No.87 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Made famous by Nigella Lawson

Photo: Andy Li, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Kitchen, 2010.

Nigella's flourless chocolate cake made with olive oil and ground almonds is one of her most made, and the gluten-free, dairy-free cake that people actually want.

Written in our own words and tested in a home kitchen. Get the original in Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (150 ml) regular olive oil, plus more for the pan
• 1/2 cup (50 g) good cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) boiling water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) ground almonds (or 1 cup / 125 g all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (200 g) superfine (caster) sugar
• 3 large eggs

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 325F (170C). Oil a 9-inch (22 to 23 cm) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment.
2. Whisk the cocoa with the boiling water until smooth and glossy. Whisk in the vanilla and set aside to cool a little.
3. In a small bowl, mix the ground almonds (or flour) with the baking soda and salt.
4. In a large bowl (or a stand mixer with the whisk), beat the sugar, olive oil and eggs together vigorously for about 3 minutes, until pale, thick and creamy.
5. Turn the speed down and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go. Then fold in the almond mixture.
6. Scrape into the pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the sides are set and the very center still looks a little damp. A tester should come out with a few sticky crumbs.
7. Cool 10 minutes in the pan on a rack, then loosen the sides with a knife and take off the ring. Let it cool completely.

Chef's tips

• Use a mild olive oil, not a peppery one.
• Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche or berries. It keeps several days, wrapped.

This is Chef Amazing's write-up of the dish, tested for a home kitchen. The original is in Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home by Nigella Lawson: get the book.

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