Crazy Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Crazy Chocolate Olive Oil Cake. Use one bowl or just mix it up right in the baking pan. Vegan friendly on it's own or add ganache for real treat!

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa I used Double Dutch Dark Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional, see note
2 Tablespoons vinegar I used apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup olive oil
2 cups cold water
For the ganache:
3 Tablespoons corn syrup
6 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13" x 9" lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and espresso powder, if using.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, vanilla, olive oil and water. (I used a 4 cup liquid measuring cup and measured the water and oil in it, then added the vanilla and vinegar.)
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Set aside to cool.
Make ganache. In a small saucepan, combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
Pour ganache over cake and spread evenly.

Recipe Notes

*If you want to make the cake completely in your baking pan, whisk all of the dry ingredients together in the pan. Make three holes and place vanilla, vinegar and oil individually into each hole. Pour water over all, then mix until fully combined. Bake as per directions in recipe.

*For nice clean cuts once the ganache sets, place your cutting knife in a tall mug of very hot water for a minute to heat up. Wipe it dry and proceed to cut, reheating the knife in the hot water as necessary.

*Store cake covered at room temperature. For longer storage, you can wrap cake slices individually in waxed paper and freeze in plastic freezer bags.

*You can use regular unsweetened cocoa or dutch processed cocoa in this recipe. The better quality your cocoa, the better your cake will taste. Try different kinds and you'll taste the difference.

*The espresso powder is optional. I only used a 1/2 teaspoon, but you could use a full teaspoon if you're not sensitive to coffee flavor. You could eliminate it, or dissolve some instant coffee in the water part of the recipe. Or, you could use brewed coffee (cold) instead of the water for more coffee flavor.

*Update 2-7-16...One more crazy thing about this recipe.. I thought it tasted better on day 3 than on day 1! My friend also made it and was surprised how the flavors developed after a couple of days. She texted me that she was in disbelief that every day that passed, the cake's flavor improved. Of course, it stays perfectly moist for all that time. Just another great bonus to this super easy cake! Cake recipe adapted from a childhood friend's home economics class.

Ganache from Alton Brown