In the book (and movie), Matilda, has the ability to move objects with her mind, a power I sorely envied as a child. Honestly, I still envy it, particularly when I’ve just settled down with Avocado Brownies, only to realize that (gasp) I forgot to add ice cream and now must stand up and walk 3 feet to the freezer to retrieve it. Agony! Matilda would be able to float that carton on over without disruption. Jealous! Anyway, back to the story. In Matilda, the antagonist is Agatha Trunchbull, Matilda’s cruel and unusual headmaster. Who, despite her horrific ways, has one quality worth emulating: excellent taste in chocolate cake (I’d love her opinion on my Instant Pot Cake). I can no longer remember the exact words Roald Dahl uses to describe The Trunchbull’s cake, only that since the age of nine when I first read this book, it has been fixed in my mind as the epitome of what the ideal chocolate cake should be:
Outrageously moistSinfully chocolaty (like these Brownie Bites)AND paradoxically light and indulgent at the same time
The Trunchbull’s chocolate cake is the chocolate cake by which all others should be measured. I baked (and eaten) dozens of chocolate cakes in pursuit of the perfect chocolate I imagine when I think of Matilda, and I have finally found it in today’s salted chocolate olive oil cupcakes.
How to Make Salted Chocolate Olive Oil Cupcakes
Forget the over-dried, sickly sweet-frosted excuses for chocolate cakes that appear at office anniversary parties. Salted chocolate olive oil cupcakes are decadent, unbelievably moist, and reminiscent of an old-fashioned Triple Chocolate Cake you would be proud to serve your grandmother.
The Ingredients
Olive Oil. My secret ingredient. In addition to being heart-healthy, olive oil resulted in a far more moist, tender chocolate cake than any other butter-based chocolate cake I’ve baked.All-Purpose Flour. No need for fancy cake flour, this recipe uses everyone’s staple pantry flour of choice.Sugar. Sweetens and tenderizes the cupcakes.Cocoa Powder. Gives these cupcakes a deep, intense chocolate flavor.Baking Soda and Baking Powder. Function as leaveners to give the cake some lift.Low-Fat Buttermilk.Adds moisture and a subtle tang to the cupcake batter.Egg. Lends richness to soften and enhance the texture of the cupcakes.Vanilla. Balances and accents the cocoa flavor.Coffee. Used in both the cupcakes and ganache, coffee adds moisture and intensifies the chocolate flavor.Chocolate and Heavy Cream. Create a heavenly ganache when warmed and swirled together.
Fleur de sel. A light sprinkling of this fine sea salt cuts the chocolate’s richness juuuuust enough to make them absolutely suitable for multiple servings.
The Directions
Salted Chocolate Olive Oil Cupcakes are chocolate cake as chocolate cake was intended to be. I like to think that Roald Dahl would approve. With this recipe before you, I have but one question to ask: What would Bruce Bogtrotter do?
