Avocado Oil Chocolate Cake
We call this Avocado Oil Chocolate Cake the “Matilda Cake” in our house. Moist, fudgy, and rich, this one layer chocolate cake is topped with a fudgy chocolate frosting. This is a decadence in a single layer one bowl cake that is incredibly easy to make!
If you like chocolate cakes, try Chocolate Pound Cake With Chocolate Frosting, Small Batch Chocolate Cake with Sourdough Discard, or Eggless Chocolate Carrot Cake.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Avocado Oil Chocolate Cake
- Ready In: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Makes: 9-inch cake
- Main Ingredients: avocado oil, cane sugar, cake flour, Dutch cocoa
- Flavor Profile: rich, fudgy chocolate in every bite
- Dietary Info: no seed oils, gluten free swap available
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: the best fudgy chocolate cake
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Matilda Cake: If you are a child of the 80s and you watched Matilda, then you all know the scene where Bruce is forced to eat the chocolate cake. And that is one of the best movie scenes ever! So, we call this cake the “Matilda Cake” or the “Bruce Cake” in our house. It's rich, it's chocolatey, and you think there's no way you can eat the whole thing, but you most definitely can!
- One Bowl Cake Recipe: This simple one bowl cake recipe comes together so easily! You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer, or even just a bowl with a whisk to make this Avocado Oil Chocolate Cake.
- One Pan: You just need a 9-inch cake pan for this chocolate cake, it's no fuss, simple and easy!
- Fudgy Chocolate Frosting: I top this Avocado Oil Chocolate Cake with a fudgy chocolate frosting! This fudgy chocolate frosting compliments the rich chocolate cake perfectly. It's smooth, creamy, and comes together in just a few minutes in a stand mixer or hand mixer (use whichever you like).
This one layer cake is quick and easy to make. It's made in a 9-inch cake pan, for a simple cake that is the perfect ending to a dinner party. The smooth, velvety, and fudgy chocolate frosting pairs perfectly with the moist cake, creating a dessert that’s indulgent yet balanced. Feel free to garnish with fresh berries or just leave it plain and simple!
This one bowl cake recipe is super flexible. If you are unfamiliar with what a one bowl cake recipe is, then let me explain. A one bowl cake recipe just means all you need is one bowl to make it. You can literally add all the ingredients into one bowl, mix it up, and it’s a fool proof cake recipe. You can use a bowl with a whisk (like I do in the video), a hand mixer, or a stand mixer. This one bowl cake recipe is incredibly easy and the recipe for fudgy chocolate frosting is just as easy!
Ingredients
- Avocado Oil: I use organic avocado oil in place of canola oil in this cake. You can also use canola oil or even extra virgin olive oil instead if you prefer.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I use Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream in place of traditional milk in this cake, which makes it more moist and rich.
- Eggs: Be sure to use organic large eggs. Eggs that are too small can dry out cake, eggs that are too large can make your cake sink.
- Cake Flour: You can use Homemade Organic Cake Flour or pastry flour, both will work in this recipe.
- Vanilla Bean: I love using organic ground vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract as it provides so much more depth of flavor, especially when combined with chocolate. If you don't have it though, you can also use vanilla extract or even almond extract.
- Baking Powder: I use baking powder, because this is a cake with cocoa powder. For more info on leavening agents, be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Frosting Variations
- If you want a vanilla frosting, try using my Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting recipe!
- If you prefer cream cheese frosting, try Easy Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting instead (I have 10 flavor options!).
- Make it strawberry and chocolate with Strawberry Buttercream with Fresh or Freeze Dried Strawberries.
- Try chocolate caramel and add Caramel Buttercream Frosting with my Homemade True Caramel Sauce as a swirl!
Baker's Tips for Avocado Oil Chocolate Cake
- While I'm using avocado oil here, you can also use canola oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- You can make the cake in a stand mixer, using a hand mixer, or just with a bowl and a whisk. Any way will work! In the video I make this with just a bowl and whisk, incase you want to watch.
- Make sure to allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it! (This is the hardest part).
- Be sure to store extra cake in a tupperware in the fridge (because the frosting has cream in it).
How to Make Avocado Oil Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer, or whisk), add the avocado oil, heavy whipping cream, cane sugar, and eggs.
- Mix on low until the egg yolks are broken and everything is completely combined.
- Add the cake flour, cocoa, vanilla bean, baking powder, and fine sea salt in that order.
- Mix on low until combined into a smooth chocolate cake batter.
- Transfer to the prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer, or whisk), add the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high and whip for 1 minute or until light and fluffy.
- Remove the cake from the pan and spread the frosting on top. Then it's ready to serve!
Recipe FAQ's
You can bake cake with avocado oil! Just like canola oil, avocado oil will work in cake recipes. It will provide a little different flavor than canola oil, as that oil is very neutral which is why it is commonly used for baking. But I really embrace the avocado oil flavor and I think it makes a great baking oil!
Yes, you can bake with avocado oil instead of butter in certain cake recipes. If any cake recipe calls for oil, you can substitute avocado oil. But, if a cake recipe calls for butter, then I would not substitute avocado oil for butter as those two fats are completely different consistencies.
Chocolate fudge frosting is made up of salted butter, powdered sugar, Dutch cocoa powder, and heavy whipping cream. The heavy whipping cream is key here because it whips up to be fluffy and adds a richness to it that resembles fudge.
Because fudgy chocolate frosting has heavy whipping cream, it needs to be stored in the fridge. If you are baking this cake and then serving it that same evening, then you can leave it out for a few hours. Technically 6 hours is the rule, and I know that from my bakery days! But if you leave it out longer, it can sour.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
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Avocado Oil Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer (or hand mixer)
- 9-inch Cake Pan
Ingredients
Batter
- ¾ cup avocado oil
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 326 grams cane sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 308 grams cake flour
- 75 grams Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting
- 57 grams salted butter (softened)
- 283 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 57 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- heaping ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer, or whisk), add the avocado oil, heavy whipping cream, cane sugar, and eggs. Mix on low until combined.
- Add the cake flour, cocoa, vanilla bean, baking powder, and fine sea salt in that order. Mix on low until combined. Transfer to the prepared cake pan and spread evenly.
- Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer, or whisk), add the buttter, powdered sugar, cocoa, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high and whip for 1 minute or until light and fluffy.
- Remove the cake from the pan and spread the frosting on top.
- Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- While I'm using avocado oil here, you can also use canola oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- You can make the cake in a stand mixer, using a hand mixer, or just with a bowl and a whisk. Any way will work! In the video I make this with just a bowl and whisk, incase you want to watch.
- Make sure to allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it! (This is the hardest part).
- Be sure to store extra cake in a tupperware in the fridge (because the frosting has cream in it).
- Gluten Free — Replace the cake flour with 308 grams (2 cups) gluten free flour blend.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
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Can you use canola oil instead?
Hi, yes! You can definitely use canola oil in place of avocado oil.
At first I was hesitant about using avocado oil, but I decided to push the send button and give it a try. Success! I think the avocado oil adds to the richness of this already decadent recipe. Win!
Thank you so much!
For someone that already loves chocolate cake, I never thought about using avocado oil! This recipe is 10/10!!
thank you Brent!
This says Gluten Free but uses Cake flour, is there a GF cake flour you recommend?
Hi Jo! The gluten free substitution is always in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe, and I link to the exact gluten free flour used to test this recipe. I hope you love this cake as much as I do!