Chocolate Celebration Cake (Printable)

Deeply chocolatey olive oil cake with ganache and 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 removed
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 stir until just combined.
04 - Slowly add hot coffee while whisking until batter is smooth. The batter will have a thin consistency.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes 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 saucepan until just simmering, then pour over chocolate. Let sit 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 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 Suggestions:

01 -
  • The olive oil keeps the cake impossibly moist for days, no dry edges here.
  • Hot coffee in the batter transforms ordinary cocoa into deep, complex chocolate flavor.
  • Hazelnut praline adds a grown up crunch that makes every bite feel special.
  • It looks like you spent all day, but the steps are straightforward and forgiving.
02 -
  • Let your eggs and milk come to room temperature or the batter may separate and bake unevenly.
  • Don't stir the sugar while it melts for praline, just swirl the pan, stirring can cause crystallization and a grainy mess.
  • Cool the ganache until it thickens to spreadable consistency, too warm and it'll slide right off the cake.
03 -
  • If your ganache seizes or looks grainy, blend it with an immersion blender for 30 seconds and it'll come back silky.
  • Line your parchment with a light spray of oil so the cakes release without tearing.
  • Make the praline first and get it out of the way, then you can focus on the cake without rushing.
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