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My newest go-to cake, Fudge Frosted Chocolate Olive Oil Sheet Cake. A delicious fudgy chocolate sheet cake that surprises everyone. Picture a flavorful, light, and fluffy chocolate sheet cake with rich chocolate flavor. Then add the most delectable, roll your eyes back good, chocolate fudge frosting that’s sweet and fudgy. This cake is made without additional added sugar, is super easy, extra chocolatey, and every last bite is truly delicious!
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Welcoming in September with cake! As some of you know, Asher’s birthday was this week. And every year I always share a new dessert with her birthday in mind.
This year it’s a classic chocolate cake, but updated in surprisingly delicious ways!
I’ve been excited to share this cake all week. It’s such a special recipe that I know will become a go-to whenever I need a birthday cake!! We all love this.
The thing you should know about Asher is that while she has a sweet tooth, she’ll only indulge in chocolate. She’s not a fruit dessert girl, she’s just like my mom.
So of course, her birthday cake needed to be chocolate!!
Here are the details
I wanted this cake to feel very classic and just like the chocolate cake we grew up eating, but with more flavor and richness.
I knew a good olive oil would be perfect for adding a sweetness and fruitiness that sets this cake apart. You don’t know it’s there while eating bite after bite, but it makes the chocolate stand out.
Start with the cake. Mix the oil with the wet ingredients. Add maple to sweeten the cake. Then, mix in the dry ingredients. It’s a very basic process.
Bake the cake in a rectangular baker for simplicity and ease.
For the frosting. I made a rich fudge-like chocolate frosting, it’s old-school delicious. Chocolate melted together with cream and honey for smoothness. There’s plenty of pure vanilla mixed in. And then a key ingredient is stirred in at the end – sour cream.
Now, this certainly IS just like the old-school frosting everyone LOVES. Very creamy, rich, and fudgy. And I love that it’s not too sweet, but just sweet enough.
To finish, I topped my cake with chocolate curls and sea salt for a salty-sweet finish. And that’s it. Each bite is filled with sweet moist cake and fudgy chocolate frosting.
Best kind of any-day cake to bake, no reason required – though it is fun for a fall birthday. I was so excited when Asher LOVED every last bite of this cake. My parents and Asher even flew with the cake to California to celebrate with my brothers!
Looking for easy old-school-style desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies
Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Retro-Style Chocolate Sheet Cake
Lastly, if you make this Fudge Frosted Chocolate Olive Oil Sheet Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Fudge Frosted Chocolate Olive Oil Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips , (optional)
Frosting
- 7 ounces semi sweet or dark chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup sour cream
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. In a large bowl, beat together the olive oil, milk, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined, then slowly beat in the coffee until combined. It will be thin. If using, stir in mini-chocolate chips.3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, until the top is just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool completely before frosting4. To make the frosting. In a bowl, microwave the chocolate, cream, honey, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt, stirring every 45 seconds, until melted. Stir in the butter, then the sour cream. Swirl the frosting onto the top of the cake. Decorate as desired! Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Delicious and wonderfully moist!! Did with gf flour and worked great. Melted the chocolate separately from cocoa powder and other ingredients to stop it from splitting which worked well, the icing was smooth and glossy.
Hi Chloe,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for making this cake and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xx
Anyway to make a cupcake version of this?
Hey Diana,
I’ve not tested this recipe as cupcakes, but you could certainly give it a try and reduce your bake time. I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Tried this recipe twice. First time, it was so bad that I thought I must have done something wrong… Nope.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for trying the recipe, sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed. Please let me know if there is any way that I can help! xT
I followed the recipe completely, but it came out very bittersweet (I even used the max 3/4 cup of maple syrup). It also didn’t rise much at all in the oven so it was pretty dense. Also the frosting is very rich and bittersweet, if you want any sweetness in it you’ll need to either use powdered sugar or use milk chocolate instead of semi sweet (I did both and it turned out great).
Hi there,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. If you aren’t used to using these ingredients it can be a change in flavor compared to your typical sugary cake. Sorry it wasn’t enjoyed! xT
I thought this cake was absolutely FABULOUS! Made it yesterday, and it’s nearly finished – had to send some home with a friend for her hubby too.
It’s also the easiest cake I’ve ever made – so simple.
I did struggle with the icing, like a few others. I followed it to a T, but it was so runny I couldn’t use it – not sure why it turned out differently to yours. Ended up adding another few Tbsps of butter and putting it in the fridge for two hours.
I was also curious about the 1Tbsp of vanilla – is that the correct measurement? It’s what I used, but normally it’s about 1 tsp, so just checking.
As always, thanks for sharing a great recipe.
Hey Mara,
Thanks so much for making this cake! I am so glad it was a winner:) The icing can be finicky, popping it in the fridge should help it set up a bit. Yes, 1 tablespoon of vanilla is correct, but you can always reduce that to your liking! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thanks so much! I’ll keep using the 1Tbsp of vanilla 🙂
I’ve just been asked to share the recipe, so it’s a definite winner x
The ingredients for this recipe are expensive, and this cake is definitely rich. Worth it, in my opinion!
I love this cake so much. I already had all the ingredients, so that was even better. I am definitely going to make this cake again… and again. While my frosting didn’t look like the picture, it was still very good. Another recipe from Half Baked Harvest that my family and I love!!
Hi Tessa,
Thank you so much for your kind message!! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it:) xx
I loved the frosting and the cake is really delicious! My only problem was that the cake didn’t rise so I was wondering what I did wrong? I followed the recipe exactly how it is. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Samantha,
Thanks so much for making this cake, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Was your baking soda expired by chance? Let me know! xx
Hi Madeline,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! xT
Really great cake and i felt like I could eat a little more with it not having any added sugar. just a question tho, my frosting was more of a ganache consistency, still delicious but didn’t look like your picture which seemed like more of a icing type of frosting – any clues? Maybe the type of chocolate you used?
Hey Ruth,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! My frosting is definitely not typical frosting consistency due to the ingredients used. Was yours thin? Let me know! xx
This cake was so great. I took it to a dinner party and everyone loved it. One problem I had was with the frosting: mine was not thick enough. I had to had approx 2 cups of powdered sugar to get it a frosting consistency. I kept adding the powdered sugar slowly until it got a good spreading consistency.
Hey Leslie,
Thanks so much for making this cake and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
I made this gluten and dairy free. I used gluten free flour and dairy free butter and sour cream. It was delicious…a big hit at the birthday party!
Hi Meka,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! xT
I haven’t eaten it yet, but the cake looks great. The frosting is VERY thin. I’m afraid to add powdered sugar, but I have to thicken it up.
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for trying the recipe! Try popping the frosting in the fridge to thicken it up:) xTieghan
Did you omit the vanilla in the frosting? In your summary you say there is “plenty of pure vanilla” in the frosting? Thank you for pushing me outside of my cooking comfort zone. I am reinvigorated to cook braver! I am your super fan!
Hey Randi,
So sorry about that, I must have left it out! I will fix it:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try!! xTieghan
Hi! I’m a little confused, it sounds like from the above comment that there should be vanilla in the frosting, and you responded saying you will fix the recipe card to add it, but it’s still not there. Should there be vanilla in the frosting or not?
Thanks very much!
Hi Stephy,
If you want to add a splash of vanilla in the frosting you can totally do that, it’s up to you! I hope you love this recipe! xT
I haven’t made this yet and am confused by the maple syrup measurement. Can you tell me how to know how much to put, 1/2, 3/4 or somewhere in the middle??
Hi Barbara,
If you like your cake sweet add 3/4 cup, if you prefer it less sweet use 1/2 cup. I hope you love the recipe! xT
Perfect moist cake. The cake itself is darkly chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. The sweetness is provided from the frosting with the undertone of honey. I really enjoyed it and felt myself acting like Miranda in Sex in the City episode..I would keep going back for more cake!
Hi Audrey,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xx
I really don’t like even a hint of coffee flavour, can I leave the coffee out or substitute it with something?
Thanks
I have the same question…was going to use hot water instead?
That will work well for you Tammie:)
There is no taste of coffee at all…..it just brings out the flavor of the chocolate.
Hi Julie,
You can use water in place of the coffee:) I hope you love the recipe! Happy Friday! xx
Thank you ❣️
Can the 1/2 cup of almond flour be omitted or substituted with all purpose or cake flour?
Hi Cathy,
You can use an equal amount of all purpose flour or gluten free flour in place of the almond flour. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Made this, love it and it’s a keeper. I made it exactly as written. Even after a few days it’s still moist and delicious!
Hi Sharon,
Happy Friday!? Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx