Chocolate Olive Oil Cake 🎂

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and olive oil.  Using a whisk, whisk the mixture together, aggressively for 2-3 minutes. You can also use a hand beater, do this for 1 minute.

In a separate large mixing bowl, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined using a wooden spoon or spatula.

Once combined, add the boiling water and stir again just till combined.

Transfer the cake to the lined baking tin and cook for 30-32 minutes.

Once cooked, let cool for 5 minutes, then carefully use a sharp knife to cut around the edges of the tin and then remove from the tin to a cooling rack to fully cool.

Once the cake is fully cooled, make the cream cheese icing.

Melt the chocolate in a water bath on the stove top, stirring fairly constantly until melted OR in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat and add to a medium mixing bowl. Let sit for a few minutes until lukewarm.

To the bowl with the chocolate, add the room temperature cream cheese and Use a large whisk and whisk by hand OR hand mixer with whisk attachment to whip on low speed for 1 minute to combine. Then, add the icing sugar and whisk again until fully combined.

Tips -

If the icing doesn’t seem thick enough, place in the fridge for 5-15 minutes and then check the texture. If you find the fridge doesn’t work, add 1 tbsp cocoa powder at a time and whip until the desired consistency is reached.

If the icing is too thick, add 1 tbsp of milk at a time, whisking after each addition until the desired consistency is reached.

Frost just the top of the cake with the cream cheese icing and then top with the strawberries. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.