Chocolate Celebration Cake (Print Version)

Luscious chocolate olive oil cake with rich ganache and crunchy hazelnut praline. A modern European showstopper for any special occasion.

# 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

# Steps to Follow:

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 well combined.
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 while whisking continuously 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 and cool completely.
07 - Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy 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 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 second cake layer and cover top and sides with remaining ganache. Decorate generously with hazelnut praline shards.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The olive oil keeps the cake moist for days, so you can bake ahead without any guilt or dryness.
  • Hot coffee in the batter makes the chocolate taste like it came from a fancy patisserie, not your own oven.
  • Hazelnut praline adds that celebratory crunch that makes people lean in and ask what youve done differently.
  • Its impressive enough for birthdays but forgiving enough that you wont panic if someone watches you assemble it.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk are non negotiable; cold ingredients will make the batter seize and the texture will suffer.
  • Don't skip the hot coffee, even if you're not a coffee drinker; it doesn't make the cake taste like coffee, it just makes the chocolate taste more like itself.
  • When making praline, work quickly once the sugar turns amber because it hardens fast and you only get one shot at spreading it out.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale to divide the batter evenly between the pans; it guarantees even layers and no lopsided cake drama.
  • If your ganache breaks or looks grainy, add a tablespoon of warm cream and whisk vigorously until it comes back together.
  • Make the praline a day ahead and store it in an airtight container; it actually stays crunchier that way and saves you stress on the day of assembly.
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