Chocolate Celebration Cake with Ganache (Print version)

Deeply chocolatey olive oil cake with ganache and hazelnut praline—perfect for celebrations.

# 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 Steps:

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 stir until just combined.
04 - Slowly add hot brewed coffee, whisking until batter is smooth and thin in consistency.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 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 heavy cream in a small saucepan until just simmering, then pour over chocolate. Let sit 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 toasted 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.

# Tips from the pros:

01 -
  • The olive oil makes the crumb so tender it almost melts on your tongue, staying moist for three full days.
  • Hot coffee deepens the chocolate into something dark and complex without tasting like coffee at all.
  • That hazelnut praline adds a shattering crunch that makes every bite feel like a little celebration.
  • It looks like you spent all day in the kitchen but comes together faster than most layer cakes.
02 -
  • Let the ganache cool and thicken at room temperature, not in the fridge, or it will seize and become grainy instead of silky.
  • Don't stir the sugar while it's melting or it will crystallize into a grainy mess, just swirl the pan gently.
  • Room temperature eggs and milk are crucial, cold ingredients won't emulsify properly and you'll end up with a dense, uneven cake.
03 -
  • Weigh your ingredients if you can, especially the flour and cocoa, because volume measurements vary wildly and can throw off the texture.
  • Use the best chocolate you can afford for the ganache, you'll taste the difference in every single bite.
  • If your praline starts to harden before you've spread it, pop the pan back over low heat for just a few seconds to loosen it again.
  • Score the top of your cake lightly before adding praline shards so you know where to cut later without cracking through the decoration.
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