Why is Using Olive Oil with Chocolate a Match Made in Heaven?

You know that olive oil is a warmly welcomed ingredient in the preparation and seasoning of different food, but have you ever ventured to include it in decadent desserts?

Aside coconut oil, extra virgin olive is an ideal substitute to butter, and perfect to enchant even the sweetest tooth. In just 1 cup of butter, you may replace ¾ a cup of olive oil, which equals an experience even the greatest foodies will never forget.  When this golden ‘star’ ingredient is in charge, count on lowering the content of bad fats, cholesterol, and sodium, which are perpetual guests in butter cakes. Health benefits are just a bonus to an altogether indulgent gourmet journey we all deserve. Do not dwell on skipping butter while adding extra virgin olive oil. With a simple drizzle, it will elevate your recipes for cakes to the master chef heights, especially the ones containing fruit or nuts.  Word of advice worth taking ahead of the winter season. Olive oil is often found in cakes boasting only a few ingredients, because its powerful presence results in an explosion of tastes. Similarly, old Italian cookbooks are packed with traditional tips, making sweets the essence of the Mediterranean as we know it – almonds, citrus, olive oil… Golden ingredients for a desert bound to win over toughest of critics. 

For you especially, we have selected something extraordinary- a juicy chocolate olive oil cake with ground almonds. Simple flavors combined into a scrumptious and impressive delicacy that you may prepare very quickly. The pleasure will be invaluable! An indulgent fusion of just a few ingredients – dark chocolate, cocoa, eggs, sugar, extra virgin olive oil and almonds, will delight even the greatest  gourmets. 

Ingredients:

200 g of dark chocolate, with at least 70 percent cocoa

125 ml of extra virgin olive oil

200 g of sugar

5 eggs

2 tablespoons ground almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease a 20 cm diameter cake tin with extra virgin olive oil, melt the chocolate and immediately pour in the extra virgin olive oil and mix quickly and add 2/3 of the sugar and stir until the sugar melts. Remove from the steam and add almonds, a little salt and egg yolks, and mix everything well.  Mix the egg whites with 1/3 of the sugar and mix them until they are frothy; add another third of the sugar and mix again and finally add the remaining sugar and mix until a very solid snow is formed. Pour half of the melted chocolate and almonds into the snow and mix gently and then add the remaining chocolate. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold and bake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven – until the toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

If you are known as the Grinch, and already cannot wait for sultry sunny days, why not trying a refreshment that fits every season? Combination of vanilla ice cream topped with extra virgin olive oil with crushed nuts crumbled on top! Bound to set the perfect scene for the tastiest occasion. 

Bon Appetit!