Birthday Cake Bliss: Light Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Birthdays have always meant one thing in our home—cake. Not store-bought, not rushed, but something warm, messy, and made with love. And if I’m being sincere, I love baking birthday cakes. It’s my ritual, my gift, and my little way of saying “you matter.”

This time, the cake was for someone truly special—my dear husband. His birthday and Father’s Day landed just a few days apart, so we rolled them all into one celebration. A handmade card, a homemade chocolate cake, and of course, a little bit of chaos during the cake cutting (watch the video on Instagram—you’ll see what I mean!).

These are the moments that add up to a life well-lived: mismatched candles, flour on the counter, the laughter that follows a messy slice, and the smell of chocolate baking in the oven.

The Cake: Light, Luscious, and Made with Olive Oil

This cake is everything you’d want in a birthday dessert: rich but not heavy, chocolaty but not overly sweet, and surprisingly light thanks to the olive oil. It’s simple enough to whip up on a weekday, but elegant enough to sit proudly at the center of your celebration table.

Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or just a hot cup of tea. It’s the kind of cake that disappears fast, so take a photo before it’s gone!

Swipe through the madness on my Instagram to see how it all unfolded during the cake cutting. Spoiler alert: Someone did drop a slice.

Because in the end, birthdays aren’t about perfection—they’re about joy, laughter, and sharing something sweet with the people who matter most. And maybe a little olive oil too.

Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Baking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: 6-7

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour 225g
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted) 40g
• Baking powder 1 tsp
• Baking soda ½  tsp
• Salt ½ tsp
• Granulated sugar 150g
• Light brown sugar 100g
• Eggs (room temp) 2 large
• Extra virgin olive oil 180 ml
• Vanilla extract 1 tsp
• Milk (whole or semi-skimmed) 180 ml

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (fan 160°C) and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs and both sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Add the olive oil and vanilla extract, mixing well. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk.
4. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Cool completely before slicing. Dust with icing sugar or drizzle with chocolate glaze if you like.