Chocolate Celebration Cake (Print version)

Deeply chocolatey olive oil cake with ganache and hazelnut praline—a true showstopper for celebrations.

# 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:

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 extract until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and combine until just incorporated.
04 - Slowly add hot brewed coffee while whisking until batter reaches smooth consistency. 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 finely 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. Cool while stirring occasionally until ganache reaches spreading consistency.
08 - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, swirling until melted and amber colored. 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 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 tender for days, so you can bake ahead without worry.
  • Hot coffee deepens the chocolate flavor in a way that feels almost unfair to other cakes.
  • That hazelnut praline on top adds a shattering crunch that makes every slice feel like an event.
  • It looks like you spent all day, but the steps are simpler than you'd think.
02 -
  • Don't skip the parchment paper lining, even if you grease the pans well, this cake is too precious to risk sticking.
  • Let the ganache cool and thicken before spreading, or it'll just slide right off the cake and pool on the plate.
  • When making praline, don't stir the sugar too much as it melts or it can crystallize and turn grainy instead of smooth.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale if you have one, weighing your flour and cocoa makes a noticeable difference in texture.
  • Run a knife under hot water and wipe it dry before each slice, you'll get clean cuts through the ganache every time.
  • If your praline gets sticky, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before breaking it up, it'll shatter more cleanly.
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