Chocolate Celebration Cake (Print version)

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

# What You 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

# How To Make It:

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, whisking until batter is smooth. The batter will be thin.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 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 chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until just simmering, then pour over chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes. Add butter and stir until smooth and glossy. Let 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 a 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 Tips:

01 -
  • The olive oil keeps the crumb impossibly moist for days, so you can bake ahead without worry.
  • Hot coffee in the batter creates a chocolate flavor so deep it tastes like it came from a fancy bakery.
  • Hazelnut praline adds a gorgeous crunch that makes every bite feel like an event.
  • It looks stunning but uses simple techniques, no pastry degree required.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk are critical, cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize and bake unevenly.
  • Don't skip the coffee, even if you don't drink it, the chocolate flavor won't be the same without that depth.
  • Let the ganache cool properly before frosting or it will slide right off the cake in a puddle.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale for the flour and cocoa, it's the only way to guarantee consistent results every time.
  • Spin your cake stand while frosting so the ganache goes on smooth and even without fighting gravity.
  • Warm your offset spatula under hot water and dry it before spreading ganache, it glides like butter.
  • If the praline seizes or crystallizes, start over, there's no saving it and it's better to know now than waste hazelnuts.
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