Chocolate Celebration Cake (Printable Version)

Luscious chocolate olive oil cake with ganache and hazelnut praline—a true showstopper for any celebration.

# 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

# 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, 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 chopped 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 Advice:

01 -
  • The olive oil makes the cake stay moist and soft for three full days, unlike butter cakes that dry out overnight.
  • Hot coffee in the batter creates a depth of chocolate flavor that tastes professionally made without any fuss.
  • Hazelnut praline adds a candy shop crunch that makes every bite feel like an event.
  • It looks like something from a bakery window but comes together with everyday skills and no special equipment.
02 -
  • Do not stir the sugar while it melts for praline or it will crystallize into a grainy mess instead of smooth caramel.
  • Let the ganache cool until it holds soft peaks when stirred, or it will slide right off the cake.
  • Room temperature eggs and milk blend much faster and create a smoother, more stable batter.
  • The batter will look alarmingly thin after adding coffee, but that is exactly what creates the moist, tender crumb.
03 -
  • Weigh your flour if possible—too much makes the cake dense and dry instead of tender.
  • Do not skip the parchment circles in the pans, or you will spend twenty minutes prying stuck cake from the bottom.
  • If your ganache splits or looks grainy, add a tablespoon of warm cream and whisk gently until it comes back together.
  • Taste a hazelnut before making praline to be sure it is toasted enough—pale nuts lack the deep, caramelized flavor you want.
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