Although I first came up with this recipe because I had someone coming for supper who - genuinely - couldn't eat wheat or dairy, it is so meltingly good, I now make it all the time for those whose life and diet are not so unfairly constrained, myself included.

It is slightly heavier with the almonds - though not in a bad way - so if you want a lighter crumb, rather than a squidgy interior, and are not making the cake for the gluten-intolerant, then replace the 150g ground almonds with 125g plain flour. This has the built-in bonus of making it perhaps more suitable for an everyday cake.

Made with the almonds, it has more of supper-party pudding feel about it and I love it still a bit warm, with some raspberries or some such on the side, as well as a dollop of mascarpone or ice cream.

  * 5.27 fl oz / 150 ML regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
  * 2 oz cocoa powder (good quality, sifted)
  * 4.39 fl oz 125 ML  boiling water
  * 2 teaspoon(s) best vanilla extract
  * 5 oz ground almond(s) (or 125g plain flour)
  * ½ teaspoon(s) bicarbonate of soda
  * 7 oz caster sugar
  * 3 egg(s)
  * 1 22- or 23-cm springform cake tin


  - Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease your springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.
  - Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
  - In another smallish bowl, combine the ground almonds (or flour) with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.
  - Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
  - Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond (or flour) mixture.
  - Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
  - Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.



source: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/CHOCOLATE-OLIVE-OIL-CAKE-5551

tags: can be low-carbish