Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Djuna

28 Apr 2020

Dear mang’Oh family,

We have a sweet offering from our teacher Djuna today, please enjoy:

Many of you have heard me share stories about my grandmother. A few weeks ago before class, I shared what I hold to be the most important nugget of wisdom she left me with – chocolate is good for the soul. This was a woman who survived two world wars, the Great Depression, and the Holocaust – she knew what she was talking about. (Maybe don’t put her theory that ice cream has no calories because it melts in your mouth to test.)

A little known fact about me, I love to bake. I find it very meditative and calming. I want to share with you one of my go-to chocolate cake recipes. It is super simple and you likely have all the ingredients already.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients:

·      3 cups all purpose flour
·      2 cups white sugar
·      1 teaspoon salt
·      2 teaspoons baking soda
·      ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
·      ¾ cup olive oil (if you have flavored lemon, orange, and lavender are great options)
·      2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
·      2 teaspoons vanilla extract
·      2 cups cold water

Directions:

1.     Pre-heat oven to 350° F (175° C)

2.     Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl

3.     Add wet ingredients to bowl and mix well

4.     Pour batter into an ungreased 9×13 cake pan (a 9-inch brownie pan works well too)

5.     Bake 30-40 minutes (until a tooth pick inserted at the center comes out clean)

I personally enjoy this cake without icing, but feel free top with icing or ganache. 

Enjoy! And remember, it’s good for the soul.

Love,
Djuna