Chocolate and Cherry Olive Oil Cake

Preheat the oven to 170°C conventional. Grease and line the base and sides of a 21cm cake tin. Drain the cherries and reserve ½ cup of the thin syrup they are preserved in.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and a good pinch of fine salt in a large bowl. Whisk briefly to combine.

Place the eggs, olive oil, reserved thin syrup and vanilla essence in a jug and lightly whisk to combine.

Pour the contents of the jug into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold using a spatula until well combined. Add 200g of the drained cherries and the finely chopped dark chocolate. Fold until combined and then pour into the prepared cake tin. Scatter on the remaining cherries; some will sink into the batter, but several will stay on top.

Bake for 55 minutes or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack and remove from the tin after ten or so minutes. Dust with icing sugar once the cake cools. Can store for about 4 days in an airtight container in a cool spot.

Recipe by: @italyonmymind