Swapping in fruity olive oil for butter in a cake recipe makes for a super moist crumb and a lovely flavor overall.  The taste of quality olive oil pairs very nicely with the rich taste of chocolate in this Venetian cake recipe from Food & Wine magazine.  Cocoa powder is the chocolate source for the cake, and the bit of crunch throughout comes from buttery walnuts.  A simple cake that is perfectly sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet, that I love pairing with a dollop of vanilla-scented mascarpone cheese.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chocolate-olive-oil-cake-walnuts)

Tagged: AP flour, cake, chocolate cake, chocolate-olive oil cake, chocolate-olive oil cake with walnuts, cocoa powder, dessert, eggs, Food & Wine, Italian cake, Italy, olive oil, olive oil cake, Venetian, Venice, walnuts