Orange-Scented Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Amazing Frosting
Loading...SKILL LEVEL :
Easy but takes some timeThis Chocolate Olive Oil Cake is Easy, Fool-Proof, Fast and Delicious
If you have been following me for awhile, you know I do not post many baked goods and really not that many dessert recipes, but this past year I have become addicted to olive oil cake. It might have been a coping mechanism for the pandemic! This Orange-Scented Chocolate Olive oil cake is the 5th olive oil cake recipe I have developed and I have one more coming soon. I'm hooked on olive oil cakes because they are very easy to make; you literally can't screw them up. I know because I have made many mistakes and have learned that these cakes are incredibly forgiving. My mistakes have included: using the wrong quantities of ingredients, mixing up the order in which I add the ingredients and baking the cake at the wrong temperature. Amazingly, these forgiving cakes always turn out.
Orange-Infused Olive Oil and Grand Marnier
I use Stonehouse Blood Orange Olive oil and a healthy splash of Grand Marnier to give this chocolate olive oil cake a wonderful aroma and a subtle hint of orange. Orange and dark chocolate are one of those synergistic flavor combinations that make two great ingredients even better. Stonehouse is my go-to olive oil and has been for the 9 years I have published Something New For Dinner. If orange flavor isn't your thing you can substitute a good quality unflavored olive oil, such as Stonehouse's House Blend and some bourbon instead of the Grand Marnier. Note: I do not have a financial relationship with Stonehouse. I just love their products and think you will too.
Use Good Quality Cocoa
I have made this cake with a couple different cocoas and I get the best results with Droste cocoa powder, a Dutch cocoa company founded in 1863. Droste is a deep, dark, rich cocoa that makes an incredible cake. Again, I have no financial relationship with Droste, I just love their chocolate.Note: SNFD is an Amazon affiliate and we make a small commission when you purchase items through our links.
This Chocolate Olive Oil Cake is Good and the Frosting is Amazing
This chocolate olive oil cake is my first frosted olive oil cake. You don't have to frost it, but I highly encourage it. The whipped cream, cream cheese and confectioner's sugar frosting is easy to make, has a great cloud-like body that allows you to really pile it on high and it is not overly sweet. This frosting would be delicious on virtually all of my olive oil cakes if you are so inclined. It looks lovely with a few edible flowers scattered on top.
If you are searching for a moist, not overly sweet, decadently chocolate cake with an amazing frosting for your next celebratory event, this chocolate olive oil cake will not disappoint. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Note: This recipe was originally published on May 17, 2021 and updated to add spices on 2/1/2024.
PrintOrange-Scented Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Amazing Frosting
This very moist, orange-scented chocolate olive oil cake is piled high with a not-too-sweet cream cheese and whipped cream frosting. It is the perfect celebratory dessert for chocolate lovers who want a more sophisticated cake that is not overly sweet.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 - 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: New American
Ingredients
Scale
For the cake:
- 1 2/3 cups blood orange infused olive oil or a good quality extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 2 t baking powder
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/2 t kosher salt
- 2 t cinnamon
- 1 t ginger
- 1/2 t nutmeg
- 1/4 t cloves
- 3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
- 1 T espresso powder (optional, but I think it enhances the chocolate flavor)
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or bourbon
- 2 t vanilla extract or paste
- 3 large eggs
- Zest from 1 orange
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
For frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1 – 2 T lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
For the cake:
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9″ springform pan. Wipe the bottom and the sides of the pan with a splash of olive oil. Place the parchment in the bottom of the pan and smooth to remove the bubbles. Add a bit more olive oil and wipe it over the parchment insert. Sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with 2 T sugar. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl mix the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
- Add the cocoa and espresso powders to a small bowl. Whisk in the hot water until it forms a smooth paste. Add the Grand Marnier and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, whisk the eggs, 1 cup of sugar and orange zest together on high speed for 10 minutes, until mixture becomes thick and pale yellow.
- Using a measuring cup with a pour spout, slowly add 1 1/4 cups olive oil to the batter, beating until fully incorporated.
- Add 1/2 the flour mixture on low speed and mix until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add half the cocoa and Grand Marnier mixture and mix until incorporated. Repeat using the second half of the dry ingredients and the remaining cocoa mixture.
- Pour the batter into the sugar-coated pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the cake and finish by sprinkling 2 T of sugar over the top.
- Place the cake in the center of the oven. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees or 325 degrees if you are using a convection oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. In my oven I find 37 minutes to be the perfect amount of time to bake this cake. Do not over bake or your cake will be dry.
- Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Using a chopstick, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Slowly drizzle the last 1/3 cup of olive oil over the cake, filling the holes slowly and allowing the cake to absorb all of the oil.
- Release the edges of the cake by running an offset spatula or knife around the edges of the pan. Release the spring form and transfer the cake to a rack to cool.
For the frosting:
- While the cake is cooling make the frosting. Using a hand or stand mixer whip the cream until you achieve stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In a second bowl beat cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, lemon zest, juice and pinch of salt together. Fold in whipped cream. Once the cake is completely cooled, pile the frosting high on top of the cake. No need to frost the sides unless you want to. There will be plenty of frosting for side frosting if you wish.
Notes
- I like using blood orange infused olive oil and Grand Marnier in this chocolate olive oil cake, but you can use other liquors and an unflavored, good quality olive oil. Bourbon, an espresso or hazelnut flavored liquor would also work well.
- This cake is unusual in that the crust is covered with sliced almonds and the frosting goes on top of the nuts. The result is a nice crunch beneath the frosting.
4 COMMENTS
I made this cake last night and it was really really really delicious! It is our new favorite (and much easier and quicker to make than the chocolate ganache cake that was our old favorite)!
Hi Cyndi, Thank you for the rave review. I don’t get three “really’s” very often. I am so glad you enjoyed it. It will keep very well for several days if you don’t frost it, but wrap it in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. That way you can make this cake in advance and simply frost it on the day you plan to serve.
Delicious crowd pleaser!
I made it yesterday morning for a dinner party and knew it was going to be great when I tasted the dough before baking.
I used a heavy hand with sugar in the pan & on the top of the cake. If you think you’ll have left overs I’d recommend serving the frosting separately on the side with each slice so you don’t have to refrigerate the cake.
I’ll defiantly make it again. Thanks Kim!
Thanks for the tips Becky. I’m glad you enjoyed it. And thank you to your guest who wrote me to tell me how much she loved it. Much appreciated.