A small batch chocolate cake recipe great for when you want something that’ll feed just a few. Chocolate olive oil cake baked up right in a loaf pan, cut, and layered with whipped milk chocolate ganache and homemade chocolate buttercream, perfect for the chocolate lover in your life.
Equipment
- Pot
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Spatulas
- Parchment Paper
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowls
- 9” x 5” Loaf Pan
- Mixer
Ingredients
WHIPPED GANACHE
- ¾ cup chopped milk chocolate
- ¾ cup heavy cream
CAKE
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps powdered sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup hot water
FROSTING
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 6 tbsps cocoa powder sifted
- 6 tbsps semi-sweet chocolate
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
WHIPPED GANACHE
- Place the chopped milk chocolate in the bottom of a heatproof bowl
- Add your cream to a small pot and heat over medium-low on the stove until steaming and you start to see just a few tiny bubbles around the edge (not boiling!). Don’t let it get too hot or it will burn your chocolate!
- Pour the warm cream over your chocolate and cover your bowl for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth, cover the surface with parchment paper, cool at room temp for 10 minutes, then place in the fridge to cool completely
- Once completely cold, use a mixer to whip until fluffy and thick enough to hold its shape
CAKE
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper
- In a bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugars to get rid of any clumps. Then mix in the olive oil, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract
- Sift your dry ingredients into the bowl with your wet and mix until just combined before gently mixing in the hot water
- Pour your batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 21-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely
FROSTING
- Add your softened butter to a large mixing bowl and beat for a few seconds to smooth out
- Add the salt and sift in your powdered sugar and cocoa powder, mixing until combined
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add your semi-sweet chocolate, then heat it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds, until melted
- With your mixer on, pour your melted chocolate into your frosting and beat until combined
- Finally, add in your milk, mixing just until smooth
ASSEMBLY
- Use a serrated knife to cut the cooled cake in half vertically, giving you two rectangles. Then cut each rectangle in half horizontally, so you now have four thin squares. Place one layer on your cake plate, then spread a third of your whipped ganache over the top. Repeat with the remaining cake layers and ganache, ending with a cake layer on top
- Cover your cake and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up your ganache
- Once chilled, decorate as desired with the chocolate frosting!
Notes
*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, make your own by adding ¾ teaspoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup and filling it to the ¼ cup line with milk. Leave to sit for 5 minutes before mixing in as directed!
*Depending on how you decide to frost it, you may have some leftover frosting. You can store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months! I love freezing extra frosting in small servings to enjoy on top of single-serve desserts like this chocolate mug cake or this single-serve funfetti cake!
