This easy chocolate olive oil cake recipe with lemon zest and crystallized ginger is such an amazing dessert! The cake is so moist and tender, with deep chocolate flavor and a bright complexity from the ginger and lemon. And read on for a tip to make this chocolate olive oil cake vegan!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8- or 9-inch cake pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper.
Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula, pressing to bring out the lemon oils.
1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, ginger, and salt, whisking after each addition.
1¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon salt
Stir in chopped ginger to coat with dry ingredients.
3 tablespoon crystallized ginger
Add olive oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, whisking gently between each addition.
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 large eggs, ½ cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pour in boiling water and fold to combine completely. Batter will be very liquidy.
½ cup boiling water
Pour batter into your prepared cake pan and bake in preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (see note)
Let cake cool 20 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar, if desired.
powdered sugar
Video
Notes
Baking time for different size pan: You can make this chocolate olive oil cake in either an 8- or 9-inch cake pan, but if you use a 9-inch pan it will cook a bit faster. I found 35 minutes to be perfect for an 8-inch pan, but if you're using a 9-inch pan, I would check the cake after 27 or 28 minutes.