A great cake doesn’t always happen on the first try. When I began testing this cherry chocolate cake, I was inspired by the season of abundance and just could not temper my urge to cram a full pound of cherries and chocolate discs by the handful into the cake. This made for a cake with sublime edges – just crisp and filled with juicy cherries. Sadly, the middle was uncooked.

The next time, I made a few adjustments, but actually forgot my cake in the oven only to find it just slightly overcooked when I returned from a (thankfully quick) errand. Disaster averted, a pretty good slice of cake in hand, I set about baking up the perfect cherry chocolate olive oil cake.

To start, I cut back on the cherries but not the chocolate. I reduced the olive oil, added extra leavening, and baked the cake for a solid 70 minutes. The result was just as crisp-edged as my first attempt, but with a perfectly tender middle. Olive oil gives cakes a wonderful crumb – toothsome with a bit of crumble and a faintly nutty nose. Here, it’s a nice complement to the understated sweet cherries and bittersweet chocolate discs.This adaptable cake is well suited to a host of fruits, especially berries of all kinds and stone fruits. Olive oils can vary in flavor – be sure to select one that has a pleasant, floral taste since it will come through in the flavor of the cake.

This adaptable cake is well suited to a host of fruits, especially berries of all kinds and stone fruits. Olive oils can vary in flavor – be sure to select one that has a pleasant, floral taste since it will come through in the flavor of the cake.

Makes 8 – 12 servings



• 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or use all all-purpose)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups pitted cherries (about 10 ounces whole), divided
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate discs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk to combine flours, sugar, baking powder and soda, and sea salt. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk with a fork to combine eggs and olive oil. Fold 1 cup of the cherries into the wet ingredients. Next, fold wet ingredients into dry, mixing just until mixture is combined. Fold in all but 2 tablespoons of the chocolate discs.
3. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Along the center, in an almost zig-zag pattern, tuck remaining 1/4 cup cherries and chocolate discs into the top. Sprinkle top all over with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
4. Slide pan into the center of the oven and bake 65 – 75 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer or cake tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached. The cake will be a deep golden brown and should be pulling away from the sides slightly.
5. Cool 20 minutes, then carefully flip out of baking pan and cool completely on a wire rack, 40 minutes or longer.
6. Once cool, slice and serve. Leftovers will keep well at room temperature wrapped tightly in foil for 2 days.

Enjoy!