Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

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This one-bowl, no-mixer-needed chocolate cake has a secret up its sleeve: extra-virgin olive oil. Yes, the same oil used in vinaigrettes. An unexpected complement to dark chocolate, it lends the cake—and the ganache-like frosting—a floral complexity and grassy pepperiness. And used in place of butter, olive oil ensures that the cake crumb will stay plush and moist for several days. See if your friends can guess the ingredient on their own. Finishing with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt tames the sweetness, and ranks as one of the easiest decorations ever. It’s simple and worthy of a celebration at the same time. To amp up the chocolate flavor even more, add 1 tsp. instant espresso powder to the ¾ cup water in Step 1, stirring to dissolve completely. And make sure you use a high-quality cocoa powder—our test kitchen’s favorite is Guittard Cocoa Rouge.