Chocolate Celebration Cake with Ganache (Print Version)

Luscious chocolate 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

# Directions:

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 until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk olive oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and stir until just combined. Slowly add hot coffee while whisking until batter reaches a thin, smooth consistency.
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 2 minutes. Add butter and stir until smooth and glossy. Cool while stirring occasionally until thickened to spreading consistency.
08 - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 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 Suggestions:

01 -
  • The olive oil keeps the crumb impossibly moist for days, so you can bake ahead without worry.
  • That hazelnut praline adds a showstopping crunch that makes people lean in and ask what makes it so good.
  • The ganache is silky enough to spread like a dream but firm enough to hold its shape on the plate.
  • Coffee deepens the chocolate without shouting about it, just pure, grown-up richness.
02 -
  • The coffee batter will look alarmingly thin, but trust it, that's what makes the cake so tender.
  • Don't stir the sugar while it melts or it will crystallize into a grainy mess, just swirl the pan gently.
  • Let the ganache cool to spreading consistency or it will slide right off the cake in a chocolatey puddle.
03 -
  • Weigh your cocoa powder if you can, it clumps and measuring by volume can throw off the balance.
  • When making praline, have everything ready before you start, once that sugar melts it moves fast and won't wait for you to find your parchment.
  • If your ganache splits, add a tablespoon of warm cream and whisk like your life depends on it, it'll come back together.
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