This rich chocolate olive oil cake is simple to throw together and packs a huge flavor punch. It's made with intense dark cocoa, layers of fruity, peppery olive oil, and finished with an airy whipped ganache and a sprinkle of flaky salt.

The result? A plush, deeply chocolatey cake that tastes like a truffle—elegant, decadent, but completely unpretentious.

Why I love it:

This chocolate olive oil cake is one of the best cakes I’ve got. It’s a humble snack cake, thrown together in a bowl and baked in a square. But don't let that fool you. It's tender, moist, and so rich you'd never guess how easy it is to make.

I love the contrast of bitter chocolate and grassy olive oil— it’s a luxurious, bold flavor combination. And using oil (rather than butter) means the cakes moist and soft for days.

I top it with a light-as-air whipped chocolate ganache and a gorgeous sprinkling of flake salt. The pop of crunchy salt makes this whole thing taste like an artisan truffle.

And if you’re like me and obsessed with chocolate desserts that nail the texture, you also love the silky spoonable richness of my chocolate budino or this luscious chocolate panna cotta.

They’re the kinds of desserts that are made for us chocolate lovers!

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here's how to make this chocolate olive oil cake:

ingredients_cocoa powder, flour, olive oil, eggs, sour cream, sugar, coffee, vanilla — 1. Whisk together dry ingredients.

2_how to make chocolate olive oil cake — 2. Whisk together sour cream, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, and salt.

3_mix the batter and bake — 3. Pour wet ingredients into the dry; whisk until mostly combined. Whisk in hot coffee until smooth.

dark chocolate olive oil cake — 4. Bake for about 45 minutes; let cool. Frost with whipped chocolate ganache.

a few recipe tips:

Use really good cocoa powder: I believe in buying the best Dutch-processed cocoa you can get your hands on. The flavor is deep, rich, intense and the texture is so silky. I love Cacao Barry Extra Brute. Remember: cocoa powder is the only form of chocolate in this cake, so the type you use has a big impact on the flavor of the final cake.
And don't skimp on olive oil quality, either! Use flavorful extra-virgin olive oil. We want to taste the fruity, grassy, peppery notes in this cake, and they have to be intense enough to shine through the chocolate.
What kind of coffee? Use espresso if you can, or drip coffee, or even 2 tsp espresso powder dissolved in ¼ cup hot water. Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor and makes the whole cake taste richer—use whatever type you've got.
Flaky salt makes it: I love the subtle and elegant decoration of flaky salt (I used Maldon Sea Salt). Salt, chocolate, and olive oil are soul mates that need to be together.

chocolate olive oil cake

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This rich chocolate olive oil cake is simple to throw together and packs a huge flavor punch. We combine intense dark chocolate with layers of fruity, peppery olive oil and plenty of whipped ganache. The cake is plush and moist and so decadent.

Author: Indi Hampton
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 16
Category: Cake
Method: Whisk
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ cup hot coffee
½ batch whipped chocolate ganache
Flaky salt, for garnish

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan and line with a parchment paper sling. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until combined; set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, olive oil, eggs, yolk, vanilla and salt. Whisk until smooth.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until mostly combined. Add the hot coffee and whisk until smooth and combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40- 45 minutes, or until the top is firm and puffed, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool completely and frost with whipped chocolate ganache frosting. Sprinkle with flaky salt.

Notes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 313
Sugar: 13g
Sodium: 156mg
Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 8.8g
Unsaturated Fat: 11.6g
Trans Fat: 0.2g
Carbohydrates: 24g
Fiber: 2.5g
Protein: 4.7g
Cholesterol: 66mg

Recipe originally posted 2/10/2025. Updated 8/8/2025.