Moist Italian Chocolate Olive Oil Cake Recipe

If you are looking for a very simple chocolate olive oil cake recipe, this is it. But simple doesn’t mean boring. In fact, this cake will surprise you from the very first bite.

And don’t just take it from me—everyone who has tasted it has said the same thing: it’s simply incredible, moist and chocolaty, yet perfectly balanced.

Made with just eight simple ingredients, it’s quick to prepare and perfect when you want a homemade cake without any fuss.

The olive oil adds a subtle fruitiness that makes the overall flavor lighter and even more delicious.

Now it’s your turn to try it. Let me show you how to make it.

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Why Is This Italian Chocolate Olive Oil Cake Recipe So Good

1. Its simplicity – Italian recipes are known for being simple, yet delicious, and this cake fits that profile perfectly. With just eight simple high quality ingredients you know exactly what’s going in your chocolate cake, which is very important if you value a clean eating approach.

2. Fast recipe – Prepared in just 20 minutes, and baked in one hour, this cake is the perfect recipe to make when you get that quick chocolate dessert craving but don’t want to reach for something processed.

3. Easy recipe – This chocolate olive oil cake recipe doesn’t require a stand mixer or any fancy equipment. I prefer to mix my cakes with a simple electric hand mixer, but you can also make it with a whisk and a wooden spoon. All you need to do is mix the ingredients as you do with any standard cake recipe. I will show you the exact steps to make it even easier.

4. Naturally dairy free – Because we are using olive oil instead of butter, this recipe is naturally dairy free. It needs no milk and you can opt for dark chocolate.

5. Incredibly moist – All olive oil cakes are known to be moist, airy and fluffy, and that’s because olive oil is better at retaining moisture and doesn’t solidify at room temperature, like butter does. However, there’s something about this cake, which makes it incredibly moist. It might be the fact that I don’t use cacao powder, and I also slow bake it.

6. Slow baked – This cake could be ready in just 45 minutes, but I prefer increasing the time to 60 minutes and baking it at a lower temperature to achieve a cake that’s airy and fluffy, as opposed to dry. The key is to bake it on the lower level of your oven.

7. Very chocolatey – A chocolate cake is supposed to be chocolatey, I get that. But this cake takes that to the next level. Again, I think it’s due to the fact that it is not made with cacao powder but melted chocolate and has big chocolate squares scattered throughout the batter.

Having said that, the type of chocolate you use does matter. Look at my tips and variations sections for more details about my results taste testing different chocolate types and quantities.

8. Fruity – While there’s no fruit in this chocolate cake, the high quality extra virgin olive oil adds freshness and vibrant fruity notes to the chocolate cake that balances the chocolate flavor perfectly, almost intensifying it.

9.Sweet but not too sweet – I like to bake my cakes with less sugar than most recipes out there, ranging from 50 gr to 150 gr sugar. While this cake is on the higher end of that range, you can easily reduce the sugar or replace it with a more natural alternative, including honey. I like to use coconut sugar.

10. Caramel and nutty notes – While there are no caramel nor nuts in this chocolate olive oil cake recipe, the coconut sugar imparts those notes. This is why I love baking with this type of sugar because it’s more natural than brown sugar yet it has a similar taste, and a little goes a long way.

If you don’t like caramel, don’t worry, you won’t taste it, because we are using a relatively small quantity and the chocolate overpowers it. However, feel free to replace this with another sugar – like white sugar (1 to 1 ratio), agave, maple syrup or honey (use 75% less than coconut sugar because agave, maple syrup, and honey are sweeter).

Ingredients For Italian Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Now that you know the type of chocolate cake you are going to get, let me share the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make it.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This is the key ingredient that makes this cake different from any other chocolate cake. Because it’s our main liquid component, its taste matters a lot. You don’t want to use cheap low quality vegetable oil. I only cook and bake with extra virgin olive oil, and so do most Italians. The taste difference is evident. When your oil smells and tastes fruity, and slightly tickles your throat, you know it’s good.

The reason is that a cold pressed Italian extra virgin olive oil is pure, naturally processed without heat and chemicals, which help preserve both the taste and nutrients of the olives. Unlike olive oil, it’s not mixed with cheaper, less healthy oils.

Using an Italian extra virgin olive oil also makes this recipe feel more Italian.

Chocolate – Most chocolate cakes use cacao or cocoa powder. I prefer using a chocolate bar for two reasons – first, I find that because it adds to the liquid component of the cake, it makes it more moist; the second is that cacao powder is naturally bitter, which means you need to add more sugar to counteract that. 

By choosing the sweetness level of your chocolate bar – dark (50% to 100%) vs milk chocolate (10% to 50%), you choose the sweetness of your chocolate cake, and you don’t need to add any extra sugar than the base quantity.

I also like the fact that I can use just one type of chocolate for both the overall batter, the chunks, and any frosting or ganache I choose to make.

Eggs – Unless you are intolerant or allergic, I suggest using eggs to bake this cake. The result is definitely better. Having said that, if you are, you might want to consider using aquafaba to make your flax egg. Instead of regular water, you’ll be using aquafaba water. 

Coconut Sugar – I already explained I like to use coconut sugar for most of my bakes because it’s a healthier option than brown sugar, and it imparts recipes with nutty caramel tones. Feel free to replace it with white or brown sugar, for a 1:1 ratio.

Something to keep in mind when using sugar is your dark chocolate percentage. The amount I use in this recipe is perfect for a milk to semi dark chocolate. But if you use a darker chocolate because that’s all you have, you might want to increase the sugar by 4 teaspoons for dark chocolate and 6 to 8 teaspoons for completely unsweetened chocolate.

Flour 00 – I always use 00 flour to bake my cakes because it has the right amount of protein to let the cake rise while keeping it soft and airy. Barilla and most other 00 flours have around 11 grams of protein, which is the perfect amount for cakes. 

However, I plan to test the same cakes with a slightly weaker protein quantity (9 gr protein per 100 gr of flour), and see whether it leads to an even softer result. When I do, I will update this recipe to let you know.

You can sign up to my newsletter – Buona Settimana, if you want to be updated about this test, as well as be the first to know about new recipes that I make. I also share simpler weekly recipes right in my emails.

Paneangeli baking mix – This is the other ingredient that makes this recipe feel more Italian. Most Italians use this or another brand to make their desserts. It’s not just because this mix is already packaged to be the perfect quantity for one cake, but it’s also because it has added vanilla essence that makes any bake even more delicious. My grandma used it, so did my mum, and I have always done the same. If you’d like to try it too, I have linked it for you so you can buy it online. 

Don’t worry, I will provide an alternative for those who prefer using baking powder and soda.

Salt – A pinch of salt makes everything better – it balances flavors, enhances the texture, and helps with the rise. Moreover, chocolate and salt is a match made in heaven. So, you might even want to sprinkle a little on top of your chocolate frosting, if you choose to make it.

Powdered sugar – I usually finish my chocolate olive oil cakes with powdered sugar, and this is very common in Italian baking for all types of cakes. However,  for the sake of this recipe I am finishing the cake with a chocolate glaze.

Exact Quantities for one chocolate cake (20 cm loaf cake size)

• 100 ml Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I am linking the same one I use)
• 200 gr milk chocolate (I like to use this Lindt milk chocolate for extra indulgence)
• 3 eggs
• 150 coconut sugar or brown or white
• 200 gr flour (Barilla) (or Caputo)
• 1 sachet Paneangeli baking mix (or 2 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp baking soda)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar for finishing

If you prefer to finish your cake with a chocolate glaze or drizzle, here are the ingredients:

• 100 gr milk chocolate (I use the same Lindt chocolate above)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 3 tablespoons butter or 45 gr

Equipment Needed

• 2 large bowls
• 1 electric handheld mixer (I use a Kenwood one similar to this I have had for a very long time)
• 1 spatula
• A few tablespoons
• A knife
• 1 baking dish
• baking paper
• 1 poking stick

How To Make An Extra Moist Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

I already told you this recipe is really simple. Let me show you.

These are the steps you need to take to make it.

Start by melting one of your chocolate bars (100 gr) using the double boil method. Once melted, set it aside.

Crack the eggs in one of your bowls.

Add the coconut sugar (or brown or white).

Use your electric hand mixer or spatula to mix the two ingredients.

Then add the olive oil in two parts, mixing after each half.

You can now add the melted chocolate you set aside and continue mixing with the hand mixer or your spatula. The hand mixer will yield a smoother finish with less effort and also more quickly.

Mix the dry ingredients into your second bowl – the flour, the baking mix and the pinch of salt. You can sift the flour to aerate it and achieve an even lighter texture. I don’t usually do it. Make sure you’ve mixed all the dry ingredients well, so that the baking mix is equally spread.

You can turn your oven on to heat up while you finish the cake.

Now, add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients you have already mixed, but do it in 3 parts. After each part, you want to mix with your electric hand mixer or your spatula.

Grease your baking dish, or layer it with some parchment paper.

You can pour your batter into the cake dish.

Take 50 to 100 gr chocolate and cut it into squares with your hands. If using a chocolate bar, you can use the squares as they are portioned.

Add the chocolate squares into the cake batter; you can even use a knife or a fork to dip them.

Bake in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius or 320 fahrenheit for 50 minutes to one hour. I suggest you bake your cake on the lowest level. I have a Bosch oven and I am using the 4D setting, but you can use your regular oven setting.

Once the hour has passed, open the oven and check your cake with a poking stick to see if it’s done. If it is, the stick will come clean. I usually poke the cake in three different areas.

If your cake is ready, which it should be, take it out of the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes, on a wire rack or a flat surface. Removing it from the baking dish helps it cool faster.

If you have chosen to finish your cake with powdered sugar, you can dust it now.

If you prefer a glaze or a drizzle, I am sharing how I made mine below.

How to make the simple chocolate drizzle:

To make the glaze you’ll need to use the double boiler method, where you put a bowl with your ingredients over a boiling pot of water. The pot must be on the hob with the heat on as you melt and mix the ingredients in the bowl above it.

Once you have that set up, simply add the chopped chocolate bar, the milk and the butter to the bowl, and mix with a spatula until everything melts and blends together.

Once that happens, replace your spatula with a small whisk and continue mixing for a few minutes. 

You can now pour or drizzle it on top of your cake.

Frosting, Variations & Storage

The best part of this chocolate cake recipe is that it is very flexible. It can take you from pound cake to birthday cake, with just a few extra steps.

How to decorate and serve your chocolate olive oil cake

If you’d like to turn this into a Matilda-style chocolate cake, simply make a fudgy chocolate frosting, cut the cake in half or make smaller cake layers, and add the frosting in between the layers and on top.

Another option is to use this chocolate olive oil cake recipe as the base for a Sacher torte style cake. While Sacher torte is Austrian, Italians share the same love for apricot jam. This cake would be delicious layered with apricot jam and frosted with melted dark chocolate.

My favorite way to enjoy this cake is as a breakfast or tea cake, simply dusted with icing sugar, similar to the popular Italian tenerina chocolate cake.

You can also serve this cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some amarena cherry coulis drizzled on top. That makes it a great dessert.

You can also do the same with a caramel drizzle, custard, and whipped cream.

Variations

Vegan – while this chocolate is already dairy free, you could omit the eggs to make it vegan. The consistency would be less airy and fluffy, because eggs impart that texture to cakes and bakes. Instead of the eggs, you could do a flax egg – 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons room temperature water.

Gluten free – I have tried baking similar cakes with gluten free flour, and while the taste is as delicious, the texture is a little drier and less fluffy. For a gluten free variation, I suggest replacing the exact quantity of 00 flour with an all purpose gluten free option.

Chocolate type – Switching the milk chocolate for dark or white chocolate also gives you a completely different taste, which is a great option if you want to try different pairings. For example, dark chocolate and orange work great together; and so do white chocolate and berries. You could also mix different types of chocolate together – milk chocolate chips with dark chocolate frosting, or vice versa.

Fruit – In order, not to alter the recipe, you could use a marmalade and a berry jam for spreading. But if you decide to add the fruit in the cake (in the form of orange juice or mixed berries), just consider reducing some of the olive oil, since fruit ultimately adds to the liquid component of this recipe.

Muffins – Feel free to also try this recipe in the shape of muffins or even donuts and madeleines. As I already mentioned, you could also use this recipe for your cake layers, as long as you use the right size mold.

Storage

This cake belongs to my collection of Italian breakfast cakes, as I like to call them. They are essentially pound cakes made with extra virgin olive oil, perfect to be enjoyed in the morning or an afternoon tea treat. However, by simply adding a layer and a frosting, you can quickly turn them into special occasion desserts and even birthday cakes.

Either way, this cake stores beautifully. I personally love to store it over the counter, covered with a paper napkin and a tea towel. You can also store it inside a bag or a cake storage container. Just make sure to consume it within a few days to avoid any moisture buildup that might spoil it. Because this cake is extra moist that can happen. 

If you plan on eating this cake less quickly, you may want to store it in the fridge, and then heating up a slice in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Please, keep in mind that this will slightly dry the cake, so unless it’s really hot you don’t need to do it.

As for freezing, you can definitely do so, but expect a slight change in texture whenever you take it out. The cake might result less fluffy and airy, and might not hold its shape as well after being reheated. To retain its delicious taste, I wouldn’t freeze it for longer than a month.

More Italian Dessert Recipes

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Want to bake more Italian desserts? Try these other ones:

My Healthy Italian Banana Bread With Olive Oil
Pumpkin Banana Bread With Amaretti Streusel & Healthy Frosting
Southern Italian Chocolate Cookies

I also suggest trying this Incredible Bread Recipe (soft and fluffy – makes loaves and rolls, but also focaccia, pizza and another very special treat.. If you are curious come ask about it inside my newsletter).

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