Gluten Free Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

This gorgeous and gorgeously simple to make chocolate olive oil cake is easily gluten-free with just 1 cup of oat flour! Olive oil adds delicious moisture and balances the richness of the cocoa powder.

I used brown sugar only to sweeten the cake, which gives it a slight undertone of caramel and keeps it wonderfully tender. This recipe is inspired by my gluten free dark chocolate cake, and it's topped with my favorite chocolate icing to keep things easy. Lovely plain or of course with a scoop of ice cream.

Chocolate Cake Highlights

• Made in one bowl. Easy peasy recipes are my jam. This cake just needs to be whisked together in one big big - no mixer required!
• Tender crumb despite being gluten-free. Don't you love gluten-free bakes that no one can tell are gluten-free? This cake has it all: moist, tender crumb, and it's naturally gluten-free.
• Simple ingredients. I try to create my recipes so that they need simple pantry and fridge basics. You'll easily recognize every ingredient on the list and hopefully you already have them on hand!

Ingredients Needed

I've outlined what goes into this easy cake below. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Brown sugar - I used dark brown sugar, but you can use light or dark brown sugar. Try coconut sugar for a naturally sweetened option, or use granulated sugar.
• Greek yogurt - Use full-fat or low-fat yogurt. I used plain yogurt; vanilla-flavored yogurt will also work.
• Cocoa powder - Always use unsweetened cocoa powder so that the cake doesn't turn out too sweet!
• Olive oil - Extra virgin olive oil or your favorite olive oil.
• Eggs - Use large or medium-sized eggs.
• Leavening - Baking powder and baking soda.
• Salt - I use fine sea salt, and table salt is great, too.
• Oat flour - If you don't eat oats, swap an equal amount of brown rice flour, sorghum flour, or a 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
• Milk - I used whole milk for richness, and 2% works.

Tips & Recipe Notes

• Rest the batter. Oat flour, like all gluten-free flours, needs a rest so that it can properly hydrate before baking. Let the batter rest in the pan for about 20 minutes, or while the oven heats, for the best crumbs.
• Add espresso. For a shot of coffee flavor, whisk in 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the dry mix. It won't be overwhelming, but will nicely complement the chocolate
• Make it dairy-free. If needed, swap the yogurt for non-dairy yogurt, the butter for non-dairy butter, and the milk for non-dairy milk.
• Use a gluten-free flour mix. If needed, you can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or my homemade gluten free flour blend for the oat flour (use 120 grams).
• Try coffee. Swap the milk for freshly-brewed coffee, like in my oat flour chocolate cake recipe.

Proper Storage

• Counter - Cover the cake with plastic or foil, or place it in an airtight container and keep it on the counter for up to 3 days.
• Fridge - Wrap the cake tightly in plastic and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Wrap the whole cake or individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake in the fridge before serving it.