There are a few classic cake recipes that a French baker should have up their sleeve, and a quick and easy chocolate cake is indubitably one of them. And if you’ve been following this blog for a some time now, you know that I have already shared a few of my favorite chocolate cake recipes here, including Julia Child’s Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake.

So, what sets this chocolate cake apart from the others?

The extra virgin olive oil, of course.

Using olive oil in this chocolate cake is great on so many levels. First, it makes the recipe quick and nifty. You don’t need to worry about melting butter and bringing it back to room temperature after – which saves you at least 15-20 minutes.

The virgin olive oil creates a slightly lighter and airier texture than butter would – which I think makes this cake perfectly suited for warmer days.

And lastly, because olive oil is a liquid at room temperature, it lends its moisture to the cake over time. This means this chocolate cake lasts a few more days than other cake made with butter.

What kind of olive oil should I use?

The quality of the olive oil you use will obviously make a big difference. A high-quality extra virgin olive oil guarantees a cake that will be rich and flavorful.

If possible, choose an olive oil which has a mild fruity profile, which will balance out nicely against the bitterness of the dark chocolate. Avoid using an oil with a strong and/or peppery profile, which will be too overwhelming.

If you would like to know more about how to choose a good bottle of olive oil, I recommend this article.

Can you taste the olive oil?

If you’ve never made a cake with olive oil before, do not fret – yes, you can taste the olive oil, but it is very subtle.

Overall, it truly is the flavor of dark chocolate that stands out. The light fruity notes of the olive oil add complexity and richness, without removing anything from the satisfying taste of a rich chocolate cake we usually yearn for.

I also love that the use of olive oil also keeps this cake moister for a longer time, than if it was made with butter. You can easily keep it for up to 5-6 days (well wrapped) and it won’t be dry. 

Adding chopped chocolate in the batter at the end also provides an extra oomph of chocolate taste and an added richness.

How to serve this Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Because it is quite light and airy, this chocolate cake is versatile and can be served on its own or with any toppings you might like. 

On its own, it makes a great snack that you can pack if you’re out for the day and enjoy with your hands. 

As a dessert, I love to serve it with a dusting of icing sugar and with strawberries or raspberries, which pair really well with the taste of dark chocolate. You can also top it with crème fraiche, crème anglaise, whipped cream or even chocolate sauce. 

How to store this Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

• Chill it. After making (and enjoying) this cake – if you have any leftovers – you can cover it with plastic film and store it in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.
• Don’t freeze it. I don’t recommend freezing this cake. The texture is delicate, and the cake will likely get soggy/mushy when thawing. 

My baking tips

• Use high quality chocolate. With just a few ingredients in this recipe, the flavor and texture of this cake relies a lot on the quality of your ingredients, and especially of the chocolate. I recommend splurging a bit for this recipe and buying top-quality 70% cocoa dark chocolate.
• Melt the chocolate and oil on very low heat. Oil is prone to develop a “fried” taste if it reaches a high temperature, which isn’t pleasant here. After melting the chocolate with the oil together, allow it to cool at least 10-15 minutes before mixing it into the egg and sugar mixture. It should come to a barely warm temperature, so it incorporates perfectly with the eggs. If too warm, it will “cook” the eggs and form little hard chunks. If too cold, the chocolate could seize up.
• A key to the success of this cake is to not over-mix your batter once you’ve added the flour or you will get a gummy texture with holes. Simply stop whisking when the flour is just incorporated. You can then use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and ensure no unevenly mixed areas remain.

I hope you’ll love this Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French cake recipes you may like: 

• Lemon Olive Oil Cake
• French Chestnut Cream Cake (Gâteau Ardechois) 
• French Walnut Coffee Cake (Gâteau Grenoblois) 
• Classic French Apple Cake
• Lemon Yogurt Poppy seed Cake
• Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake
• Classic French Pear Cake

Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

7 oz (200g) dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
¾ cup olive oil (150ml) extra virgin olive oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla extract
2/3 cup (132g) sugar
1/2 cup (120ml) milk (2% or whole)
1 ½ (185g) cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Grease an 8” or 9” circular pan with butter and dust with flour (or unsweetened cocoa powder). Set aside.

Step 1 - In a small sauce pan, over low heat, melt 150g of the dark chocolate with the extra virgin olive oil. Stir until smooth. Once melted, set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes. 

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla extract and sugar and whisk until foamy. Stir in the chocolate and extra virgin olive oil, and then the milk. The mixture should look smooth and glossy,

Step 3 - Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Combine the dry with the wet ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Step 4 - Roughly chop the remaining 50g of chocolate, and add into the batter. Combine until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the previously greased cake pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack.  

The post Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake appeared first on Pardon Your French.

What makes a Classic French Chocolate Mousse?

As per the French tradition, a Chocolate Mousse uses solely raw eggs to build the “mousse” texture – and no cream. A common American adaptation is to add whipped cream in the mixture to give a light and airy consistency. By skipping the whipped cream, a French-style chocolate mousse is denser and thus richer, both in texture and in taste. Withholding the cream allows the chocolate flavor to shine more and creates a more compact, slightly “chewy’ mouthfeel – which is personally what I love in a French-style chocolate mousse.

Tips for a Perfect Chocolate Mousse:

Making a Classic French Chocolate Mousse at home is an easy recipe that requires simple ingredients. However, there are a few tips to know in order to achieve a perfect texture and flavor. 

• Gently melt the chocolate over a bain-marie, meaning over barely simmering water in a double boiler. If heated too rapidly, the chocolate risks to separate or break.
• Beat the eggs whites to a stiff peak. Not soft, not firm, but stiff: meaning peaks will stand straight up when the beaters are lifted.
• Use older eggs. For best results in getting stiff egg whites, choose eggs that aren’t too fresh (3 to 4 days), and make sure you take them out of the fridge 1 hour before to let them reach room temperature. When beating older egg whites at room temperature, their proteins will have more elasticity. It will stretch and welcome more air, rather than break if too fresh or cold.
• Use pristine equipment. When beating the egg whites, make sure you are using a bowl and beater that are perfectly clean. Egg whites tend to refuse to whip if they encounter any residual fat or even if there are tiny amounts of egg yolk.

• Use great-quality chocolate. With just a few ingredients in this recipe, the flavor and texture of the mousse relies a lot on the quality of your ingredients, and especially of the chocolate. I recommend splurging a bit for this recipe and buying top-quality chocolate – you won’t regret it. I have used Lindt 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate and Lindt Extra Creamy. The smart combination of dark and milk chocolates creates the perfect amount of creaminess, yet with slightly bitter notes.
• Let the chocolate cool. After melting the chocolate with the butter, allow it to cool at least 10-15 minutes before mixing it into the egg and sugar mixture. It should come to barely warm temperature so its gets incorporated perfectly with the eggs. If too warm, it will “cook” the eggs and form little hard chunks. If too cold, the chocolate could seize up.
• Fold, don’t stir. When folding the egg whites with the chocolate mixture, use a large rubber spatula and be gentle. The important thing is not to stir, but fold. In small additions, carefully place a portion of the egg whites on top of the chocolate mixture and fold it in by using a flipping motion. Stop when the mousse is just uniform – do not over mix.

More recipe notes: 

• Important note: because this recipe has raw eggs, I don’t recommend serving it to pregnant women, young children, older people or people with compromised immune systems.
• This Chocolate mousse needs to set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving, so plan accordingly.
• This recipe is for 4 large servings or 6 smaller ones. Note that a Classic French Chocolate Mousse is richer and denser than its American cousin, so you only need a small serving to be satisfied.
• For serving, use individual cups, ramekins, or even stemmed glasses. If you are hosting a dinner, you can also place the whole mousse in a large serving bowl. Bring it to the table and serve it with a large spoon. In this case, it will need to be refrigerated a bit longer to set (at least 5 hours).
• For serving, a French-style chocolate mousse is most often enjoyed just plain– no toppings. But you can of course top each cup with whipped cream and/or a dusting of cocoa or chocolate shavings.

More Classic French Desserts you may like: 

• Classic French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron) 
• Classic French Fruit Tart (Tarte aux Fruits Frais) 
• Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake
• Classic French Apple Tarte Tatin
• Classic French Crème Brûlée
• Riz Au Lait with Caramel Sauce
• How to Make an Any-Kind-Of-Fruit Galette

I hope you’ll love this Classic French Chocolate Mousse recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

Classic French Chocolate Mousse

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.9/5

( 30 voted )

Ingredients

7 oz (200g) dark chocolate (70%), chopped
3.5 oz (100g)  milk chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs, at room temperature (yolks & whites separated) 
+ 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (50g) sugar
1/3 cup (80g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

For serving (optional): whipped cream and cocoa powder

Instructions

Make sure you read the tips and notes before you start.

Step 1 - In a medium steel bowl, over a bain-marie, melt the dark chocolate, milk chocolate and butter together, until velvety smooth. Set aside.

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and the 3 egg yolks for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale and foamy, and a ribbon forms when you lift the whisk.

Step 3 - In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the 6 egg whites and salt to a stiff peak.

Step 4 - Pour the melted chocolate and butter in the egg yolk-sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Now with a spatula, fold about a ¼ or less of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten and loosen it. In three separate additions, fold in the rest of the egg whites very gently and stop mixing when just uniform.

Step 5 - Immediately divide the mousse into individual serving cups (4 large or 6 small), cover with plastic film (make sure the film does not touch the mousse) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (ideally 4-5 hours) before serving.

Optional: for serving, top each chocolate mousse cup with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.

Notes...

Chocolate Mousse can be stored for up to two days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.

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