Olive Oil Chocolate Almond Cake

I'm all for healthier recipes that do not use any butter and was naturally drawn to this Nigella recipe which uses heart healthy olive oil. 

The recipe gives a choice of regular plain flour or a gluten free version using almond meal. I always have a bag of almond meal in my refrigerator so I used that although I read that the texture may be denser. However, that is certainly more nutritious and I don't mind it not as fluffy. 

The cake turned out to be so delicious - a pudding-like texture that tastes almost feather-like once you bite into it. It almost melts in the mouth and I ate up two pieces immediately after unearthing it from the cake tin. It's one of those almost guilt-free recipes I'd love to make again. 

Olive Oil Chocolate Cake (9 inch)

A Nigella recipe

Ingredients

• 150 ml regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
• 50 grams good-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
• 125 ml boiling water
• 2 teaspoons best vanilla extract
• 150 grams ground almonds (or 125g plain flour / 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour)
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• 200 grams caster sugar (I reduced by 20%)
• 3 large eggs

Method

• Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3/325ºF. Grease a 22 or 23 cm/ 9inch springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.
• Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
• In another smallish bowl, combine the ground almonds (or flour) with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.
• Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
• Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond (or flour) mixture.
• Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
• Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Anuja from Simple Baking. 

I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event organized by Bake for Happy Kids,my little favourite DIY and hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out.