Now as people become more health conscious, Morocco Gold are delighted to present an alternative to death, by substituting butter for our olive oil to create ‘Health By Chocolate’.
An ideal treat this National Chocolate Cake day summer and indeed any other time you feel like it, this cake base is vegan and makes for an excellent layer cake. The glaze is vegan if you use dairy-free chocolate chips. Can be made with water or coffee.
Chocolate Cake Recipe with Extra Virgin 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) Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) water or coffee
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar or white vinegar
Glaze
- 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
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with a fitted round of parchment paper and coat the bottoms and sides with non-stick cooking spray.
- 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 centre 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.
So How Can You Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil As A Substitute For Butter?
Olive oil can replace butter and margarine in almost all baked goods. Here are some Q’s & A’s from Chef Sarah House of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, the Oregon provider of high-quality flours and other natural foods.
How much extra virgin olive oil should I use for a healthy diet?
“I use a 3:4 ratio – 3 parts olive oil is equal to 4 parts butter.” In other words: If a baking recipe calls for a stick of butter (8 tablespoons), for example, use 6 tablespoons of olive oil.
Are there times when I should avoid using extra virgin olive oil in a baking recipe that calls for butter?
Yes. “The only time olive oil is not an acceptable substitute for solid fats is in recipes that require a lot of creaming of the butter and sugar (super light and fluffy cakes), or when the fat needs to stay solid, as in a frosting,” House says.
Can I substitute extra virgin olive oil in a baking recipe that calls for a different oil, like canola or vegetable oils?
Yes! Extra virgin olive oil tastes better than “neutral oils” like canola and vegetable oil. “Any dessert that’s already made with some kind of vegetable oil is a candidate for trying,” award-winning cookbook author and dessert chef Alice Medrich says.
We’ve found you can substitute olive oil for other oils on a one-for-one basis. If a recipe, say, calls for half a cup of vegetable oil, use the same amount of extra virgin olive oil. We’ve done this with carrot cake, pound cake, and chocolate cake.
Can I use any type of olive oil in baking?
Not if you want to improve the flavour of your baked good. Use a quality olive oil that tastes good. “Only use an olive oil that you enjoy eating on salads, as a bread dip etc.,” Matthew Kadey, a registered dietitian, recipe developer, and magazine writer whose work has appeared in EatingWell and Men’s Health, says. “If you don’t particularly like the taste of a highly processed olive oil, why sully your baking with it. As the old saying goes: ‘Never cook with a wine you wouldn’t want to drink.’”
