One Bowl Olive Oil Chocolate Cake

I talk about this cake a lot... it's my HG.. my favorite cake.. my... "I've tried so many other chocolate cake recipes and nothing beats it... " type of recipe... it's that good.. probably because it's SO simple and takes no time to prepare. I've made this cake well over 20 times in the past few years... if I'm celebrating something.. I make it.. after having a cruddy day.. I make it... just need something to do.. I make THIS cake. I am in love with it.

So, just to cut to the chase, I'm going to repost the recipe for easy access for me... plus I remembered something.. when I was living in LA, and starting this whole baking obsession, I realized that my cakes tasted differently than it does here. I mean ... recently when I made it ...things went wrong... leading to cakes dumped into the trash... I'd forget to add the amount of flour.. or not mix it well enough... but.. yea.. something was totally different.. the texture was off... I definitely enjoyed the texture of the cakes I made in LA a lot more.... then I thought back.. what made it different?... Oil. Yep.. that's all I could think of... it was the oil. My subletters left me a nice "cheap" bottle of olive oil, and well since it was free and I was also moving soon, I used it for everything.... including cakes. The cheaper the olive oil the better (I always reserve the more expensive ones for dipping breads) you don't taste the olive flavor if you use the generic stuff, but it makes a worlds of difference in the cake. The cake is amazingly moist, has a great texture for holding frosting and decorations... I just can't say enough about this cake.. but just... to make it and see for yourself. Everything is mixed in one bowl, so clean up is a breeze, and there's no need to cream butter either!

One Bowl Olive Oil Chocolate Cake

Adapted from the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa container

Makes 12 cupcakes (1/4 cup of batter each) or 2 6 inch round cakes

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup + 2 heaping tbsp cocoa powder ( I use Hershey's Special Dark.. got it on Amazon in bulk!)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp fine salt

1 tsp good vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup OLIVE oil (the cheaper the better!)

1 egg 

1/2 cup boiling water 

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees

2. Mix everything except the 1/2 cup boiling water, in a large bowl, place in stand mixer and mix for TWO minutes ( time it!) on medium speed, scrap bowl if necessary. 

3. Turn off mixed, and pour in boiling water, stir with large wooden spoon. Pour into prepared pans or cupcake tins, bake : 20 mins for cupcakes 10-12 minutes for mini cupcakes, 23 minutes for 6 inch cakes ( oven times may vary, always check with cake tester first!) 

I frosted these cakes with a sour cream chocolate frosting, melted bittersweet chocolate with a bit of butter, whipped it up with sour cream and powdered sugar... there isn't really a recipe, I just adjusted to taste.