I made Kim Boyce's olive oil cake with rosemary and chocolate recently and we loved the cake but did not like the rosemary in the cake. I

also here's a chocolate cake that works with canola oil in the original which would easily take olive oil instead...http://www.egglesscooking.com/2010/01/06/vegan-chocolate-banana-cake/

try one with lavender and lemon Timesofisrael.com/a-drizzle-of-olive-oil-in-a-batch-of-tea-cakes/ or Sauternes and peaches http://books.google.ca/books?id=X-GcbWY-2vsC&pg=PT88&lpg=PT88&dq=olive+oil+sauternes+cake+chez+panisse&source=bl&ots=W1_NN4g7ZM&sig=npVUgcFnniWhtOLEwSoxymRXtTc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9MOGVKqsDYGsyASbo4GgAg&ved=0CGwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=olive%20oil%20sauternes%20cake%20chez%20panisse&f=false...both are good. Also, I sub olive oil for other fat in standard quick-bread recipes (zucchini, carrot, etc) and you can use whatever spicing you like in that range - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon etc

To olive2eat: I LOVE rosemary. Have it in my backyard. In my opinion, it did not go with the chocolate. The cake seemed to have an identity crisis! However, I seem to be in the minority in this opinion. I would encourage everyone to purchase this cookbook, Good to the Grain. I have had it for about a year, and I have actually made about 40% of the recipes. I love the book. The photography is beautiful and the recipes are delicious.

Thank you nogaga and SKK. I was about to post the same question. Great cat, by the way.

@nogaga, Tom the Cat says thank you!

Thank you SKK of the beautiful cat!

@nogaga Google it and it will show up in Kim Boyce's blog as well as 101 cookbooks.

Stephanie G, any chance of you posting that recipe? It sounds so tempting!

I'm curious if you thought the rosemary was overwhelming or you just didn't like it in this cake. Sticking with the herb theme I would try bay leaf, thyme, or savory.

Now if you thought the rosemary was overwhelming I'd say infuse it in the olive oil but then again I don't know the recipe.

For me Queen of Spoons takes the cake I'd go for the orange. I'm not sure how it would pair with the olive oil but I know it would be awesome with the chocolate.

Please report back with your results.

Try all three, and have a taste-test with friends!

Oh! I'm so torn...so many good suggestions. I love the lemon or orange but I am very attracted to the red peppers too...

Basil would be great or cayenne or dried red peppers. Also lemon zest or lavender.

More traditional flavor combo, but how about orange zest?

What I meant to say is, do you have suggestions to replace the rosemary?