chocolate, almond + olive oil cake

CHOCOLATE, ALMOND & OLIVE OIL CAKE

This cake recipe is my go-to Winter dessert and I rely heavily on its flavour profile to cajole even non-dessert eaters under joyous submission. Needless to say, this is not an overly complicated dessert but the key to success is in the ingredients. A good balance between the sugar, fleur de sel, and cayenne pepper make for a sophisticated treat while using a fresh high quality extra virgin olive oil imparts rich grassy undertones and a moist texture to this chocolate favourite. And if that weren't enough, its lovely almond nuttiness make it the perfect dessert for the fast approaching holidays.

INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:

1.       Combine 50 g of dark unsweetened good quality cocoa powder with 125 ml of boiling water and a good pinch of cayenne pepper (more if you like heat). Whisk til smooth. Set aside to cool.

2.       In another bowl, combine 150 g of ground almonds with 1 tb all purpose flower, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and a generous pinch of fleur de sel (or sea salt). Stir well.

3.       In a third bowl, combine 180 g of sugar with 3 eggs. Whisk until incorporated. Gradually pour in 150 ml of the extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream, whisking all the while. This will create a thick and emulsified rich yellow batter.

4.       Combine the chocolate batter with the egg and olive oil batter. Whisk to combine.

5.       Now combine this batter with the ground almond mixture. Stir to combine.

6.       Pour cake batter into a fully lined (bottom and sides) baking tin. At this point you may top cake with blanched almonds for decor, then bake for 45 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

7.       Let cool for at least 30 minutes before digging in. If you like you can dress the cake with a sprinkle of fleur de sel and a dusting of icing sugar. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.