A decadent two layer Chocolate Olive Oil Cake made from scratch. Covered in a rich chocolate cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries, it’s sure to be your new fave chocolate cake!
Chocolate cake alert!
You know I love all things chocolate and today, we’re talking Chocolate Olive Oil Cake. A soft, tender choccy cake covered in a fudgy chocolate cream cheese frosting. It’s going to be YOUR new favourite cake.
Two lovely layers of chocolate bliss 💕
I’m a HUGE fan of using oil in cakes instead of butter. It makes them rich, moist and undeniably delicious. It’s what makes my Cinnamon Apple Cake so tender and my favourite Blueberry Bread so moist. I even love using olive oil to make EPIC brownies.
And now we’re using olive oil to make the most melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake. Add a generous slathering of chocolate cream cheese frosting and you have a ripe royal treat.
Until I made this cake, I could NOT move away from my Chocolate Fudge Cake. But make no mistake, this Chocolate Olive Oil Cake gives it a real run for its money. This cake is everything that a chocolate cake should be.
It’s light and fluffy but it boasts a deep chocolate flavour. The chocolate sponge sticks to your fork and melts-in-your-mouth. And don’t even get me started on that frosting.
While I love a good buttercream, I wanted a lighter frosting that was made without butter. And I found it. If you haven’t tried a cream cheese frosting before – your life is not complete.
This Chocolate Olive Oil Cake is perfect served with fresh strawberries or grated chocolate. Perhaps a dollop of cream on the side for a sumptuous dessert. However you eat it, you are sure to love it.
YOU WILL LOVE THIS CAKE BECAUSE:
- It’s easy to make
- You don’t need any weird ingredients
- It easily serves a crowd
- You can make the cake ahead of time
- It tastes amazing
TIPS FOR THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL CAKE
- This is an easy cake to make. You don’t need an electric mixer to make the cake itself. It makes a two layer 8 inch cake or you could make a three layer 6 inch cake.
- I recommend using a mild olive oil for this reason. Most olive oils will say on the bottle what strength of flavour they are. Try a mild or light tasting olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- You will need to mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients together by hand, along with a cup of hot water. The chocolate batter will be thin – this is ok.
- If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of whole or full fat milk.
- When it comes to the frosting, my number one tip is to make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature, this will make sure the frosting is thick and smooth – without any lumps.
- You can make the cake ahead of time and simply frost on the day of serving if you like. Let the cakes cool completely, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container or freeze until you are ready to frost and serve.
MORE CAKE RECIPES TO TRY:
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Let's Bake
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
A decadent two layer Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour
- 80 grams (1 cup) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 300 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) caster sugar
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk*
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 240 ml (1 cup) hot water
Chocolate cream cheese frosting
- 250 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) full fat block of cream cheese, softened
- 375 grams (3 cups) icing or powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake tins with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Then add the sugars. Whisk together. In a separate mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, olive oil, vanilla and eggs. Whisk together. Boil the kettle and pour out 1 cup of hot water.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Start to fold together. Then slowly pour in the hot water down the side of the bowl, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Divide the mixture into two cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their tins and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Place softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add half the sugar, all the cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of milk and beat on low until combined and smooth. Add the rest of the sugar and the extra tablespoon of milk, and beat until combined.
- Spread half the chocolate frosting on top of one chocolate cake. Add the other cake on top and cover with the remaining frosting. Serve with fresh strawberries if desired.
Notes
*If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of whole or full fat milk.
Clare says
This cake is just amazing so glad I tried it, so moist and chocolatey, can’t wait to try it again!!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Thanks for the lovely feedback Clare!
Emily says
Hi, I was planning on making your chocolate olive oil cake this week, but I only have one 8 inch cake pan. Can I divide the recipe in half and only fill one cake pan? What would you recommend?
Thank you 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Emily, I haven’t tried halving the recipe – it can be tricky with things like eggs. But if you do try it, let me know it goes.
Doreen says
Is fine sugar the same as caster sugar? I made the apple cake and it was a big hit . Next will e s chocolate layer cake ThANKS.
Jessica Holmes says
Hey Doreen, yes I think it is! So glad you enjoyed the apple cake!
Pilar says
Can I use this recipe to make a jelly roll cake? Will it be enough to fill a pan?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Pilar, I haven’t tried so I can’t say – sorry!
Akinai says
Hi! The best cake I’ve ever made! But, I had to substitute ingredients I didn’t have.I used castor oil instead of olive oil, and for cream I had leftover 35% whipping cream (whipped it) added sour cream, than coco powder and powdered sugar. I have to admit, I tried couple of your recipes and they all are amazing.I am so glad I find you!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So happy to hear that! Thank you for your lovely feedback Akinai!
Stephanie says
Hi!
I made this cake yesterday, and it’s absolutely delicious! The fluffy moist texture and smooth chocolate flavor are amazing! The frosting didn’t work though 🙁 it turned out too runny and toooo sweet. It’s fine if you just put it between the layers, but it gets too much when topping the cake too. I used full fat Philadelphia cream cheese, powdered sugar, Cadbury’s cocoa and low fat milk as I had run out of full fat milk. I don’t think those 2 Tbsp of milk made the difference with the texture, do you? And what about the sweetness? Would you be able to help me modify for a better chocolate cream cheese frosting?
★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Hey Stephanie! So glad you enjoyed the cake. If the frosting was too runny for you, you can omit the milk. You can also adjust the sugar to taste.
Stephanie says
Hi again!
I tried the recipe again yesterday with the frosting adjustments you suggested, and I have to say, it was perfect! So I omitted the milk; (didn’t need any at all) and I used 2 cups of powdered sugar instead of 3 (more than enough; just right actually), keeping the cream cheese at 250 g. You should give it a try 🙂