Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake Recipe

Prepare

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. Sift together flour and cocoa into a bowl; whisk in baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set dry mix aside.

Combine wet ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and eggs until combined. Add olive oil, buttermilk, vanilla and hot coffee/espresso; whisk until smooth. Stir in chopped dark chocolate (the hot liquid will melt some pieces) so batter is glossy.

Mix batter

Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture in two additions, mixing just until combined and no streaks of flour remain. If batter seems thick, add up to 2 tablespoons extra hot water or milk.

Bake

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 30–35 minutes until cake springs back when gently pressed and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

Infuse

In a saucepan, combine whole milk and heavy cream. Warm to just below simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat, add Earl Grey tea leaves or tea bags, cover and steep 10–12 minutes for a strong infusion. Strain, pressing lightly on leaves/bags, and return infused milk to pan.

Temper and cook

In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar until pale. Slowly whisk about 1/3 cup of the hot infused milk into yolks to temper. Return tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (about 170–175°F / 77–80°C).

Finish

Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to ensure smoothness. Chill thoroughly before serving or keeping warm for plating (if serving warm, hold at low temperature).

Make custard base

In a saucepan, combine whole milk, heavy cream and honey. Warm until honey dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Temper yolks by whisking in about 1/3 cup of hot milk mixture, then return yolks to the saucepan.

Cook to nappe

Cook gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C). Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and sea salt. Taste and adjust salt/honey balance—aim for a noticeable salty counterpoint to the honey.

Chill and churn

Strain custard into a bowl, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled (at least 4 hours or overnight). Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions until soft-set. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours to firm.

Prepare pan

Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly grease it. Have baking soda measured and ready (it reacts quickly).

Cook sugar syrup

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, honey, and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and let syrup come to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, cook without stirring until it reaches 300°F (149°C) — hard-crack stage. Watch closely to avoid burning.

Add baking soda

Remove pan from heat immediately. Quickly whisk in the baking soda — the mixture will foam vigorously and become aerated. Immediately pour the foamy honeycomb onto the prepared baking sheet and spread slightly; do not press. Allow to cool and harden completely (about 20 minutes). Break into shards before serving.

Blanch peels

Place orange peels in a small pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, drain, and repeat one more time to remove bitterness. This two-step blanching helps mellow the pith.

Candy peels

Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar in the same pot, bring to a simmer to dissolve sugar. Add blanched peels and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes until peels become translucent and syrup slightly thickens. Remove peels with tongs to a rack set over parchment to dry and cool. Reserve any syrup for drizzling (optional).

Slice the cooled chocolate olive oil cake into wedges. Spoon a pool of chilled or slightly warm J'enwey Earl Grey anglaise on each plate.

Place a cake wedge atop the anglaise. Add a scoop of salted honey ice cream beside the cake.

Garnish with a shard or two of honeycomb candy and a few pieces of candied citrus. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil over the cake wedge and sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt to enhance chocolate flavor. Finish with cocoa nibs or shaved dark chocolate for texture.

Serve immediately so ice cream doesn't melt; any leftover components (ice cream, candy, candied peel) can be stored separately—honeycomb in an airtight container, candied peel refrigerated up to 1 week, ice cream frozen.