Chocolate Celebration Cake (Printable)

Deeply chocolatey olive oil cake with rich ganache and crunchy hazelnut praline—a true celebration showstopper.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 cups granulated sugar
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup hot brewed coffee

→ Ganache

12 - 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
13 - 1 cup heavy cream
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Hazelnut Praline

15 - 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, skins rubbed off
16 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
17 - Pinch of sea salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In another bowl, whisk olive oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and blend until just combined.
04 - Slowly add hot coffee while whisking until batter is smooth and thin.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
06 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
07 - Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until just simmering, then pour over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes. Add butter and stir until smooth and glossy. Cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened to spreading consistency.
08 - Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a small saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, swirling until melted and amber in color. Remove from heat, stir in hazelnuts and salt, then quickly spread onto prepared sheet. Cool completely, then break into shards or chop coarsely.
09 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with one-third of the ganache. Top with the second cake layer and cover top and sides with remaining ganache. Decorate generously with hazelnut praline shards.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Olive oil keeps the crumb impossibly moist for days, unlike butter cakes that dry out by morning.
  • The ganache sets just firm enough to slice cleanly but melts on your tongue like silk.
  • Hazelnut praline adds that fancy pastry shop crunch without any fancy equipment or technique.
  • Hot coffee in the batter makes the chocolate taste like it came from a different, darker universe.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk are non-negotiable, cold ingredients will cause the batter to separate and bake unevenly.
  • Do not skip the hot coffee, it transforms the cocoa powder and makes the chocolate flavor exponentially richer.
  • Let the ganache cool and thicken naturally instead of refrigerating it, or it may seize and turn grainy.
  • Watch the praline sugar like a hawk once it starts to color, it goes from perfect to burnt in seconds.
03 -
  • Invest in good chocolate for the ganache, the flavor difference is impossible to ignore.
  • Bake the cakes a day ahead and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, they will be even more moist and easier to frost.
  • If your praline sticks to the pan, warm the bottom gently over a low burner for a few seconds to release it.
  • For perfectly level layers, use a serrated knife to trim any domed tops before assembling.
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