Also – I made this in an 8x8x3 pan and it only juuuust barely fit, though the volume should be the same as a 9′ round pan. So make sure your pan is tall!
Omg. This is so good. Made it with the mascarpone whipped cream (from the red wine chocolate cake recipe) bc I wanted something creamy. Just delicious!!!!
Made with La Colombe cold brew in place of water. Agree that it was even better the second day after the glaze had set a bit more.
Hey Deb,
This looks delicious,
My Husband’s birthday next week, He loves chocolate very much. I am going to try this recipe. I will let you know.
I love this recipe so much! I’ve made it so many times over the past couple of years, so I thought I’d comment on it to say thanks.
My mother-in-law has allergies/sensitivities to gluten, eggs, nuts, dairy, and soy, and really misses (chocolate) dessert. This recipe is already mostly allergen free and it works beautifully with gluten free flour.
Additionally, everyone at the table loves it and it doesn’t feel like a cake that’s been compromised by substitutions.
Deb,
Finally got around to making this cake. OMG! It has now been marked as my absolute favorite fix for delicious chocolateness! (I used dark cocoa powder and Ghirardelli’s 60% cocoa morsels). The cake was so moist and tender, it melted on our tongues and the glaze (still a little warm and so wonderfully gooey because we couldn’t wait for it to set completely) reminded me of a chocolate sauce my mother used to make for ice cream.
So easy – one bowl!!! – and the glaze was ready to pour in less than a minute. Vegan, easy, and so freaking delicious! Genius! Brilliant! Brava!
amazing! i used coffee, and used spelt flour. no glaze, just a scoop of vanilla ice cream. love how this comes together in a flash and you don’t need to plan ahead and soften butter. ONE NOTE – fresh out of the oven, it’s not great. the next day, it was amazing. this one is a keeper.
I’m making this cake as I write this. I’m finding it incredibly soupy. Does that sound right? I’m very sure that I used the right proportions of flour, cocoa and liquid. I did notice that when I added the olive oil and whisked, small balls formed. Weird! Any thoughts?
Made this tonight with a couple of slight modifications – cut baking soda to 1 tsp, as recommended by other commenters, and subbed butter for half of the olive oil in the cake and coconut oil for half of the olive oil in the glaze. (My olive oil is *very* olivey, and I was afraid it might overwhelm the other flavors.)
THIS IS THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE I HAVE EVER, EVER HAD.
I love it so much I don’t even care that it will probably ruin all my weight loss progress.
You never let me down! This was fab. Easy to make and delish.
I, too, struggled with the not-chocolately-enough aspect of my choco olive oil cake. My tweak/upgrade was to use coffee (strong instant espresso, actually) EXCLUSIVELY in my version. BOY-O-BOY did that do the trick! And Yes, this is a cake for the Fall. I’m just making it over and over and over.
I’ve been using “light” olive oil (not “lite”), and I wonder if I should boldly go for extra virgin next time, so I have a sense of the savory. I think I will.
I am regular reader of your posts and recipes. Keep doing such a fabulous job for travel foodies like me.
This cake is obscenely delicious. Got rave reviews from my roommates! I used coffee instead of water and it was unbelievable. Absolutely wonderful. I also added a tablespoon of coffee to the glaze, which was Excellent as well. I will definitely be making this again!
Hello Deb! If I’d like to make this in a 6 inch round cake pan, should I halve the ingredients? Thanks!
Yes
This is the most insanely decadent, rich, and moist chocolate cake ever. I don’t understand those who complained about the texture, though perhaps they were not precise in measuring. (We are 7500 feet elevation, so that might make a difference.) The coffee definitely makes a difference in the richness of the final product.
I omitted the syrup from the glaze and substituted 2 oz. of cream cheese. (we are not vegans.) The result was amazing, and I dusted the top with cinnamon, since here in Mexico chocolate is always paired with cinnamon. Perhaps the cream cheese smoothed out any oily taste that others have mentioned.
My partner is a chocoholic, and this cake got the biggest rave from him ever (and I have made a LOT of different chocolate cakes.) This recipe will move to the top of my list.
Yes,Yes, it is wonderful! I love the apricot glaze with the chocolate — the two flavors seem to bring out the best in each other, and ringing the top of the cake with chopped walnuts (toasted) creates a truly magnificent gateau!
I’ve made this cake so many times and it is so good.
I’m wanting to try to adapt this concept to a ginger bread cake.
If I don’t use the coca, would I increase the flour?
I make this cake a lot. No changes to the recipe except that I don’t put frosting on top. It is absolutely delicious. This week, with so many cookies arriving from neighbors, I froze half a cake. Tonight, yearning for a piece, I took it out of the freezer and cut thin, 2″ slices. I spread vanilla Ice cream between two frozen slices and voila – a frozen ice cream sandwich. OMG!!! Fabulous!!!!! Next Christmas I’ll make these with peppermint ice cream! Still haven’t tried making the cake in a loaf pan which would make easier slicing.
What a FANTASTIC idea. You are brilliant, and thank you for sharing!
(New Year’s Eve, Prosecco, and olive oil chocolate cake ice cream sandwich… HELLO 2021!)
This cake is a mind-blower. I made it very last minute before having my boyfriend’s new colleagues over for dinner and it was a huge hit. Literally took 10 minutes to put together, including washing the bowl. I have a very weak oven, and at 350° (I have a decent oven thermometer) it took about 45 min to produce a clean tester, but I had no issues with overflow. I just let it cool in the pan and it sunk a little, but not enough to bother me.
I skipped the glaze and served it with unsweetened whipped cream. Next time, I think I’ll try a salty peanut butter frosting.
Having now made this wonderful cake a number of times, I want to pass on my recommendation for a topping that really plays up and complements the chocolate flavor and fine texture.
Heat — carefully, with a bit of water — and then strain 2-3 Tbsp of apricot jam, and carefully smooth it over the top of the cake, allowing occasional drips down the side of the cake. (BTW, this only works when the cake top isn’t too domed, which has happened to me once or twice.) Around the rim of the apricot, sprinkle a ring of coarsely chopped walnuts, And then — gilding the lily to great affect! — grate a good-quality, SALTED, 65-75% bittersweet chocolate over the apricot, covering it with a thin layer that obscures the apricot altogether — except for a shine here and there. The flavors are spectacular, and it really looks like something from the window of a Parisian patisserie. I look forward to hearing what others think of this!
I have regular table salt and I have “coarse crystals” sea salt. Can either of these sub in for the fine sea salt?
I think you can definitely use table salt in the cake. The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp so I’d suggest trying a little less — between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp. (It’s such a small amount I don’t think it will make much difference.) For the glaze, I’d use the coarse crystals you have, but try to them a little smaller — do you have a mortar and pestle? In the glaze I think the crystals will be a better flavor.
Good thought — thank you! I think I successfully made it fine(r) by putting it in a bag and banging it a bit with a meat mallet :)
Table salt will swap
For this of us relying on this to be vegan, could you substitute the chocolate in the frosting with carob chips?
Just made this, and it is absolutely delicious. Couldn’t be easier, either. Will make again and again.
Allergic to vinegar/ would lemon juice work instead?
Yes, it should
A quick question: Is it ok to use hot or warm coffee in this cake, or should it be cold? Anyone with experience want to weigh in?
I make a couple of double espresso shots then top up with cold water to 355ml. The resulting temperature is lukewarm, which I use immediately. Definitely recommend the addition of coffee … it gives it a good flavour without being overwhelming.
Room temp or lukewarm are fine
This was great, though the glaze turned into more of a thick hardened frosting rather than a glaze, especially by next day…seems odd. I followed the directions to a T. Any advice?
My son made this ! Absolutely delicious !!! I am going to make it .
The proportions are completely off on this recipe. The batter is like water.
I wondered the same, but trusted the recipe and kept whisking the water/coffee into the batter until it was more the consistency of a thin crepe batter. I needed an extra 5 minutes cooking time in my toaster oven (which might also have been the reason it needed more time) and it turned out great. I enjoyed a slice this morning for a tea break!
This was phenomenal! So moist and fudgy it almost stuck to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter. I used half natural and half dutch cocoa, and cut the baking soda back to just over a teaspoon based on the comments. Served it with cream cheese frosting (had some leftover from a carrot cake) and it was divine.
As tomorrow is National Chocolate Cake Day I have this in the oven now, as cupcakes (18). Batter was easy and tasty-look forward to trying one, strictly for quality control purposes, but really just fulfilling my patriotic duty LOL!
Started this on a whim at 9:15pm, wanting to try out my new 6″ cake pans. Thought about halving the recipe, but decided to just make two and gift one, anticipating a good result (this is SK, after all!). Overall, it was a cinch.
Like another commenter, I found it impossible to “whisk” the brown sugar and oil into the dry ingredients without adding all the other liquid — what a clumpy mess! Next time, I will whisk the brown sugar and oil together first, and then sift in and whisk all the dry ingredients before adding the coffee and vinegar.
Because of the above issue, I was worried I ended up overmixing. Everything turned out beautifully, however — I reduced baking soda partway to 1 1/4 tsp to avoid cratering per the comments, and got just a little tiny dip in the middle of each, easily covered by the glaze.
Speaking of the glaze — melting the chips first and then whisking everything else in is also the way to go here, as many comments attest.
Baked my two 6″ layers (in 3″ deep pans, which I didn’t expect to need, but they were more full than I expected, so was very glad!) for about 35 minutes until the tops sprang back, but still looked a tiny bit moist at the center. Temp registered about 200-205F in the middle. Let fully cool, and glaze set up nicely. Extremely moist cake with great flavor.
Will make this again with minor adjustments to method — perhaps for a vegan friend’s birthday next week! Thanks to Deb for an excellent recipe and commenters for accumulated wisdom, as usual.
Reporting back. Have made this several more times, now as a layer cake. It will be a “forever favorite”, as Deb likes to say!
– I reduce baking soda to a rounded 1 tsp.
– I now reduce the sugar to 100g and brown sugar to 120g. Still plenty sweet and wonderfully fudgy.
– I sift the dry ingredients together and whisk the brown sugar and oil and about half the water/coffee together before adding — close enough to one-bowl for me, and way less struggle than trying to whisk the sludge that I got the first time.
This recipe makes a marvelously tall two-layer 6″ cake. Doubled, it makes a great 2-layer OR 3-layer cake, depending on how tall you want the layers or what proportion of frosting you want.
After trying this as a layer cake with the Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting based on a suggestion in the comments, I will never go back (unless making a single layer suited for the ganache) — would seek out vegan sour cream if I needed to keep it vegan! It is a perfect combination. A 1/3 batch of that frosting is perfect for a 2-layer 6″ cake, a 2/3 batch is perfect for a 2-layer 9″ cake, and a full batch is perfect for a 3-layer 9″ cake.
I can’t wait to make this again!
This cake was so simple and fantastic tasting! Even better the 2nd day. I made an error and used baking powder instead of baking soda and it was great, wonder what the difference would have been? Also considering trying with almond flour for gluten free version. Loved!
@icravephilly on instagram where I posted the cake!
Is the batter supposed to be so liquid?
In my experience, yes!
Yes, it’s a pretty wet batter.
This is very very good. Mine took closer to 45 min in the oven. I skipped the corn syrup in the glaze, and it turned out just fine (although I’m sure it would be gorgeous with a shine!)
This is one of the most delicious cakes I have EVER had!!! Truly amazing.
Two questions – I’ve made it twice. The first I’m one 9-in pan & the cake ran over quite a bit. (It was ugly but still perfectly delicious). The second time I used two 8-in pans. It did not run over.
Both times the cooking time was a lot longer than the recipes – 50 minutes the first and 36 minutes the second.
And both times the cake had a major sinkhole in the middle. I may fill it with whipped cream?
Why the hole?
I made this and it was sooooo good! It was light, and moist, rich but not heavy. I can’t wait to make it again. I didn’t use the glaze in the recipe, because I already had some melted chocolate glaze I had kept from something else, and I might just do that glaze again and not the olive oil one.
I followed this recipe to a T and it came out a complete disaster! The cake collapsed, caved in as it cooled. I even weighed out the dry ingredients! What a big disappointment. I think the coffee/water amount is way off.
Made it twice and both times it sunk in the middle. I followed instructions to the t. What could be the problem?
Are you at an altitude at all?
No, we live in Boston, not at altitude. After cutting into the cake, the texture is very gluey and stodgy. Not at all good. Bummed.
I think this cake only works with mild, light olive oils.
I made this last night with a good quality Sicilian olive oil and the taste was really overpowering and off. I followed the recipe exactly (used coffee) and the cake texture was perfectly moist, but unfortunately the taste was so bad I have to throw it away. My friend made it too with the same oil (he gets it from a restaurant he works at) and thought the same. I’ve been dabbling in smitten kitchen recipes for years and this is the first failed recipe I’ve had!
Oh and to clarify, I didn’t make the glaze- only the cake.
Well this is awkward. There’s no way to delete or edit my comment but I wanted to share that the olive oil taste has gone down a lot and the cake tastes much better almost 24 hours later. So give it a chance and wait a day.
This is helpful to know, thank you! After seeing your comment, we’ve decided we’ll make this one the day before. :-)
This recipe looked good, but I live at high altitude, 6,800’, so the cake fell badly. Do you have any high altitude recommendations? Thank you.
This doesn’t work well as written at an altitude. I live at basically sea level so I haven’t tested these higher up, but these tips from King Arthur are solid. A cake without eggs that’s fairly “wet” will be particularly sensitive to height. I believe that in most cases, you want less sugar, less liquid, and less leavening to adjust for height but go with the experts at KA, not me in NYC.
I’m making this today! Snowed in!
Hi Deb: I don’t know if this message will reach you, but I would like to thank you for your contribution to our best Valentine’s Day ever, and I’ve had the same boyfriend for 50 years! I made the Meatballs Marsala with Egg Noodles & Chives, a pile of sauteed greens, and your Fudgy Chocolate Cake from your great “Everyday” cookbook. We had a blast (oh yes–we started out with Jasmines, a tip of the hat to one of your fans, David Lebovitz)!
With gratitude, ~Virginia H, from Oregon
PS I can’t thank you enough for your overwhelming generosity in sharing your recipes with EVERYONE via your weekly emails!
I love this cake, so easy and delicious HOWEVER be warned that 1 1/2″ deep 9″ cake pan doesn’t work. One should use the newer and deeper 9″ cake pans.
It spilled over – drat! But, I got to clean my oven which was long overdue, so happy ending, and the cake was salvageable.
Yummy
This was excellent! I made it almost exactly as written, and it came out beautifully, despite a lumpy, clumpy moment along the way (see below). My only modifications were (a) using 1 tsp baking soda and (b) melting the chocolate before adding the other glaze ingredients, both of which were excellent suggestions from other commenters. I used coffee rather than water, and I used one 8″ round pan and one 3″x5″ mini pan. It was gorgeous, delicious, and deeply chocolatey, and tasted nearly as good three days later.
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ON GUMMINESS: I think this may have to do with underbaking. When I checked the cake at one point, it was nearly there—a toothpick came out clean—and with a butter cake, I would have stopped there. But I could tell from the top that it was still just a titch gummy, and I knew that was a frequent complaint. So I left it in longer, until the top was dry. With a butter cake, that would have been too much, but it was perfect here! The cake was springy and moist, and it did not sink. It didn’t even sink back to level! Mine had a lovely dome top that lasted. Lesson: bake it until you cannot detect any gumminess in the center.
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ON MIXING: When I added the dark brown sugar and the olive oil to the dry ingredients, as directed, the mixture became terribly clumpy. The situation was not improved by adding the coffee and vinegar—I had a lumpy disaster in the bowl! I whisked it vigorously to no avail, and finally had to strain it into the pan, mashing the oily lumps against the strainer to get rid of them. I expected that so much agitation would ruin the texture, but the cake was wonderful (due, I think, to using 1 tsp baking soda and not underbaking). Next time I will try adding the coffee, vinegar, and oil all together and see if that helps.
This cake is absolutely delicious! I love the hint of olive oil flavor (use good quality oil!). It has a rich chocolate flavor and is so moist. This will be my new birthday cake standby – I made it again for my mom’s birthday, but doubled the recipe to make 2 9-inch cakes to layer and subbed the glaze for a vegan buttercream frosting – it turned out fantastic. But I think I prefer the glaze! As a vegan, THANK YOU for the perfect chocolate cake!
All these years later, this is still our favorite hurryupchocolatecake recipe! Our tweak is to use black tea, orange extract, and Penzeys Baking Spice.
Hi! I made your Chocolate Olive oil cake this morning and it was a Epic fail! I would say I am pretty seasoned cook and followed the instructions to the letter. All my products are fresh- baking supplies don’t last in this house! The cake would not set up! Complete soup! It grew huge which good as I used a parchment paper collar. I can’t understand where the issue is! Maybe the amount of flour? Did everyone use only the amount listed?
Thank you,
Jennifer
I had a disaster with this cake… probably because I made no adjustments for my 3600 feet altitude. 28 minutes at 350 and it caved in and was like pudding in the center. Next time I’ll know better!
Deb, I downloaded this recipe right after you published it in 2017, and I only made it for the first time last week. OMG. Why did I wait? It is the BEST, the EASIEST, (did I say the BEST) chocolate cake–heck, the BEST chocolate dessert I’ve ever made. AND, as someone who is dairy sensitive, I can eat the entire cake without consequences. AND, as my sister-in-law uses only plant-based ingredients, I can bring it to her house (now that we can start visiting again) and brag that it’s dairy-free. The only thing I had to adjust was the baking time. It took my oven a full 50 minutes to get it right. I just glazed it with a plain vanilla icing, and it was perfect. So I made it again.
This cake is perfect for the very small celebration we’re having for my husband’s bday. I didn’t have dark brown sugar, so I made my own by adding molasses to my light brown sugar. Seems like it was too much molasses b/c the cake is very sticky, but I bet the flavor will be fine if not quite right.
Perfect afternoon project with toddlers. No glaze needed.
I made this as cupcakes, baked at 18 minutes and they came out well.
I found the olive oil flavor of the glaze to be a little too much. Next time I will pick a more neutral oil.
I love this cake and have made it several times. I’ve shared it with family because it’s so easy and yum. We all seem to struggle with it falling apart (either cracking down the middle or, in my case, some chunks sticking to my silicon cake mold). Any recs?
For anyone having a problem with their cakes baking up with a dome in the middle, may I suggest something called Bake Even Strips? They’re just adjustable cloth belts that you soak in cold water and wrap around your cake pan before putting it in the oven. They prevent the outer edges of your cake from setting up faster than the center. Alexis, I don’t have any experience with silicon cake molds, so I can’t say if they’ll work on them. You can get them at Amazon, King Arthur Flour, and probably a number of other sites or stores.
Hello,
I have made this amazing cake many times, but I am just noticing that the cake calls for unsweetened cocoa, and frosting just cocoa powder. Are they the same thing? I’m pretty sure I’ve always used just cocoa powder, but would love to know what was intended. Thanks.
They’re the same — sorry for the confusion. You’re doing it perfectly.
Deb, you are a life saver I need to make a vegan cake for a co-worker but left myself with little time. I made this last year and it went down so well and it took me time to re-find/remember which cake it was but this is it! This is perfect. Thank you!
Hi Tara, Don’t know if you’ve seen my other posts, but it took my oven a full 53 minutes to get this cake baked properly. Also, I’ve been using Bake-Even Cake Strips (Amazon, Wilton, King Arthur Flour websites) for about a year now, and they work wonders by keeping the outside of your cake from “setting” before the middle does, allowing the entire thing to firm up properly. I hope this helps because this cake is such a winner.
I made this glaze yesterday for a different cake, and I’m wondering if I can substitute other bittersweet chocolate for the chocolate chips, as there is more variety available in other forms. I know that the chocolate used for chips is often formulated to hold its shape when melted and cooled, as in cookies, so I’m not sure if this glaze depends on some aspect of that formulation or not. Thanks!
Absolutely. I picked chocolate chips for shopping ease, not any structural reason.
This cake is amazing. It’s my go-to when I need a last-minute dessert. It’s so fast and I always have the ingredients on hand. I use dutch process cocoa and really strong coffee every time. And I make a quick ganache for the frosting. SO moist and yummy.
I made this last night using extra virgin olive oil, a mix of natural unsweetened and Dutch processed cocoa, and room temperature instant coffee. I baked it in a lined and greased 9 inch springform pan. I didn’t make the glaze because I prefer a dusting of powdered sugar or whipped cream.
The cake came together really easily, but I had to bake mine for an extra 15 minutes. I would probably bake it longer than that if I make this again because my cake is too moist for my liking. I had a slice of cake when it was warm and didn’t really enjoy it. I had another slice this morning and it definitely tasted better after cooling completely. I like how easy this recipe is and how dark my cake came out. The flavor is quite good too, but I’m not sure if I’d make it again. I’m not mad that I tried it though!
Way, way, way, way TOO MUCH SUGAR!!!! Do you have to use WHITE flour?
Do you think this cake would work with coconut milk in place of olive oil? Thanks…
Coconut oil instead of olive oil, probably. Coconut milk, I’m not as confident.
This cake is delicious; it’s hard to believe that it’s vegan/pareve. I’m thinking about making it with a tablespoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper instead of coffee next time, and using a neutral oil, in hopes that it would evoke a spicy Mexican hot chocolate recipe that I love! Thank you so much for this amazing blog with so many good recipes, many of which work really beautifully in Kosher kitchens!
I made this for the first time this week for a family birthday celebration. Used the coffee in place of water and, oh my, it was beyond delicious. Topped with the glaze and raspberries and served with homemade ice cream. Better than any restaurant dessert I’ve ever had!
I’ve made this cake twice using 1/2 tsp baking soda each time with good results. It’s been moist, delicious, and always well-received. That said, I think the sugar could be lowered for a darker, more bitterwsweet flavor. Also speaking of sugar, one of my friends (who is vegan) said that white sugar isn’t always vegan because it might be refined using bone char. She enjoyed the cake anyway because she’s not very strict about veganism but I thought it might be worth pointing out.
This is such a delicious cake. I’ve made it many, many times and have yet to find anyone who doesn’t give me “the look” when they hear “olive oil”, but then go on and on about how good it is. It’s elegant and holds up well too!
Loved this. Baked the cake following the recipe exactly and the glaze with one substitution (in the UK so golden syrup swapped for corn oil gram for gram). In my fan oven the cake needed 40-45 mins at 160C which produced a very soft-crumbed cake with a lovely crisp but not burnt top. Any longer and I would have covered it with foil. The cake tears very easily so be careful when moving it about (but it will also come back together very well if you press the torn bit back in). I don’t normally bother with glaze but as it was quite a plain cake and I had the ingredients, I went for it and it made a lovely pudding after a Sunday roast with a little cream on the side. It’s great to have such an easy vegan pudding up my sleeve.
This cake is awesomely chocolate and so wonderfully moist yet somehow also light. The cake is a bit fragile so needs to be handled with some care but it’s worth the extra effort. Thanks Deb!
I made this for my daughter’s birthday because I wanted a simple recipe I can make with a toddler and a baby to take care of. It tasted ok, but fell apart when I tried to take it out of the pan. Maybe because there are no eggs? Somehow I am just underwhelmed by the depression cakes (I made the plush coconut one during quarantine). I think a better cocoa chocolate cake with similar rich darkness, but much more flavor, is the Guinness Chocolate cake on NYT.
I baked this cake last night for a friend who is allergic to eggs and milk, and it was a success!! Such a simple cake, but such amazing flavour. My batter was a little runny after mixing the ingredients, probably because I used the a measuring cup for measuring water (coffee) instead of going by millilitres. But I added a little bit more flour and it turned out just like the batter in the pictures. Loved this cake! Great payoff for fairly minimum effort.
This was so delicious Deb, thank you. I didn’t have any butter in the house, figured you’d have a solution for me – and there it was. And so simple! Definitely will make this again.
I was skeptical of an eggless cake, but this was so good and so easy.
This is an amazing cake! Soooo moist, rich, just perfection. The family loves it. A breeze to make. I’ve used coffee and water for the liquid. Both taste equally delicious.
This was such a winner that I’m making it for the second time in one week (both for different celebrations of my BIL’s birthday). I used a mix of coffee and water as well as apple cider vinegar. For the glaze I did half olive oil half sunflower oil, just to even out the taste since the cake was quite flavorful already, and soy-free vegan dark chocolate buttons. This is definitely going in the category of getting pulled out again and again!
I made this with metric weights and the batter was very liquid! I was worried but forged on… it took 10 minutes longer in the oven and came out with a fudgey-cake texture. Very good, but less cake-like than when we’ve made it before using cup measure weights.
I’m just stumped since metric should be the source of truth!
It should be a very liquid batter regardless of weights or cups. It’s just the style of cake.
Just wanted to leave a note to say THANK YOU Deb! A sweet couple in our church just had a baby girl and I am bringing them a meal tonight – the new mom is vegan. I panicked when I learned this, I’ve never made a vegan meal before! No cheese? No meat? No eggs to make cookies?!?
But I knew you would have something yummy and, sure enough, you did! I made your Sweet Potato, Black Bean Salad with Pepita Dressing (adding Farrow to make it into a bowl) and this Olive Oil Chocolate Cake. Thanks to all the comments, I cut back the baking soda to 1 tsp. and the cake, along with the ganache, turned out beautiful! I sprinkled some Maldon sea salt flakes over the ganache and one would never guess it’s vegan.
Thank you for the time you put into all your recipes and for so generously providing them to us!
Hi, I just made this simple yummy-looking cake and followed your directions exactly but, something went terribly wrong. It’s probably the onetime use pie pan. The batter overflowed the pan and at 35 minutes the middle is raw and the outside cooked. A huge disappointment.
We actually froze half of this cake with the glaze for 3 or 4 months. I just plopped it into a plastic container and put it in the freezer. It was still just as flippin FANTASTIC as it was on day 1. Perhaps even more so because all I did was thaw it in the fridge for ~18 hours. This cake is perfection.
FYI, agave syrup works just as well as corn syrup in the glaze (I have made it with both—-but always have agave on hand).
This took me back many decades, when I baked the wacky cake from Peg Bracken’s “I Hate to Cook” book over my lunch hour and took it in to work to celebrate the birth of my boss’s first child. Thanks for the great memory! I’ll make it again tomorrow for my husband of 45 years 😀
You mention unsweetened cocoa powder, then cocoa powder for glaze….one in the same? Thank you.
Yes, sorry for the confusion.
Could you use rye flour instead of/in addition to AP?
I haven’t tested it with rye flour, but I suspect a half-swap would be great.
Although I’ve followed this site for a long time, I’ve never gotten to making this cake. I figured “I already have many good chocolate cake recipes, I don’t need this one”.
Well, it popped up on Twitter today, so I figured ‘why not’?
It turned out GREAT! almost as good as my mom’s recipe, and even easier! Definitely will make again.
I am not a baker, but I saw this come up on Instagram and I had to try it. I followed the recipe (minus the glaze) and it turned out excellent! I baked it for 42 minutes. Slight depression from the baking soda as others have suggested, but the cake was flavourful and moist. 10/10 would make again.
Love this cake so much. Wondering if there’s a way to tweak the glaze so it stays soft on day two? I popped it in the microwave at work but don’t have one at home… I love the gooeyness of the glaze a day one.
I have made the Moosewood 6 minute chocolate cake + glaze for forever (google it), which is very similar to this recipe. The chocolate glaze in the Moosewood recipe, when cool, is more like a ganache… which is soft. It’s also super easy, lux, and just so happens to be vegan (if you use vegan chocolate).
But. I personally would hesitate to pour it over a out-turned cake, because the warm glaze is runny and copious. (YMMV). I keep the cake in the pan instead, resulting in a thick layer of chocolate frosting on top (oh yeah baby). Once you pour the glaze on the cooled cake, you can either let the glaze set at room temp, or it will set more quickly in the frig. Either way the glaze thickens nicely into a ganache-like thickness, which stays soft. The recipe for a cake baked in an 8×8: 8oz semi-sweet chocolate (I usually use 65% chocoluv brand bars), melted over a double-boiler (or similar) + 3/4 c water (use it all!) + 1/2 tsp vanilla. Add water and vanilla to melted chocolate and stir (stir stir) until completely smooth (it will eventually get smooth!). Pour over cake and let set before eating.
Do you leave it a room temperature? Having it loosely covered can help.
It’s at room temp on a cake plate with glass dome.
This was delicious! I skipped the corn syrup and was still in love.
Wow! This is easy to make, looks beautiful, and tastes amazing! Wouldn’t be able to tell it’s vegan – just the right amount of sweet and chocolatey, and so moist! Will make it again! Thank you!
This cake is similar to my “go to” 6 minute chocolate cake that I got out of the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. They got it from House & Garden circa 1976. It is the only cake I can count on to come out great. I do use coffee and vanilla and more vinegar for mine – but I may try to add more cocoa and olive oil and see if it improves it! I love your first book that I sometimes just read to fantasize that I have time to cook something!
Could I add two eggs to this recipe without altering the leavening quantities?
I added one egg and did other high altitude adjustments and it was delightful. I’m at 6900 ft.
This turned out well and looked beautiful, but we didn’t love the flavor. I only had Hershey cocoa on hand — maybe a better cocoa would have made a difference. I made this per the recipe, with instant coffee. I did pre-melt the chocolate chips based on other comments, and the glaze came together just fine. Thanks for the recipe — it was a nice one to try with my son on a cold night.
I have made this recipe a few times now. Currently eating a slice from the fridge 2.5 days after it was originally baked, I honestly think it tastes better now than on day one, thanks Deb
I took this out at 33 mins, when it was springy and a knife came out clear. Let it rest for hours, and then when I tried to take it out, the bottom around the whole perimeter was completely raw. I’m now serving the non-raw portions as deconstructed cake in bowls, but quite disappointing. Also, the glaze tastes too much like olive oil. Love the (cooked) texture of the cake, but not a winner for me.
It sounds like the problem was letting it cool for “hours” in the pan, and the bottom of the cake steamed itself and held in too much moisture.
The cake ran out of the pan. Used a 9” round cake pan. The batter came almost up to the brim.
Is this for 2 9” pans?
Can this recipe be doubled to make 24+ cupcakes?
Hi! I love this cake. Made if for foodie friends and they loved it, too. Two questions: how do you get the batter smooth without adding too much air, and how do I get my glaze to look brown and than black? I love the color contrast in the pictures on your website.
Thanks!
This was a bust, at 30 minutes the cake exploded over the pan onto the rack and base of the stove. I double checked time and ingredients and couldn’t find any discrepancies. Wish i could include a picture.
Can I omit the vinegar? Or substitute it with something else?
The vinegar + baking soda reaction is what makes it rise, so you shouldn’t leave it out! It will not taste like vinegar at all. You can use another acid though – I used the same amount of lemon juice and it worked fine.
I used only 1tsp of baking soda and didn’t have any problems with sinking. Eating the crumbs out of the pan I was worried I wouldn’t like it. I made a “glaze” with ~3tbsp of butter and ~4oz of dark chocolate. Once I had one slice, I immediately cut a second…delicious! It’s so moist and I think the olive oil imparts a nice subtle earthy flavor. I un-veganized it but it’s a great base recipe to play with.
YIKES! I made this with almond flour so it would be GF and the whole thing turned into a soupy molten mess! Was it the almond flour not soaking up any of the liquid? Fortunately I made it in the morning for an evening birthday party. Time to begin again!
Made tonight with leftover coffee – I think that makes a difference. I definitely think it would be fantastic with an add-in like crystallized ginger (as another commenter suggested). Didn’t make the glaze, and I think it would be even better with it – but it was really tasty without it. What a quick, easy and delicious dessert to make for friends, especially those who can’t eat eggs/are vegan!
Finally, in the year of our lord 2022, I made this cake, and it was GLORIOUS. Just glorious. I did not have any issues with it, except that it took longer to bake than stated (more like 45-50 min), but it has decent structural integrity for a vegan cake. The glaze is lovely and makes it so indulgent.
Should say, I did microwave the chocolate for the glaze first and then whisk in the other ingredients, based on some other comments. Worked fine. I used the full amount of baking soda and had no sinkage. I didn’t have parchment, so mine inevitably stuck, but we were more than happy to gouge it out of the pan in all its fudgy glory.
Could you make the glaze with milk chocolate chips? It is all I have.
I loved how simple this was but I think it’s not quite what I had been hoping for. It came out a little too stodgy for me. I personally like the thinner variation of this cake with more of a dense texture and more of the olive oil flavor coming though. I’ll be trying this recipe again, but a little different next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Deb, for this absolutely scrummy cake recipe. I made these as cupcakes for co-workers and they loved them. You can’t really tell they’re dairy free! Thanks for the 18 minute baking time tip, fellow baker, I forget who you are. That was a perfect baking time. Unfortunately, I’ve habituated myself to Covid winter baking and need to whittle down the waistline! It’s been fun trying out all your recipes.
For those asking about whether it can be a layer cake, I tried and it didn’t work for me (Reading through the comments, it sounds like the lack of eggs means less structural integrity.) One layer crumbled out of the pan so I glued it together with ganache (not vegan but a delicious fix!) But then the whole cake collapsed on one side when I layered it. The 4 year old didn’t care and it was still delicious. I’ll make it again, just as a single layer and reduced baking soda.
Can you tell me more about the collapse on one side?
You asked about the collapse on one side. I think I used the wrong word! What I meant was that one side crumbled under the weight of the second layer. It was still delicious.
I used to make and sell custom cakes, and Wacky Cake is my go-to chocolate cake recipe. Yes, it can be made into a layer cake successfully, but as you found, it can stick if the pan isn’t greased and floured well enough. Even tho you glued it together with ganache (YUM!), the crumbled layer didn’t have the integrity to hold the 2nd layer. You also need to make sure it is fully baked, as it is a very moist cake. When it springs back at you when you poke it near the center, it is done. I also look for it beginning to pull away from the side of the pan. If you’re not sure, leave it a minute or two longer; it can take it without becoming dry like almost every other cake out there. ;) Be sure to let it cool in the pan until the pan is not hot enough to burn you before you turn it out onto a cooling rack. This helps with its integrity as well. If you forget it, and the cake cools completely (tho *I’ve* never done that, yeah, right), run a spatula or knife around the outside of the cake to be sure it’s not stuck to the pan, and heat a stove burner on low. Put the cake pan on the burner and move it around until the entire bottom of the pan is warm to the touch–again, less than enough to burn you. Then turn it out onto a cooling rack. But doing that is not ideal, because cooling completely in the pan only makes it more moist.
Just out of the oven and turned out of the pan, and the crumbs are wonderful, the flavor intense. I used pastry flour because I was low on all purpose, Dutch-process cocoa, coffee, and cider vinegar. I made 1/3 recipe in a 5″ pan for the two of us for Valentine’s Day, which I plan to serve with amarena cherries and whipped cream.
Because the Dutch-process cocoa is less acidic than ‘normal’ cocoa, I used the smaller quantity of baking soda (1 teaspoon instead of 1.5). For those who found the larger quantity of soda too much, consider the acidity of the other ingredients: regular cocoa, coffee, and vinegar are all acid and will react with the alkaline baking soda, whereas Dutch-process and water do not have the same reaction.
I love Smitten Kitchen, but I tried to make this cake and ended up throwing it out. While cooling, the cake sunk in middle. Once it was totally cooled, and I attempted to move to a plate, the whole cake fell apart. Literally, in pieces. The frosting was not runny enough to pour over the cake, so the whole thing was an epic fail.
If it sunk in the middle, it wasn’t done. It’s a very moist cake, and almost difficult to over-bake. For this one, if you’re not sure if it’s done yet, leave it a minute or two longer. Also because it’s very moist, you REALLY need to grease and flour your pan very, very well if you will be removing it from the pan to serve it, or it will stick. Please try again, it is a wonderful cake! It’s been my go-to chocolate cake for years.
I did a trial bake of this last night as our family are finally getting together after two years of Covid isolation, one liver transplant, three hernia repairs, one stroke, one pregnancy, and one (now) nine-month old baby. Mom of baby and her mom are both dairy-allergic, so this fit the bill perfectly.
Oh My Wow. I did use coffee (more accurately, water + ancient instant espresso powder), and threw in a bit of cake flour to the total cause I use KAF which is higher protein. Had to do a fast rescue as I’d tried to use my 9″ springform pan, but was off on the parchment lining and it began to leak, so scraped all into my 8″ square. I used bittersweet chips for the glaze, and next time I’ll use a bit more corn syrup in hopes the glaze doesn’t crack next day when cutting a slice. The cake is wonderfully dark and the coffee works perfectly, but it’s as light as any cake I’ve ever baked. Alchemy.
Wow! This cake is so good. I didn’t even bother with the glaze because it’s so lovely just on its own. Super easy to make too.
I’ve made this cake many times. I originally made it for the family vegan with a raspberry sauce. Now it’s a hit with the whole family. Today I made the cake and it it was a soupy mess that covered the bottom of my oven.
The only difference is that today I made it with Dutch Processed Black Cocoa Powder (10% – 12% fat). Could this have anything to do with my suddenly soupy cake?
Black cocoa is very very Dutched so it could have thrown things off. I do not advise it for a full swap. If I’m trying to make a cake Oreo-ish, I often just swap a couple tablespoons of the regular cocoa and it darkens and flavors the whole cake.
Deb,
Thanks for the information. I’m making the cake today with regular Hershey’s from the grocery store but I’ll add a teaspoon or two of black cocoa.
This was fabulous and sooo easy to make! How can I make a vanilla version??
Like this!
I made this cake as directed, and while it tasted great, it wasn’t pretty. It spilled out of the pan in the oven, and had to then be surgically removed from the pan. The cake was done in 35 minutes in my oven. The glaze was delicious, but never hardened up. I only cooked it 30 seconds in the microwave and then stirred, stirred, stirred, so thankfully I had no burnt chocolate chips. I used a mild olive oil and couldn’t taste it at all. I didn’t have much of a crater, at 4500 ft elevation.
Just took this out of the oven an hour ago. I have flipped it out of the pan on to a cooling rack as per your instructions. I am a little nervous about transfering it on to a serving dish but—-fingers crossed.
Like other bakers, my cake overflowed the 9 inch baking pan and took an additional 10 minutes to bake (45 minutes total). I ate the part of the cake that fell on to the cookie sheet I placed under the cake pan (saved my oven). They were delicious. Will frost it tomorrow with a butter cream icing and serve it for my daughter’s 40th birthday. It should be a hit with the grandkids.
I love this cake but really need help with the glaze. The first time I made it I followed the directions yet it hardened up and was a bit chunky. The second time I made it on the stovetop and it wasn’t chunky, I cooked it on low heat stirring often, yet it it just sat on top of the cake and didn’t run down the sides like in the lovely photos. How do I get that pretty glaze?
I’ve made this cake several times, usually subbing vegetable oil for the olive oil, as I’m not crazy about a strong olive oil taste. The cake usually comes out well but usually is very moist almost to the point of seeming underdone.
*A word of caution* I tried substituting King Arthur Cup For Cup GF flour blend for the regular flour and it didn’t work at all. The cake as it originally is written lacks egg, which means the structure will be very soft, and further compromising the structure by using a flour with no gluten just resulted in a 6×3 cake that still wasn’t done after 2 hours of baking. Even after cooling, the cake was a squidgy mess from edge to edge, not just in the center. Stick to the recipe as written if you make this. I had to throw this version out and make a different recipe entirely for my vegan and GF cake.
Just wanted to say that I tried mixing this directly in the pan today and succeeded!
I used an ungreased aluminum pan with no parchment paper. I added all the dry ingredients (including the brown sugar), stirred it and crushed the many lumps with a fork, and then mixed in the wet ingredients. Turned out just as good as when I’ve mixed it in a bowl.
I will say, though, that I suspect this only works if you’re okay serving it out of the pan — there’s approximately zero chance I could remove this in one piece as-is.
To me, this cake is best for something like a casual dinner with close friends — something where you bring it to the table in the pan and don’t mind if the pieces are a little crumbly, because it tastes so good. If I were looking to bake a layer cake, I’d use the “I Want Chocolate Cake” cake instead.
I’ll also say that I never bother making a glaze. It’s so moist and fudgy already, and the top crust has a chewiness I adore that I suspect the glaze would interfere with. Personally, I like an unfrosted slice with a spoonful of peanut butter and a glass of milk on the side.
I made this as a gift for my vegan friend and she raved about it; so did her non-vegan roommate.
Hi, I love this cake and have made it a bunch of times. My chocolate icing often comes out grainy. I assume this means I have overcooked it? I never quite get that beautiful liquid, shiny consistency. Would love any tips!
What would you recommend for baking time if I want to make cupcakes? Thanks for this delicious recipe!
I don’t know if I want to use Olive Oil. Can I use regular vegetable (canola, etc)?
Thank you.
Yes
Made this last night with only 1 tsp of baking soda and used butter instead of oil in the frosting, per reader’s comments. The flaky salt in the glaze made the whole cake sing. It was fantastic. I had no issues with a sinking cake, though it did take about 45 minutes to fully cook in my square 8″ pan. Loved it. My new fav chocolate cake!
This cake is divine. I’ve made it 3 times and can say that using coffee makes it so much more rich but doesn’t taste like coffee at all… just more intense chocolate. Making the recipe at a 1.5 ratio (doubled was too much batter) makes two 8 inch pans baked for 35-45mins. Such a hit when hosting a vegan family member. This will become a staple cake in my home.
Hi Deb, Thank you for this recipe. My friends and I love it so much we simply call it THE cake. My question is…do you think this can be made as cupcakes?
Hi Diana! If you search this page in your browser for “cupcake” you’ll see that a few other folks have successfully made this into cupcakes, and they included their yield and cooking times. :-) (To search this page, you can press Ctrl-F or Cmd-F!)
This is a superior recipe. We used this for my daughters wedding rehearsal dinner. Everyone raved about it and thought they were professionally baked, suggesting we open a catering business. The next day at the wedding reception, those who had come to the rehearsal dinner found it and got it out, preferring it to the professionally made wedding cake! The spouse’s family mentioned it months later. I’m going to try making it with gluten free flour and will try to remember to post if it turns out well.
I’ve made this and love it. Question for you –
If I freeze this cake, would I glaze it before freezing or after it’s defrosted? Thanks!
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Where is the substitution for coffee instead of water? In the cake or in the glaze?
I really don’t like using corn syrup in recipes. What would you suggest instead to get that shine? Maybe melted butter? Or a thick simple syrup?
The person I bake cakes for has celiac and can’t eat dairy…so this gets me halfway, I’ll be experimenting with the gf part and will report back. My question: do you think it has to be olive oil or would avocado oil work just as well? Thanks…
Do you have any idea how long this might take in an air fryer? I’ve been using that gadget way more than my over-scaled oven for little bakes like this.
If I wanted to make this into mini cake bites in a mini muffin pan (I won’t call it a cupcake because I don’t expect it to be fluffy etc), how would I modify? Thinking it would be great party bites.
I made this and I don’t think it turned out like yours. It was a great-looking cake, but it wasn’t sweet enough and the crumb fell apart. Maybe I should have added more dark brown sugar.
Here to say that in Boulder at 5600 feet with 1.5 tsp of baking soda, I have a crater of brain-like cake in the center. I flipped it upside down and it was fine but I wish I’d read these notes before attempting the cake for a dinner party. It tastes great and no one will know it’s upside down but I’d definitely reduce the baking soda next time. Delicious easy cake – thanks Deb! So fun to see you live last month in Boulder!
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Escorted group Jordan Tours
Our escorted small group tours are different from our tailor-made holidays in that travel is always in small groups with the services of an experienced guide throughout the trip.Enjoy savings made possible by travelling as part of a group of like-minded people on our escorted tours. Group sizes are usually restricted to a maximum of 25 and a minimum of 12.
This cake was soooooo good and got rave reviews from my dinner guests. I had a little trouble making the glaze thin enough to drizzle, any suggestions? I had to kind of spread it- still really good, but I love the way yours sort of drips down the sides.
Interesting, I had the same issue. It spread more like a frosting!
I had the same problem with the glaze. Frustrating because I’ve made glaze that looked exactly like hers does in this recipe, but this time it wouldn’t get to that consistency.
This cake is so moist and flavourful. I used freshly brewed coffee instead of water and would definitely recommend it. The glaze didn’t taste great on its own, but was perfect with the cake. I had a hard time getting the lumps out of the batter, but they baked up perfectly (I made cupcakes in a silicon pan). I didn’t have the issues with crumbling or caving in that others had, and followed the recipe exactly.
Made this today, though without glaze. It’s very good, but we had a bit of difficultly mixing it smooth. Ended up pressing it through a strainer, and gradually adding the liquid back, getting it smooth with each addition. I think in future, I would not add all the water in once.
Made this cake yesterday for dinner with neighbors. It was fully baked but the center still sunk a bit. Not sure why. I glazed it and decorated with sprinkles. Everyone LOVED it, and even had seconds. It was really good. The glaze was perfect texture and flavor. I used water, not coffee. Will definitely make again. Just wish I knew why the center sunk. Thank you for another great recipe.
Deb, my glaze ended up being frosting. And I’ve made glaze before. :)
Any idea what could have gone wrong?
Oh my god! Incredibly rich, moist, and delicious cake. Followed the recipe exactly! I used coffee. It was spectacular. Some commenters said it tasted too oily and some said they could taste the olive oil. This was not the case AT ALL for us. The kids loved it too and they’re very opinionated.
So. I just made this. I read all the comments, especially about the sinking crater. I used a double dark cocoa from King Arthur- especially as the recipe read ANY kind of cocoa can be used. I know about Dutch Process cocoa needing an acid to help, but KA’s website said as long as there is an acid in the recipe, you shouldn’t have to swap baking powder for baking soda. Since there’s vinegar in there, I didn’t. Within the first few minutes, of me peeping in the glass window of the oven, I knew it wasn’t going to rise. Crater Lake ain’t got nothing on this! Plus, I used a 9″ pan and it’s like a thin mint. It was so full too, I had great expectations. The taste is ok, but I’m super disappointed. I bake cakes on the regular, I’m not a beginner baker (or cook.) I’ve been cooking and baking for over 30 years. Now I’ll have to tweak the recipe, which is what I though SK was doing for me. I know it isn’t a baker/method fail, this is a recipe fail.
I need a little help trouble shooting this recipe….it is delicious, but turned out a bit stodgy and gummy… I used GF flour 1:1, but then followed the recipe to a T. I did have similar problems to some others with the overflowing and am wondering about just splitting the batter between 2 9″ cake pans…? Anyone tried that? Any suggestions on the stodginess? should I bake longer? I do live at 5000ft altitude as well, so maybe that played a part. Let me know your thoughts!! Otherwise was very tasty!!!
Such a winner! I followed this step for step. I was fretting when I read more comments (after it was in the oven) saying I should have used less baking soda, but thankfully all was well. I had slight caving in the middle, but it wasn’t noticeable. I skipped the glaze as I was short on time and dusted with powdered sugar. It was perfect! So delicious for a last minute dessert to take to a dinner with friends. Kept well for a few days. Definitely a keeper for anyone needing a quick dessert. The benefit of dusting with powdered sugar was not needing to wait too long for it to cool after baking. Do be warned it can be a little crumbly due to no eggs, so don’t handle it too much before it gets to the serving plate. Thanks Deb!
I liked this! I didn’t even make the glaze and it is perfectly decadent and so easy to make! Mine did also collapse in the middle, like some others commented, but I thought it still turned out so good.
Halved the recipe, used a 6 inch circular cake pan, and baked for 30 mins—worked great! Very moist.
I have made this cake twice now … it is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. It’s delicious. My husband loves it. It is moist, chocolatey, and very easy. I like that the recipe makes a one-layer cake, which is perfect for empty nesters. However, I will be serving this to company at some point.
I never have corn syrup in the house, so the first time I used Lyle’s Golden Syrup and the second time I used agave syrup. The glaze still worked and hardened up in both instances. I also used just water, not the coffee option.
This is a staple last minute dessert for when company comes over! I usually skip the glaze (I find it weighs down the cake, since the crumb is so delicate) and usually have with whipped cream and maybe fruit.
I made this with bob’s 1:1 flour for the first time last week based on all the comments from people who had success. It came out incredibly dense and tasted like mochi cake. Perfectly delicious but nothing like the cake is meant to be. My guests loved it, but I was disappointed that the plush, airy crumb I’m used to didn’t work out. Just an fyi for others thinking of trying gluten free!
I occasionally need to cook for a friend who is vegan but also, sadly, gluten free. Do you have any thoughts on whether this cake would work with GF flour, or perhaps, a combination of GF flour and corn flour, which she can do … so, making it a bit like a chocolate polenta olive oil cake? It does make me want to screech and pull my hair out to have to cook like this, but sometimes I do.
I have made this cake at least 10 times. It never fails. Perfect! And vegan without substitution! (insert dreamy-face emoji)
Definitely want to try this! When I was a kid in the 60’s and 70’s, our household knew the simple, one-bowl chocolate cake as “cub cake.”
This cake sounds fabulous! It makes me think of question I have and a request for help. I am throwing a bridal shower for my soon-to-be daughter in law. She is dairy-free, but unfortunately, isn’t a chocolate fan. Do you have any recipes for desserts that are dairy free with no chocolate? I find these hard to find.
My cake came out amazing!
This is a very decadent and rich cake! As someone who loves olive oil, I was happy that the subtle olive oil flavor shows through in the final cake. Of note is my cake took 40 minutes to test clean. Substitutes: whole milk for the water and added 2 teaspoons espresso powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla and left out the vinegar. Cocoa powder used was half Dutch half regular. Cake flour used. After Eating one slice I am completely satisfied and happy! Will definitely make this again because it’s really not hard to make, and it tastes like an over the top indulgence!
I accidentally made this recipe using baking powder instead of soda. The center fell which was a bummer, but holy sh*t it was so good. It had a brownie like consistency and a slight toothsome-ness/crunch around the side that was loved by all.
I made this today because I invited my mom over for dinner and decided at about 2 p.m., “Hey, I should make a cake.” I used the fancy Guittard dutch cocoa powder and espresso powder mixed into the water, and the result was super fudgy, but very crumbly—it was even hard to slice neatly. But it was absolutely delicious!
Saw this cake on Instagram while searching for a vegan dessert recipe and I just had to try it!
I baked one following the recipe exactly first. I used EVOO from Costco (the one in glass bottle) and the cake came out really dark, almost black and it sunk in the center. Oddly, the caved part looked underbaked and was sticky. It tasted a little burnt too, even though it really wasn’t. Maybe I accidentally made the coffee too strong, or the EVOO I used didn’t work well with other ingredients? At this point, I realized that the baking soda I used was 2 months past the “best by” date so I bought a new bag and tried again.
For the second batch, I used 1 tsp baking soda, Filippo Berio regular olive oil (the yellow one), and added 1 tsp vanilla extract to the batter. It baked BEAUTIFULLY after 35 minutes. I waited overnight to cool for the glaze and the finished cake was incredibly moist and delicious, it was definitely one of the best and the easiest cakes I’ve ever baked!
I was able to omit the corn syrup as the glaze was already shiny and rather runny. I decided to pre-melt the chocolate chips first and then added oil and cocoa after reading comments (thank you Grace V!) so if you don’t have light corn syrup on hand, that method might work well for you.
For both batches, I used Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa, regular brewed coffee, white vinegar and baked in a lined 8-inch square pan. I was worried about overflowing in the oven but both batter rose just right for the pan. Thank you Deb for this recipe. I can’t wait to bake this cake again!
Help! I followed the ingredients and directions exactly and have a sloppy, overflowing mess. For Easter. Is it actually 1-1/2 C water rather than 1 C?
You were correct using 1 1/2 cups water/coffee. But I had to bake this for 53 minutes. Also, I baked it in a springform pan which has a much higher side than a standard 9-inch pan. Maybe this will help?
Thanks, Chrissy! Springform pan may be the ticket. (Thankfully I had it on a sheet tray.)
Chrissy, did you get a domed center using the springform, taller height pan??
Amanda K: I think the reason I didn’t get a domed center is because I used Bake Even Strips. They’re just adjustable cloth belts that you soak in cold water and wrap around your cake pan before putting it in the oven. They prevent the outer edges of your cake from setting up faster than the center. You can purchase two of them from Amazon for about ten bucks and they work like magic. I hope this helps because this cake is phenomenal. Best.
I used a springform pan and had a domed center. And water, not coffee.
I made this cake successfully 3 times (fabulous!) then tried it with Trader Joe’s GF flour. Utter disaster
Hi, Deb:
I’ve now made the chocolate olive oil cake twice and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve made it with coffee on both occasions, whereas you note in the description that you used water. I’m wondering if this might explain why, both times I’ve made the cake, it has had a sunken middle, right out of the oven. When I see your pictures, I notice that yours is domed as one would expect. I’m wondering if the acidity of the coffee might explain this? The batter does fizz when the coffee is added to the dry mix + olive oil. Do you have any suggestions about how the recipe might be modified to prevent the sinking middle? It’s still delicious, but just not quite as pleasing to the eye.
many many thanks for running this fantastic blog. I have made probably a dozen of your recipes (including the Viennese shortbread last year, which is fantastic; your lemon pasta is a go-to).
Lisa
I also experienced a depressed center and also used coffee. Since I adjusted the baking soda, I was wondering if the pan height made the difference. It looked like Deb’s was maybe 2 or 3 inches tall. It’s interesting that you mentioned the acidity of the coffee and noted Deb’s use of only water. It’s a good enough cake to make again and again until it’s right!! Deb, do you have any pointers? I live in Indiana so elevation shouldn’t be a problem for me.
Lisa again here: I live at sea level, so that isn’t the problem. I now see that you recommend reducing the baking soda, which seems to work for some folks but not all. Worth a try. Thanks again.
Has anyone tried to “transform” this chocolate cake recipe into a devil’s food cake recipe? Any ideas? A little less oil? A little more baking soda? Looking for a good dairy free devil’s food cake recipe without having to use vegan butter. Thank you so much!
I think this has a very similar crumb, no changes required!
I made this and it was wonderful but I was nervous because I found the weight measurements to be way off. So, shall I ignore the cup measurements and have confidence in the weights?
I log the weights myself so they should be accurate. Which one seems off to you?
I put a star next to the ones that concerned me. They were:
AP Flour
Granulated Sugar
Olive Oil
Coffee (or water)
Wish I had jotted down the weight after measuring them out in cups, but it was different enough that I worried. Thanks for answering. I’ll just stick to the weights this time and hope for the same wonderful result.
Welp, Deb, it wasn’t Tuesday, but this recipe definitely improved my Wednesday! I subbed in King Arthur’s Gluten-free Measure for Measure All-Purpose flour, and had enough batter for one 9×1 inch pan and 3 cupcakes. The texture of the cake and cupcakes was amazing! No grittiness like someone else experienced.
I used non-stick parchment papers and the cupcakes didn’t stick at all! (I found these cupcake papers a lifesaver during my AIP / Paleo diet days!) I did decrease the baking soda to 1 tsp as mentioned in the comments, but unfortunately the 9 inch cake and 3 cupcakes all had the much-experienced depression in the center. My cake only took 32 minutes and came out with some crumbs on the tester, which was I what I understand the correct procedure. After cooling a bit more, the depressed center of the cake was darker than the edges. The cupcakes, too, but when I ate all three cupcakes (in less than 1 hour!) they didn’t taste uncooked at all. Does anyone have any ideas for how to get rid of the depressed center? Could it be that the height of my cake pan differed than Deb’s? I think somewhere I read she used a 9 x 2 inch. Any help or ideas?
Just made this—should have used coffee in lieu of water but totally missed the note. It. Is. So. Good. This is going to be my new standard chocolate cake. 4 of us are having it for dessert and less than half is left lol. Thanks, Deb. 😊
Is it ok to reduce the sugar or sub with part monk fruit?
Echoing another comment about using the weights! The batter was extremely liquidy and it did take about 20 minutes longer to bake. Some element of the chemical reaction caused a lighter circle to form a strange ridge on the top? The flavor was mostly good, though I detected a baking soda aftertaste, and the texture really falls apart. Nothing peanut butter icing and eating it with a spoon can’t fix.
Well, my vegan friend said this is one of the top things I’ve ever baked for her (including the cupcakes and coconut cake from SK) so maybe my previous comment doesn’t matter! If my dear friend is happy, then so am I.
Made this today with a silpat cake liner, which was a mistake. The batter is so thin that it ran below the silpat mat. The toothpick came out clean, but when I took the cake out of the pan, the portion that had slipped below the liner was like thick jelly, not cake. The better approach is to just use cooking spray! The cake still tasted great.
Hi Deb,
You mention that this cake can be made as a layer cake. Do you mean to
make 2 of these or do you mean to cut one cake down the middle?
For a standard thickness layer cake, I’d just double it and make two layers.
Delightful, deeply chocolate cake. Used dark cocoa powder, and 2/3 of the recommended sugar (just personal preference). It’s rich and one piece lightly dusted with powdered sugar is a perfect dessert! Used coffee that was too dark of a roast for me to enjoy drinking, complemented the cake well.
If I’m planning to freeze this, which I E made before and love, would you glaze before freezing or after defrosting? Thanks.
I’ve never frozen a frosted cake, but have had decent luck with unfrosted cakes. They lose a bit. But I would definitely recommend waiting until the cake is good and thawed before frosting.
I’d glaze after.
Made this last night, wanted a small easy (non traditional) dessert to break fast. I made the cake the day ahead wrapped it and left at room temp. Did the glaze the morning of. I will say it was more like a frosting than runny glaze, could have left the chocolate in microwave a few seconds too long so not a recipe issue. Either way didn’t matter tasted great and loved the addition of some flaky salt. The cake took longer to bake and I was concerned the outer portion would be too well done, it was not. The cake rose and stayed beautiful, no sinking whatsoever. It was gooey and delicious. For me I loved that it was barely sweet. I used a good quality dutch process cocoa and dark chocolate chips. For the liquid I did mostly coffee with the addition of water to equal the 1 1/2 cups called for. Also used a good quality non filtered olive oil. Overall a real winner which I will absolutely make again and again!!!
I made this according to Deb’s recipe in a 9″ pan and it didn’t overflow but it came close! I also noted that it took far longer than the 30 to 35 min bake time. I cooled the cake for 10 min. and removed it from the pan but it was so moist I lost some parts of it! I made the glaze according to her directions and it came out perfect…spread easily and obscured a lot of the “missing parts” of the cake. I did use coffee as part of the liquid and I didn’t notice a strong olive oil taste. Our guests loved the cake! Next time I will be more careful taking it out of the pan by maybe waiting longer than 10 min. to remove.
Hi,
I have a few questions. I want to make this for Thanksgiving and I saw your recipe and I also saw another Chocolate olive oil cake recipe that calls for eggs and I was going to use just egg whites instead to watch my cholesteral. What are your thoughts on that or I also saw that you can use yogurt as an egg substitute and can I use Almond flour and can I add chocolate chips into the batter to make it more chocolaty?
Thank you.
MC
I forgot to ask,
What does the dark brown sugar do for the recipe and what does the vinegar do?
Thank you.
MC
I’m not a great baker yet this worked out beautifully. Going to be a go-to for friend’s houses from now on, it’s so easy and everyone loved it. This morning I had a piece and it is UNREAL with my coffee.
Bake time was 35 minutes even though my oven runs hot. No crater.
Don’t have a microwave – did the bowl over boiling water method and it worked great.
I made this but after reading a lot of comments, reduced the baking soda to 1 tsp; added two eggs because the cake had to travel (no one said when they added eggs, so I added it to the brown sugar, and oil and then whisked into the dry ingredients); no cake pans, so I used an 8 inch square (which according to King Arthur Baking conversion, holds the same amount of batter). At 350 degrees, it was not cooked at 30 min, nor at 35. I baked for 40 min., and the crumb seems a tad dry. Made the glaze, but melted chips and everything over simmering water and not in the microwave. No problems with looks, spreading or taste. Serving tonight and will report results.
In my earlier post I forgot to add that I used coffee. The cake and glaze were delicious and got rave reviews. Intese chicolate but not overly sweet. Glad I added eggs. Although I was concerned it would be dry it was quite moist. Would definitely make again and recommend.
I liked the flavor but, made as cupcakes, these sunk like crazy and really clung to the cupcake wrapper. I would love a vegan chocolate cake recipe that comes out a bit more festive like the plush confetti cupcakes.
It was so easy! I thought the oil was a little strong tasting — might have been the cocoa powder I used (happened to have Hershey’s Super Dark); I think coffee in it would have improved it immensely. It was also extra-extra moist — maybe too much oil? It also took 40 minutes in my brand new awesome oven. (Seeing the comment about “gumminess” already posted — I used 100% AP flour and would have to concur.) I didn’t have any corn syrup on hand so skipped it for the glaze, which was still pronounced “pretty shiny.” Overall, a success, but I can’t help thinking a cake with eggs would have turned out a bit better.
I’m another experienced baker who has made MANY if Deb’s recipes and this is my first real failure. Overflowing. Still liquid at 50+ minutes in the oven. Overflow tastes delicious but not matter how tasty it is, not worth the hassle and unpredictability in my book. Had planned to take to a dinner party and suspect I may have to stop by a bakery instead.
Are you at any kind of altitude?
I’ve made this cake several times and always add a ring of fresh raspberries around the edge. A few times, the center has collapsed but I can hide that with the glaze. However…! I just had a total disaster with this recipe. I opened the oven after 32 minutes and the whole thing had overflowed from the pan and onto the oven floor. And it was still soupy in the center. I had to throw the whole thing out and clean the oven. I followed the recipe exactly and used a 9 inch cake pan. The only thing I can think of was that maybe I added too much air when whisking the water/coffee into the mixture, but I needed to do that to make the batter smooth. Any suggestions? This had been my go-to recipe but now I’m reluctant to make it anymore. Help!
Hi Deb –
Aussie Smitten Kitchen fan here –
Love so many of your recipes and have & love your three cookbooks :)
Made this tonight as an after-dinner treat.
So quick to whip up – and baked while I prepped the actual dinner…
Rich, gooey and fudgy – delicious! –
Everyone loved it – and when I revealed to the others that it was also vegan – my decidedly non-vegan housemate blurted out ‘but it does not taste like a cake of sadness!’
And indeed – there’s nothing sad about this.
Thanks again for another fabulous recipe!
Just made this cake, subbing in GF flour, which usually works fine. The cake batter overflowed quite a bit in my oven. I used a 9″ pan as suggested (Wilton brand). Why all the overflow? I’m now ventilating the house as the chocolate burned on the bottom of my oven & was pretty smoky.
I did think this was a bit more batter than I’m used to seeing in a 9″ pan, but your recipes are usually spot on so I didn’t worry about it.
Does this recipe require an extra deep pan? I hope the cake at least tastes good. I now need to clean my oven.
Barbara, I had the same problem with overflowing batter (see my post above). Deb can you answer both of our questions? As I said before, I’ve made this cake several times without problem but after I wrote my comment about the overflow, I remembered that it had happened once before. But that time I was at a high altitude and thought that might be the problem (although I had baked this cake at that altitude before without problem. I am at a loss why both Barbara and I had this problem. Any suggestions?
This is an awesome cake! I make it all the time. Whenever I make it, it is SO good.
five star recipe! I leave out the corn syrup, and it’s just the same without it.
I was so worried that this would not turn out well since the batter was so liquid and I only had an 8 inch round pan. It must be a Mary Poppins’ recipe, delightfully perfect in every way.
Definitely making this (again) for my husband’s birthday on Sunday. Suprise, hopefully. Can I store in in the fridge glazed with the ganache or should I wait until Sunday to frost.. hoping sooner than later. 🤞🏻🤞🏻
You can store in the fridge or room temp.
This cake is STUPID. Make it last weekend. Used 1 teaspoon of baking soda per the comments and used coffee. Took it to a friend’s house. Planned on icing it there but tried the cake that was left on the pan and decided it was so sublime that adding a glaze could be an injustice! It was a massive hit. Making again tonight to bring to my father in law’s for his birthday tomorrow. He loves chocolate. So divine, thank you Deb!
Hi! Can this be made in a loaf pan?
Nothing beats this cake for ease-to-flavor ratio. I originally made it for my dairy-free friend, but everyone who had a slice has been requesting it for every get-together ever since—and it’s so simple that I’m happy to oblige!
Love this. Thank you.
The snowy weather made me want to bake something and I had everything I needed in the house to throw this together. My partner and I were blown away – this simple little cake is fantastic. It isn’t too sweet, perfectly rich and so soft and moist! Next time, I think I will use less chocolate on top but that is a personal preference! I will 100% make this again, probably very soon!
I just came across this recipe today and had all the ingredients. I made it EXACTLY per the instructions and to me, it’s the PERFECT chocolate cake. Soooooooo moist and full of chocolate flavor. The color is a deep DARK chocolate color. I used Droste cocoa (that’s what I had on hand). For the 1 1/2 cups of water or coffee listed, I used 1 cup of coffee and 1/2 cup water. The cake was cooked perfectly at 35 minutes. I made the glaze exactly as written. It was easy to make the incremental heating in the microwave. It melted and became smooth effortlessly. I will absolutely be making this many times again. Thank you Deb!
OK listen, this cake was UNREAL. I made a different recipe for Wacky Cake and some other frosting back in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, but THIS cake in 2024 tasted like pure luxury. It is going in the keeper folder immediately!!
I adjusted this for high altitude and it turned out perfectly! I agree the olive oil is strong in the glaze. I’m going to try adding vanilla next time.
Easiest, fastest, most delicious cake ever. Outside had a little chewy, crispy “crust” that was the best part. May have just been my mishap but a scrumptious one I hope I get next time I make the cake. Thank you, Deb!!
The last chocolate cake recipe I will ever need! Fabulous even without the glaze.
Has anyone tried making this gluten free with a cup for cup gluten free flour replacement? Any hints or tips?
Yes, I used Cup for Cup GF flour and it overflowed a lot in the oven. It never really cooked through even though I baked it longer. I posted about this on Jan 6 but hadn’t gotten a response about why it might have happened. I’m assuming it might be something about the gluten-free flour, but I’ve subbed this for years and never had a problem with other recipes. I do see a few other people had the same issue, although I think they used regular flour and not gluten-free. I’m not at a high altitude, so that’s not the issue. I don’t know why this happened with both GF and regular flour. Many others made it without a problem. Deb’s recipes are usually great, so it’s very puzzling.
Like Barbara S, I’m still waiting for an answer as to why this cake overflowed in my oven and was still batter-consistency after 30 minutes. As I said in my previous post (which I have not seen posted ?!) why did this happen? As I said in my review, this used to be my go-to cake. I’ve probably made it 8 times (the center often collapses but I’ve just filled with the icing.) But after having this cake overflow twice, I don’t want to make it again. Deb, what is the problem that both Barbara S and I have had?
I’d love to have a response about why the center of the cake craters. I followed the recipe exactly.
Are you at any kind of altitude? Any ingredient changes? This cake is more volatile than a cake with eggs for structure so small changes can affect it more (altitude, flour types) etc.
No, I live in florida
Was the coffee/water hot when you added it? Out of the four times I’ve made it, it only overflowed the time I put hot coffee in (causing the batter to get too hot in the oven and boil over).
I also used a springform pan just in case.
I had great success using ATK recipe for gluten free flour(it makes 9 &1/2 C’s so it lasts for a while) & added 3/8t xanathan gum.
No one could believe it was glutenfree! I used a cup and a1/2 of strong coffee. Other than using gf flour, I didn’t change the cake recipe.
Even my non chocolate loving husband loved the cake. Good luck!
Yes, it was a disaster. I used TraderJoe’s GF 1:1. It never solidified – even after leaving it in much longer. Couldn’t unmold it. I posted this experience months ago
Tried this cake. It was excellent.
Delicious cake! I used espresso powder dissolved in hot water instead of water or regular coffee. Mine kind of crumbled on the sides. Wonder if I should have used more nonstick spray?
Making this for my milk and egg allergic toddler’s birthday and wondering if anyone has tried sugar subs? Ideally I’d use banana or something along those lines.
Similar to our family recipe that we call Crazy Cake. Best chocolate cake and frosting ever!
We do not use olive oil just regular cooking oil. And it is made directly in the pan.
8” for single – 11×13 double. No fail tender and chocolatey. Does not fall. Trickiest part is getting the flour to be mixed thoroughly as the directions are strictly “mix gently with fork- do NOT beat”
The frosting isn’t vegan – eggs, milk, butter sorry but we always make a double batch to lick the bowl.
I think you’d like this!
But I will try yours to see how it compares….
I love this cake and have made it many times by the recipe. It always comes out delicious. This week I had an intrusive thought about it as a chocolate orange cake and I made it this weekend. I barely tweaked the recipe by adding the zest from two oranges and subbed some of the water/coffee for orange juice. Then I added Cointreau to the glaze. I only added a tablespoon but I think two would be better. Delicious!! The orange flavor really came through. So proud of myself 😉
This cake was dark chocolate heaven. I used America’s test kitchen recipe for gluten flour and it worked perfectly, no one could believe it was gluten free. I added ~ a T of molasses to the light brown sugar to make dark brown. For liquid, a cup and a 1/2 of strong coffee. For the glaze, I used slightly less coconut oil p/o olive, less maple syrup p/o corn and a pinch of smoked sea salt. It spread like a dream. I sprinkled edible gold stars on top and it looked so impressive. Will definitely make again and again. My non dessert husband finished off the last piece. It definitely stayed moist after a few days while exercising will power.
This cake is simple and delicious. For those experiencing the batter overflowing in the oven, I’ve found it did this when I used hot coffee, but not when I cooled it off significantly with ice cubes before adding it (remove any remaining ice before adding it to the mixture).
Also I used a springform pan just in case. My oven cook time was 35 minutes each of the 4 times I’ve made this cake.
I followed the recipe, and after adding the last 2 ingredients, the batter became super lumpy. The only way I could get rid of all the little lumps was with an electric beater. Do you know what I did wrong?
While my batter was very soupy it was smooth.
Did you shift your cocoa? Did your flour need shifting
M still hoping to determine why my the middle of my cake caved in.
This recipe is dark and decadent and so easy to make exactly as printed. It keeps for days and is as fresh and moist as the first day. My go to chocolate cake recipe from now on. Way to go Deb!!!
Can the chocolate olive cake be frozen(only needing it frozen for about a week if that matters)
Thank you
This has instantly become a family favorite! When I made it the first time I took it out at 35 mins and it fell dramatically (but filled in with glaze so not all bad :)). Next time it took 45 mins to cook completely through and not fall. I love the simplicity of it and that it doesn’t need me to get my stand mixer out – just a bowl and whisk. The instructions for mixing didn’t work well for me so I just combined the water, oil and vinegar and added at the same time with much better (and simpler) results. I cut it into 16 slices – a few people had 2, but most were totally satisfied with one since it’s so rich. Thanks, Deb, for another winning recipe!
I rarely leave comments but just made this cake last night and wanted to share that it was a resounding success!
Recently discovering an egg and dairy allergy had sapped me of all hope…I’m also GF so I despaired of finding a recipe to meet all those needs.
Subbed GF flour, reduced the baking soda a smidge (I’m at 3500 ft) and presto, 40 min later I had a perfectly dark, delectable, and level cake!
(I used 72% chocolate for the topping and decaf espresso for cake batter.)
We did notice a stronger olive oil flavor the first day but by the next the flavors had completely blended into deliciousness!
Thank you Deb!
Made this for dessert last week and it was so good I haven’t stopped thinking — or talking about it — for days! It was def a hit!
I made two adjustments to the recipe:
1) I used table salt instead of sea salt
2) I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup of granulated and a 1/2 cup of dark brown
One other thing, I was originally going to use one 9-inch round pan that I use when I make layer cakes, but thanks to the comments section, I used a deeper pan instead and I was glad I did —- it needed more room and didn’t overflow at all. It did sink a bit in the middle, but that may be thanks to my tinkering with the sugar amount.
The cake was delicious! Perfectly moist and so chocolatey and we couldn’t taste the olive oil at all. I wound up not even making the glaze for it because we didn’t feel like it needed it. I may make the glaze next time (there WILL be a next time).