This vegan chocolate olive oil cake is ultra-moist, super-rich, and intensely flavorful. Topped with a silky layer of chocolate ganache, it's an impressive, decadent dessert that's surprisingly simple to make — you don't even need an electric mixer!
A few years ago I shared my recipe for vegan orange olive oil cake. I LOVE that one, and so do readers. It’s incredibly moist, packed with flavor, and one of the easiest desserts you can throw together. But I’m a big-time chocolate lover — I just can't get enough of my classic vegan chocolate cake. So I started wondering… what if I made a chocolate olive oil cake? I had a feeling it would be my new favorite. Spoiler: I was right.
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This vegan chocolate olive oil cake is just as simple as the original, but richer and deeply chocolatey. It’s an elegant single-layer deal that you could absolutely serve plain — but I can never resist the chance to add even more chocolate, so I finished it with a silky topping that I adapted from my vegan chocolate ganache recipe.
It’s the kind of dessert that feels special, but is easy enough to make on a whim. You might even have all the ingredients on hand, making it perfect for a last-minute treat that will impress the pants off anyone you serve it to.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Flour. I've only tested the recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, so can't promise good results with any other varieties.
- Cocoa powder. Make sure it's unsweetened, and preferably use natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed) for best results. I used Ghirardelli 100% cocoa powder.
- Sugar. We're using organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan, since conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Baking powder.
- Baking soda.
- Cinnamon. You won't notice this, but it will enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Salt.
- Non-dairy milk. Use an unflavored and unsweetened variety that's suitable for drinking, like soy, oat, or almond. My guide to dairy-free milk can help you choose one if you're lost.
- Olive oil. Use a mild extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. Avoid very strong or peppery oils, which can overpower the cake.
- Apple cider vinegar. Need an alternative? Read my guide to apple cider vinegar substitutes.
- Vanilla extract.
- Instant espresso powder. This is optional, but will really intensify the rich, chocolate flavor without actually making the cake taste like coffee. I like to use decaffeinated powder, but I'm a total lightweight.
- Vegan chocolate chips. You can use any brand or variety, dark, semisweet, or "milk" chocolate style. I like using mini chips because they melt quicker.
- Coconut milk. Stick with the canned, full-fat stuff for the richest, smoothest ganache topping.
- Vegan butter. Most grocery stores carry this in the refrigerated case, near the regular butter.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Get ready. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Prepare the pan. Grease it, then dust it with cocoa. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, then grease that and dust it with cocoa. We don't want anything sticking!
Step 3: Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together your flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set the mixture aside for a moment.
Tip: The trickiest part about making this cake is releasing it from the pan, because it is so delicate! So make sure not to cut any corners when preparing the pan.
Step 4: Combine wet ingredients. Stir the non-dairy milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and espresso powder together.
Step 5: Mix the batter. Add the wet mixture to the dry, then stir everything together by hand. You want the batter relatively smooth, but a few little lumps are fine.
Steps 6-8: Pour, bake, and cool. Pour the batter into the pan, then pop it into the oven for about 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack when it's done.
Steps 9-11: Make the topping. Start by placing your chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat the coconut milk to a simmer, then pour it over the chips. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften the chips, then stir everything together and add the vegan butter.
Steps 12 & 13: Unmold and top. Loosen the cake from the pan with a butter knife. Take time with this step, as the cake is delicate. Invert it onto a plate and spread the topping all over it. Let it sit until the topping sets.
Tip: Chilling this cake isn't required, but highly recommended. It will keep the topping firm, make it easier to slice, and it just tastes great cold (with a big glass of almond milk, OMG).
Step 14: Serve. Your vegan chocolate olive oil cake is ready to enjoy! Slice it up and try not to eat the whole cake at once.
Variations
- Topping alternatives. Instead of the ganache, top the cake with a sprinkle of organic powdered sugar, vegan cream cheese frosting, vegan vanilla buttercream frosting, or vegan chocolate frosting.
- Make it a layer cake. Double the recipe and make two cakes, then frost and fill them with the ganache or any of the frostings I just mentioned. If filling with ganache, you'll want to chill the first layer until it sets before stacking on the second layer.
- Add spices. Use extra cinnamon, and consider adding additional spices like ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Add citrus. Stir a teaspoon or two of orange zest in with the wet ingredients for a bright, citrusy flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven't tried making a gluten-free version, so I can't say for sure. I think an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend would be your best bet if you'd like to give it a try.
Olive oil makes for a super moist cake with a very tender crumb. It also adds a mild, slightly fruity flavor that works really well with chocolate.
Sure! It obviously won't be an olive oil cake, and the flavor will be a bit different, but it will work. I recommend sticking with oils that are liquid at room temperature, such as corn, avocado, and vegetable.
Your vegan chocolate olive oil cake will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for one to two days, in the fridge for about five days, or in the freezer for up to three months.
More Vegan Chocolate Cakes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pan
- 1 cup organic granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional but highly recommended)
For the Ganache Topping
- ⅔ cup vegan chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, softened
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a round 9-inch cake pan, then dust them with cocoa powder. Line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the parchment paper, then dust it with cocoa powder (Note 1).
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small container such as a liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and espresso powder.
- Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture, then stir to combine. Make sure the dry ingredients are fully saturated and the batter is mostly smooth, but don't overmix — a few lumps are fine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Place the cake on a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
- While the cake cools, make the topping. Place the chocolate chips into a medium bowl.
- Heat the coconut milk either in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove until it just barely comes to a simmer, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir the mixture until the chips melt completely (Note 2). Stir in the vegan butter until it melts into the mixture.
- Once the cake has cooled, run a knife along the edges to loosen it, then invert the cake onto a plate (Note 3). Remove the parchment paper and spread the topping over the cake, taking it to the very edge so a bit drips down the sides, if you'd like.
- Allow the ganache to set, optionally placing the cake in the fridge (recommended).
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- Don't skip any steps here. This cake is delicate, so we want to make removal from the pan as easy as possible.
- If you find the chips are struggling to melt, you can microwave the mixture very briefly — 5 to 10 seconds. Don't heat it for longer or the chocolate could seize (become clumpy).
- This cake can be challenging to remove from the pan, because it is so tender. Be patient and keep working the knife around the cake, very gently prying the cake out of the pan by lodging the knife just under it if needed.
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