So here’s how it all started. My dear friend Vicki gifted me with a bottle of chocolate olive oil. And since I have never been impressed with flavored olive oil, I was naturally suspicious. Especially since it was chocolate and olive oil mixed together. Obviously too foreign a concept to resonate clearly in my brain! So therefore the bottle sat in my pantry for a good couple of years. It may have been hidden, but I never forgot that it was in there.

So one day last week I remembered the poor lonely bottle being ignored in my pantry and sought out recipes for this frankly intimidating ingredient. And oh my! I found this recipe on the Queen Creek Olive Mill site, but added espresso powder and used my own frosting recipe.

Well I’m here to tell you, this recipe makes possibly the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. They turned out super moist, super chocolaty, and absolutely delightful. So much so, that I have spent about 6 hours now looking at other recipes that contain chocolate olive oil, because I know that olive oil is a lot healthier for me than either butter or vegetable oil. Actually I’m looking at sweet recipes that use regular olive oil too. (And yes, you can make this recipe with regular olive oil, as long as it isn’t too herby or bitter.)  

And why the espresso powder in both the cake and frosting recipes you might ask. Well, it’s because coffee is a great way to enhance the flavor of cocoa powder, resulting in a chocolatier flavor. And even if you don’t like the flavor of coffee, you poor deprived person, you won’t notice the coffee flavor. So not to worry.

So next time you want to make cupcakes that will knock the socks off whomever you are gracing with your baked goods, mix up a batch of these little darlings. They truly are out of this world. Thanks again Vicki for your fun gift. Actually, I found a recipe for preparing homemade chocolate olive oil. If it tastes as wonderful as it appears, I will be sharing the recipe with you in the near future. That and a couple of other homemade recipes for fabulous products introduced to me by my sister-in-law Katie – preserved lemons and black garlic. Thanks again Katie.

(And yes I know you can buy preserved lemons and black garlic in upscale markets or over the internet, so I will be posting recipes that include these 2 fantastic taste treats in the next couple of weeks. But because I’m cheap frugal, I’m going to show you how to make them at home too. That is, after I learn how first. Stand by!)

• 1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 c. sugar
• ¾ c. cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder from Cash & Carry)
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• 1½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. instant espresso coffee (I use Medaglia D’oro)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• ½ c. chocolate olive oil or “light” regular olive oil
• 1 c. whole milk
• 1 c. boiling water

Using a regular whisk, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso together in the bowl of your mixer. (You can also pour the ingredients into the mixer bowl through a fine mesh strainer.) You just want to eliminate any possible lumps.

Using the beater, add in the eggs, vanilla, and chocolate flavored olive oil. Add the milk and beat to blend. Add the boiling water. Continue to beat at low speed until well blended.

Pour the thin batter into cupcake paper lined cupcake pans and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove to wire rack to finish cooling. Top with frosting.

Hint: Because the batter is so thin, I pour it into a glass measuring cup to fill the cupcake papers ¾ full. Don’t fill them any higher because the batter is going to expand a great deal. Should make 24 cupcakes.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting:

• 3 c. powdered sugar, or more as needed
• 7 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp. instant espresso coffee
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 5 T. half & half or heavy cream, or more as needed

In a medium bowl, sift the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, instant espresso powder, and salt or press through a fine mesh strainer; set aside. (You just want to break up any lumps.)

In a large bowl, beat butter and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with half & half. Beat until very light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more half & half or powdered sugar.