Chocolate Praline Cake

Name: Chocolate Praline Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 1 large egg white; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; ¾ cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons cinnamon (ground); ½ teaspoon sea salt; 4 cups raw pecan halves; 1 ½ cup water (hot); 1 teaspoon instant coffee; 3 large eggs (room temperature); 1 ½ cup brown sugar (packed); 1 ½ cup granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 1 ½ cup buttermilk (room temperature); 1 ½ cup vegetable oil; 3 cups all purpose flour (360g); 1 cup natural cocoa powder; 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda; 3 teaspoons baking powder; 35 oz milk chocolate (907g); 1 ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream; 1 ½ cups unsalted butter (softened); 3 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar); ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ¾ cup cocoa powder (dutch or natural); ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream (cold); ½ cup heavy whipping cream; ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

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This chocolate praline cake is 4 layers of soft, rich chocolate cake with silky smooth milk chocolate ganache and crunchy praline pecans. It’s covered in fluffy chocolate frosting, a stunningly easy chocolate drip, and more praline pecans on top. Each component is straightforward and easy to make. You don’t need an electric mixer for anything except for the buttercream on the outside.

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Why you will LOVE this recipe:

Easy: Each component is super easy and straightforward to make. You can make the cake layers and filling without an electric mixer and they come together in one bowl!
Praline Pecans: You will need a lot of pecans for this recipe because you’ll end up taste testing them way too much. You just can’t stop taste testing them! So this recipe makes a bit more to account for that.
Milk chocolate: The filling is a milky, silky, 2 ingredient milk chocolate ganache. It isn’t overpoweringly rich and combined with the praline pecans tastes very similar to a toblerone chocolate bar.
Chocolate: There’s chocolate in every single layer which makes it decadent and will satisfy every chocolate craving. The combination of dark and milk chocolate flavours together are just extra delicious.

Praline Pecans

It’s so easy to make praline pecans with this method here. Usually praline pecans involve cooking a sugar syrup coating the pecans in that. I prefer to make a candied pecan version because it’s so much easier. All you need to do is combine pecans and egg whites, toss to coat, and add cinnamon sugar. Toss to coat again, spread out on a baking sheet and bake low and slow (about 45 min) until toasty and crunchy.

The cinnamon really brings out that toasty warm praline flavour, you really don’t taste it much! If you don’t like cinnamon you can leave it out but I highly recommend it.

I find that this method is much easier, less stressful, and less time consuming than others. If you have any leftovers you can store them in an airtight container or jar and snack on them or gift them. It’s very hard to stop eating them once you get hooked!

Cake layers

These are my go to chocolate cake layers. They’re incredibly easy to make and turn out so soft, moist, tender, and rich. All you need is a really large bowl and a wire whisk. No electric mixer needed!

Milk chocolate ganache

The chocolate praline cake is filled with a lucsious milk chocolate ganache. It’s silky smooth, incredibly flavorful and so delicious! The only downside is that it requires a lot of milk chocolate to make - but it’s totally worth it. Milk chocolate ganache requires a higher ratio of chocolate to cream than dark or semi-sweet chocolate because it sets softer.

Don’t use milk chocolate chips because they may not emulsify and melt together properly. I recommend using a good quality milk chocolate bar. You can find extra large chocolate bars at most grocery stores - they will work great!

The chocolate and cream are melted together to form a smooth filling. It then needs to be chilled until it becomes a spreadable consistency. I pop it into the freezer and give it a good mix every 5-10 minutes.

Buttercream

I tried to frost the chocolate praline cake with just the ganache, but it didn’t get a very smooth finish. So I covered the cake with a simple, fluffy, chocolate buttercream. It gets a silky smooth texture from pouring in cream at the end. Then you want to fold the buttercream (or mix on low if you have a stand mixer) to get all the big airpockets out. This will create a silky smooth frosting, perfect for covering a cake.

The key to a silky, fluffy, bakery quality frosting is to beat the butter and sugar very well. This will take about 7-10 minutes. It should become very pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl a few times so that all the butter gets whipped up evenly. The longer you beat the butter, the less buttery and more creamy it will taste!

I prefer to use a paddle attachment and a stand mixer to make my buttercream because even though it’s simple to make, it does require a lot of elbow grease.

How to get the perfect drip

The perfect drip really relies on the temperature and consistency of the ganache. You want it to be at room temperature and about as thick as chocolate syrup.

The best way to go about it is to pour some on the back edge of the chocolate praline cake and see if you like the way it drips! If the drip is too thick, put the cup of ganache into hot water or blast it in the microwave for a few seconds to thin it out. If the drip is too thin, wait about 5 minutes before trying again.

To get more uniform drips you can use a piping bag or a bottle with a thin tip. I prefer a more organic drip so I just poured and spread with a spatula.

closeup of chocolate drip and praline pecans

Tips to making a layer cake look decent:

Believe it or not, I also struggle a lot with this. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make any cake look almost professional! I highly recommend a rotating cake stand like this one. You can use a lazy susan as well! It will make it so much easier to get all around the cake.

This chocolate praline cake is covered all over with the milk chocolate ganache filling to seal in all the crumbs. Heat the ganache slightly if it's too thick to cover the cake. All you need is a thin enough layer that will prevent the crumbs from escaping and ruining the finish.

It's much easier to frost a cake with buttercream so that's what we use here. I like to use this small offset spatula and this longer straight spatula to smooth out the top and sides. Take your time and have fun! It takes a lot longer to smooth down a cake than you would think. When you're smoothing down the frosting make sure that you are cleaning off your spatula every time you do a swipe. This will make the process much faster.

If you're finding a lot of air bubbles that are making the finish of the buttercream uneven, don't worry - that's an easy fix. All you have to do is slightly heat up a clean metal spatula and slowly smooth the sides and top, without taking off much buttercream. Make sure you wipe and heat up the metal spatula each time you take a swipe at the cake. I like to use a kitchen torch to heat up my spatula but you can also use a gas stove flame or a large cup of hot water. Make sure to carefully dry the spatula before using it if you're using hot water to heat it up.

Lastly, I always find that a simple drip makes any cake look extra fancy! This is definitely optional but it's oh so delicious and elegant.

slice of praline chocolate cake on plate

Make ahead

The best part about this chocolate praline cake is that you can make it ahead of time! I do recommend pouring on the drip the day of so that it stays shiny.

You can make and bake the layers a day ahead of assembling the cake. Cover them so that they don't dry out and leave at room temperature.

The cake can be filled and frosted the day before. Use a cake container/carrier to store it overnight in the fridge so the frosting doesn't get ruined. It will also prevent the cake from drying out and tasting like fridge.

The praline pecans can be made up to a week or two ahead of time. Make sure to store in an airtight container at room temperature and try not to eat them all!

Key ingredients

Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!

Buttermilk: this will give the black forest cupcakes lots of moisture and acidity to help make it super fluffy. If you can’t find buttermilk you can use kefir instead or make your own buttermilk by combining ½ cup of room temperature milk with ½ tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes to get thick.

All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.

Instant coffee: Just a touch of instant coffee is used to really amplify that rich chocolate flavour. If you don’t have instant coffee, you can replace the hot water with hot brewed coffee. Or you can leave out the instant coffee!

Natural cocoa powder: Natural cocoa powder will give the cake a rich chocolate flavour. I don’t recommend using dutch processed cocoa powder because it isn’t acidic and won’t give you the best texture here. Natural cocoa powder reacts with the baking soda in this recipe to give you a super fluffy cake.

Heavy cream: You need whipping cream or 35% cream for the whipped ganache and the chocolate drip. Don't use anything less than 32% cream.

Milk chocolate: Use good quality milk chocolate bars (you can use the giant ones) and chop it up into pieces. I don't recommend using milk chocolate chips for the ganache filling because it might not make a smooth ganache.

Pecans: Raw pecan halves work best, they will toast up well in the oven.

chocolate drip cake on wood and marble cake stand

Step by step

Step 1 - Make praline pecans. Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Stir together sugar, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together egg white and vanilla to break up the egg white. Place pecans in a large bowl. Pour egg white mixture on top of the pecans and toss well to coat. Pour sugar mixture into the pecans and mix well until all the pecans are coated.

Step 2 - Bake pecans. Pour coated pecans onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, mixing the pecans every 15 minutes to prevent them from burning. They are ready when the pecans are nice and golden with a crisp sugary exterior. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in airtight containers at room temperature (if making ahead).

Step 3 - Prep layers. Grease two 8” round cake pans with vegetable oil and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Add instant coffee into the hot water and stir until dissolved, set aside. If you won’t be using instant coffee, just set the hot water aside for later.

Step 4 - Mix wet ingredients. In a very large bowl combine eggs, brown and granulated sugars, salt, and whisk until very well combined. Add buttermilk and vegetable oil, stir until combined.

Step 5 - Add dry. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder right into the bowl. Use a whisk to gently fold the batter. Halfway through, add the hot water and instant coffee mixture. Fold just until you stop seeing streaks of dry flour.

Step 6 - Bake. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pans and bake for 35-45 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the baking pans from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before flipping them over onto a cooling rack. Use a small knife or spatula to run around the edges to release the cake easier. Let cool completely.

wet ingredients for chocolate cake in bowl

Step 7 - Make ganache. I like to start the ganache before the cake layers to give it plenty of time to cool. Bring a pot with a few inches of water to a simmer on the stove. Find a large heat safe bowl that fits on top of the pot. Chop the chocolate with a serrated knife and place into the bowl. Pour cream over the chocolate. Place bowl on top of the pot of simmering water and mix the ganache gently with a spatula. Stir frequently so that it melts evenly and doesn’t burn. Once the chocolate is mostly melted, whisk with a wire whisk to help it come together and become smooth.

Step 8 - Cool ganache. Take it off the heat and transfer to a different container to help cool faster. Place into the freezer, giving the ganache a good mix every 5-10 minutes until the ganache becomes the consistency of thick frosting and holds its shape. This will take about 30 minutes.

Step 9 - Chocolate buttercream. Beat the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment until very light and fluffy. This will take about 7-10 minutes. Scrape the bowl a few times in between. Sift the cocoa powder into the buttercream. Beat well, scraping the bowl, and beating well again. Add vanilla to the buttercream. Add the cream gradually, beating well until fluffy and scraping down the bowl halfway.

Fold the buttercream with a spatula to remove any large air pockets or use a stand mixer on the lowest speed for a minute. This helps to get a perfectly smooth frosting for a smooth finish.

Step 10 - Chocolate drip. Bring the cream to a simmer in a pot on the stove. Place chocolate chips into a medium heat safe bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover, and let sit for 7 minutes. Whisk together until smooth. Set aside in a large cup with a spout until ready to use.

Step 11 - Slice layers. Start off by slicing each cake layer in half horizontally to create 4 layers total. Use a large serrated bread knife and a turntable to help you. Holding the knife blade parallel to the table, cut shallow cuts all the way around the middle of the cake, turning the cake every time, until you get to the middle. Do this for the other cake so you get 4 layers total.

Step 12 - Assemble. Place a dollop of ganache onto the bottom of a cake board or cake stand. Place the first layer onto the cake board and cover with ½” thick layer of milk chocolate ganache. Sprinkle chopped praline pecans liberally over the ganache. Place the next cake layer on top, repeating with the ganache and the praline pecans until you get to the last layer.

Cover the whole outside of the cake with the remaining milk chocolate ganache to seal in all the crumbs. If the ganache is too thick and difficult to work with, warm it up on top of a pot of hot water or blasting it in the microwave a few seconds at a time.

Step 13 - Cover with buttercream. Chill the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes if the ganache is tacky before covering and smoothing with buttercream. Press praline pecans onto the bottom third of the cake.

Step 14 - Pour drip. Test the drip on the back of the cake. If it’s too thick, heat it up by placing the cup of chocolate drip in a bit of hot water. If it’s too thin, wait another 5 minutes and try again. Pour the drip on top of the cake, spreading it out to the edges with a small offset spatula, letting it fall down the edges of the cake. Tap the bottom of the cake to help the drip travel down.

Chill the chocolate praline cake for 5 minutes in the freezer to help set the drip and arrange more praline pecans along the top edge of the cake in a circle.

milk chocolate ganache topped with praline pecans

Step 15 - Serve. Slice and serve the chocolate praline cake at room temperature.

FAQ

Why is my chocolate drip too liquidy?

That is probably because it wasn’t chilled enough. Pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides halfway through to get it to chill faster.

How do I get fluffy cake layers every time?

The most important step to getting buttery, light, and fluffy cake layers is making sure the flour is properly measured. I use a scale to weigh the flour for the most accurate results. A cheap kitchen scale works wonders. If you don’t have a scale on hand, you can measure the flour properly using dry measuring cups. Mix up your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife without packing in the flour. It isn’t as accurate as using a scale but is the next best option!
After adding the flour and cocoa powder into the cake batter, only fold the batter just until you stop seeing ribbons of dry ingredients. Overmixing will cause too much gluten to form which will make your cake dry and tough. I recommend using a whisk to fold because it will break up most of the clumps of flour.

Can I use dutch processed cocoa powder in chocolate cake?

I only recommend using natural cocoa powder for the cake because it reacts differently to Dutch processed. Natural cocoa powder is slightly acidic and will react with the baking soda to make a fluffy and richer flavoured chocolate cake.

What kind of chocolate should I use for milk chocolate ganache?

Use a good quality milk chocolate bar. You can find large milk chocolate bars in grocery stores in the chocolate aisle. I don't recommend using milk chocolate chips because your ganache might seize up and not melt.

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