Rosemary Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Cake

So, I really am struggling with calling this cake.

It’s honestly not that sweet at all. It’s got a light crumb, and feels a lot like a zucchini or banana bread (maybe a bit less moist than banana bread).

I was really intrigued by the sweet and savory combination, with the rosemary. To be honest, the flavor didn’t bowl me over, mostly because I felt like the chocolate overwhelmed things a bit. It was simple and good, but not earth-shattering.

I’m a sucker for rosemary, and fresh herbs in general, and love the idea of using them in baking sweets. As I was eating this, I kept re-imagining it as a slightly different flavor combo, particularly citrus and herb. Maybe lemon and rosemary, or grapefruit and thyme? Something a little punchy to contrast with the earthiness of the herbs. Let me know if you have ideas! But regardless, this really was a lovely breakfast treat, and got totally devoured at work in an hour or two.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).  Rub olive oil on a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan or long (4.5 x 13 inch) loaf pan.  Mine wasn’t quite as long as I would have liked, which is why it came out as more of a loaf than a cake.

Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Add the olive oil, milk and rosemary and whisk again.

Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula, gently mixing just until combined. Then stir in two-thirds of the chopped chocolate.

Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate and sprinkle with the two tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is domed, golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. It may take a little longer, that’s okay.

If you want a little more color on top, you can finish under the broiler for a minute–which caramelizes the sugar on top and gives it a bit of crunch–but keep a close eye on the broiler so it doesn’t burn!

Eat warm or cool in the pan. It can be wrapped tightly in plastic and kept for a couple days.

Rosemary Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Cake

• 3/4 cup (80g) of spelt flour; I substituted white whole wheat
• 1 1/2 cups (210 g) of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (115g) of white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (240 ml) of olive oil
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) of whole milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 5 ounces (140 g) of bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons of sugar (I used turbinado/raw) for topping crunch

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).  Rub olive oil on a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan or long (4.5 x 13 inch) loaf pan.  Mine wasn’t quite as long as I would have liked, which is why it came out as more of a loaf than a cake.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Add the olive oil, milk and rosemary and whisk again. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula, gently mixing just until combined. Stir in two-thirds of the chopped chocolate.

Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate and sprinkle with the two tablespoons of sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is domed, golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. It may take a little longer, that’s okay.  If you want a little more color on top, you can finish under the broiler for a minute–which caramelizes the sugar on top and gives it a bit of crunch–but keep a close eye on the broiler so it doesn’t burn!

Eat warm or cool in the pan. It can be wrapped tightly in plastic and kept for a couple days.

Original recipe here