No eggs! That's right. This Chocolate Bundt Cake has no eggs so it keeps for days at room temperature. It also stays incredibly moist and has a perfectly even crumb. The combination of olive oil, chocolate and orange is so exciting. Olive oil brings earthy undertones and fruitiness while both cocoa and dark chocolate add a hint of bitterness.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Moist chocolate cake - this cake is super moist! It has a luxurious texture and stays moist for days without drying out.
Fudgy texture - the high level of liquid in this batter combined with rich cocoa and dark chocolate chips makes it extra fudgy.
Silky chocolate icing - this icing is so rich and chocolatey and not too sweet (no added sugar apart from chocolate)! It's so easy to mix together and you will love it even if you are not a "frosting person".
Easy to make - this cake can be made in one bowl with a whisk. You don't need a mixer, although I often use my electric hand mixer to make it.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

All purpose flour - you do not need specialty cake flour to make a wonderful chocolate cake. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off. This batter is meant to be quite runny so refrain from adding more flour to make it thicker.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. Do not leave it out!
Cocoa powder - good cocoa powder is essential! It's the main flavor and you want it to shine so use the best you can find. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder for this recipe.

Milk - hot milk helps to swell the starch in the flour and lock in the moisture.
Olive Oil - this is an oil-based cake. Although I love butter, olive oil pairs so well with chocolate and oil makes cakes feel ultra moist since it is liquid at room temperature.
Orange zest - this is optional, but the hint of orange paired with olive oil and chocolate is magic!
Lemon juice - the acidity from a bit of lemon juice reacts with the baking soda to create an open crumb structure in the absence of eggs.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This recipe is SO EASY and you can make it all with a bowl and a whisk -- no mixer required if you don't have one!

STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Beat oil with both sugars, vanilla and orange zest until it looks like wet sand.
STEP 3). Heat the milk. Place the milk in a small saucepan and let it scald... which means let it just barely come to a simmer. Once you see steam coming off the surface (no bubbles yet), then it is hot enough. Pour half of the hot milk into the oil/sugar mixture and mix with a whisk or an electric hand mixer on medium until blended. It will be syrupy.
STEP 4). Add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients gradually in stages alternating with the hot milk and beat until evenly combined and the batter smooth.
STEP 5). Mix in lemon juice. Finally mix in the lemon juice and fold in the chocolate chips.
STEP 6). Bake. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until the cake springs back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE WITHOUT CREAM?

This glaze is incredible! Did you know that you don't need butter or cream to make ganache? Ganache is essentially chocolate mixed with any kind of liquid into a smooth emulsion. Here I've used simple water and olive oil to make this silky chocolate glaze.

STEP 1). Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and place over very low heat.
STEP 2). Stir gently until chocolate starts to melt and then whisk until completely melted smooth and glossy.
STEP 3). Let cool for 10 minutes to thicken before pouring over cooled bundt cake.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Use good quality olive oil like Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil which has a mellow, smooth fruity flavor that really complements the chocolate taste.
Grease the pan generously with melted butter or oil and do not leave out the step of dusting with flour. Make sure to coat every corner and surface to ensure that the cake releases properly and doesn't stick.
Do not reduce the sugar - the right amount of sugar will make cake moist because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
Keep an eye on the baking time. Set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check with a skewer -- it should come out clean.

RECIPE FAQ

How to store oil for making chocolate bundt cake?

Firstly - use a fresh oil! Do not use anything that's been opened for a long time and when you store oil, it should be in a cool dark place. Light and heat accelerate oxidation reactions that can make the flavour turn rancid.

Can I use any oil to make this cake?

Yes, you can use any neutral oil, but I highly recommend olive oil to enhance the taste of the chocolate.

Can I make this recipe without egg?

After so many requests, this cake recipe is eggless! You do not need eggs to make this cake. Be sure not to leave out the lemon juice which is important to react with baking soda and provide an open crumb structure.

How do I prepare a bundt pan for baking?

Use soft or melted butter or oil and then brush it on generously and evenly over every surface of the pan. Then, dust with flour or cocoa powder and make sure there isn't one spot left uncovered.

How to release a bundt cake from the pan?

First let the cake cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes. It should be cool enough that it won't crumble apart, but warm enough that is can still flex. Gently run a small offset spatula around the inner edges of the cake pan and flex the cake inwards away from the sides to help release it before inverting onto a plate.

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