This past weekend, we played host to a pool day as well as a birthday party for a friend on our rooftop.  I attempted to make a Lime and Poppyseed Cake on Friday but that turned out to be a disaster. As usual, being the very determined host that I am and because I promised a cake, I tried baking another one but not the same kind.  Instead, I found an amazingly divine recipe! I call it the Chocolate Cake Divine!

The Ingredients

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature

2/3 cup olive oil

1-1/3 cups sugar

Icing sugar for dusting

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 170˚C. Generously oil an 8″ x 2″ round cake pan with olive oil and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Then, oil the paper and dust it lightly with flour.

Sift cocoa powder and ground cinnamon through a strainer over a small bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons of boiling water into the cocoa until it is smooth and glossy. If the mixture is still very thick, add one tablespoon of boiling water at a time until you get the right texture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Set it aside to cool slightly.

In another bowl, sift and whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

In a mixer, combine the eggs and yolk, olive oil and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until thick, lemon colored, and creamy for about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the cocoa mixture. Be sure cocoa is not hot. Combine them well and scrape the sides of the bowl once. Now, gradually add in the dry ingredients until just combined. Once again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepped cake pan. Place it into the oven and bake for 60 minutes. Once done, use a toothpick to test if the cake is properly cooked. The toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging onto it but not wet. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it stand to cool for 10 minutes. Before releasing the cake from the pan, run a paring or butter knife around the inside edge of the cake pan. Carefully release the cake and then gently peel off the parchment paper from underneath and discard it. Flip the cake bottom side down and allow the cake to cool completely.

Before serving, dust the top of the cake with icing sugar!