Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake from Simple Fare

When I was first transitioning out of restaurant work into the food media world I volunteered for Karen Mordechai at Sunday Suppers a handful of times. Honestly, it was mostly my nosiness lead me to contact Karen. I had followed her work online and was so inspired by the dreamy light-filled space that she had created in a formerly industrial space in Brooklyn that I just had to see it in person- and I was too broke to buy a ticket to one of her dinners...I met so many wonderful people through Karen and Sunday Suppers and the experience really informed how I have decided to make my own career in food. 

I admire what Karen has built so much (she even has a line of beautiful pantry essentials called ILA), and wasn't surprised at all when I took a look at her new work - Simple Fare. It is part art catalogue - part simple recipe inspiration to carry you through the Spring and Summer and so Karen. I can't wait to see the Fall/Winter edition in the coming months.

Congrats, Karen! It's lovely and this Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake is delicious too!

Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Adapted from Simple Fare: A Guide to Everyday Cooking and Eating Spring/Summer by Karen Mordechai

Karen offers some suggestions of different ways to top the cake, and there is a recipe for delicious cardamom infused cream below. I went with whipped yogurt sweetened with a bit of honey, chopped pistachios, and the rose and cacao nib sprinkles from Lily's Kale and Caramel Cookbook. Choose your own adventure!

Cake

3/4 cup (180ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

1/2 cup (50g) good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (120ml) boiling water

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups (165g) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup (195g) superfine sugar

3 large eggs

Cyprus flake salt

Cardamom Cream

1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Serving

1 teaspoon dried rose petals

1/2 cup (65g) chopped unsalted pistachios

Cyprus flake salt

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Grease a 9-inch (23cm) springform baking pan with a little olive oil and line the base with parchment paper cut to fit.

Sift the cocoa into a medium bowl and whisk in the boiling water until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla, then set aside to cool slightly. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, olive oil, and eggs until you have a light, fluffy cream, about 3 minutes.

Turn the speed on the mixer down and pour in the cocoa and vanilla mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture until it is evenly incorporated, stopping the mixer and scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sides are set and the top of the cake still looks slightly moist. A cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few crumbs on it. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

While the cake is baking, in a chilled metal or glass bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Add the cardamom and beat until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Run a knife around the edge of the cake and release the sides of the pan. Transfer the cake to a serving plate or cake stand. Sprinkle with more flaky salt. Serve each slice with a dollop of the cardamom cream and a sprinkling of rose petals, pistachios, and flaky salt.

Coconut Cream Pie

Hi guys! Just a quick hello today because I’m on vacation and I’ve got a tropical drink to sip and a stack of books to read. In honor of my island trip and Pi Day! I went ahead and made you the coconuttiest coconut cream pie I could imagine. I started with Seattle’s famous Dahlia Bakery Triple Coconut Cream Pie, and added some more coconut because – why not?

Coconut Cream Pie

(Makes one 9-inch pie)

adapted from the Dahlia Bakery in Seattle

This coconut cream pie is famous for a reason - it is rich and indulgent, and packed with coconut flavor. You can make the pastry cream and crust up to a day in advance if you are the type that likes to plan ahead. Just before serving garnish the pie with generous swoops of whipped cream and lots of toasted coconut chips and white chocolate shavings.

Coconut Pastry Cream

1 cup milk

1 cup full fat coconut milk

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

To Assemble

One 9-inch Pie Crust, fully baked and cooled

1 cup heavy cream

coconut cream from one 14oz can of coconut milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Garnish

Toasted coconut chips

White chocolate curls

To make the pastry cream, combine the milk, coconut milk, and coconut in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the seeds and pod pot. Warm the mixture over medium-high heat and stir occasionally until the mixture begins to bubble around the edges.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour, and salt until well combined. Temper the by pouring a small amount of the scalded milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Then add the warmed egg mixture to the saucepan of milk and coconut. Whisk over medium-high heat until the pastry cream thickens and begins to bubble. Keep whisking until the mixture is very thick 2-3 minutes more. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter and whisk until smooth. Remove and discard the vanilla pod. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and place it over a bowl of ice water. Stir occasionally until it is cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a crust from forming and refrigerate until completely cold. The pastry cream will thicken as it cools.

When the pastry cream is cold, fill the prebaked pie shell with it, smoothing the surface. Whip the heavy cream and coconut cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spoon or pipe the cream over the chilled pastry cream and garnish with toasted coconut chips and white chocolate curls.