My Chocolate Season: Chocolate-Olive Oil Cake

                                   Happy National Chocolate Day on the 28th! 

When was the last time you swooned over every bite of a dessert? Or exuberantly swore because it tasted...so...unbelievably...amazing. That's how this dessert is for me.

​But make no mistake: I am absolutely certain the quality of extra virgin olive oil I used made all the difference!  Named after the olive from which it's made,  mine was made from a flavorful, fruity, Italian Peranzana olive varietal.  So my first V.O.E. for this post is be sure to use the very best quality of oil you can find.​

When I first looked at this recipe, I wondered if I could substitute pastry flour for the almond flour. Nope-not an option because almond flour lacks gluten. ​

V.O.E.s - I bought some fine Himalayan sea salt for baking, instead of grinding it, for better texture. We have long favored Himalayan salt for its appearance and mineral-rich content.
But I did not add cayenne to the batter, preferring a sprinkle of this flavor, cinnamon, or ground bittersweet atop that dollop of whipped cream, instead. Nor did I add flaky sea salt on top as we're not big on salt+chocolate combos in our house.
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V.O.E.s - If you've read this blog in the last several years, you will recognize the little tool on the right above. It's an egg separator that has served me well for many years. And the parchment paper above? I specifically chose an unbleached version. Then, since my baking pan was nothing to look at, I used the parchment to help me place the finished cake on a serving piece, instead. 

Top image: Adding melted chocolate and olive oil to egg yolks and sugar.
Bottom image: Adding egg whites to the above mixture.
V.O.E. - I quickly decided to use a spatula rather than a spoon, to maximize the quality of the egg whites as they were incorporated.