Chocolate Celebration Cake (Printable)

Luscious chocolate cake with ganache layers and crunchy hazelnut praline topping for special occasions.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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.
03 - In another bowl, whisk olive oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and combine until just incorporated.
04 - Slowly add hot coffee while whisking until batter becomes smooth and thin.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in 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 a 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 cake incredibly moist for days, so you can bake ahead without worry.
  • Hot coffee in the batter doesn't make it taste like coffee, it just makes the chocolate taste more like itself.
  • That hazelnut praline on top gives you the textural contrast that makes every bite interesting.
  • It looks like you spent all day, but the steps are straightforward and mostly hands off.
02 -
  • Don't skip the parchment paper in the pans, even if they're nonstick, because this cake is tender and can tear easily.
  • Let the ganache cool and thicken before you try to spread it, or it will just slide right off the sides of the cake.
  • When making praline, have everything ready before you start because once that sugar turns amber, you have about 30 seconds before it hardens.
  • Room temperature eggs and milk really do make a difference in how the batter comes together.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale for the flour and cocoa if you have one, it makes a real difference in consistency.
  • When spreading ganache, dip your offset spatula in hot water, dry it, and then smooth, the warmth helps it glide.
  • If you're nervous about praline, practice once with half the sugar and nuts, it's cheap and you'll feel confident the second time.
  • Let the assembled cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing so the ganache softens just enough to cut cleanly.
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