Fantastic Homemade Dubai Chocolate Cake With Pistachio

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes    
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 

This chocolate pistachio cake takes its cue from the famous Dubai chocolate bar that everyone’s been raving about. It features luscious layers of rich chocolate cake, a delightful pistachio cream filling, and a satisfying crunch from kataifi, all topped off with a velvety whipped chocolate ganache that just melts in your mouth!💟😋

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

- 190 g all-purpose flour

- 75 g natural cocoa powder

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- ½ teaspoon baking soda

- ½ teaspoon salt

- 115 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

- 100 g light-tasting oil (like canola or avocado)

- 100 g granulated sugar

- 100 g brown sugar

- 2 large eggs, at room temperature

- 330 g milk (dairy or non-dairy), at room temperature

Pistachio Kataifi Filling:

- 100 g kataifi pastry (shredded phyllo pastry, also known as kadayif or katayif)

- 250 g pistachio cream

Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

- 200 g dark chocolate, finely chopped

- 300 g whipping cream or heavy cream

- Chopped pistachios, shelled

Directions:

Chocolate Cake:

1. Prep: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Grab three 6" cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set them aside for now.
2. Flour mixture: In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Just set that aside for a bit.
3. Whisk: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk all the ingredients together until well blended. Then, add the eggs and whisk until everything is smooth and nicely combined.
4. Alternatively, add the flour mixture and milk: Start by adding half of the flour mixture and whisking until it’s mostly combined. Then, pour in half of the milk and whisk again until it’s mostly mixed. Repeat this process with the remaining flour mixture and milk until you have a nice, smooth batter.
5. Fill pans: Now, divide the batter evenly among your three lined 6" cake pans, aiming for about 360g of batter in each one.
6. Bake: Pop the cakes in the oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Once done, let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack until they’re cool enough to handle without needing oven mitts.
7. Level cakes: Use an offset spatula to gently run around the edges of the cakes. Turn the layers out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. Once they’re cool, take a serrated knife and level the cake layers by cutting off the domed tops until they’re nice and flat.

Pistachio Kataifi Filling:

1. Toast: In a large dry pan on medium heat, add the kataifi pastry. If you're using dry kataifi, you can add it straight to the pan. If you're using frozen kataifi, you'll need to chop it up into smaller pieces first. Toast the kataifi until evenly golden brown, moving it around with a spatula often to prevent burning.
2. Mix: Once golden brown, remove the pan from the heat. Add the pistachio cream and mix it thoroughly with the toasted kataifi. The residual heat from the pan will melt the pistachio cream so that it's easier to mix. Set aside to cool.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

1. Heat cream: In a medium bowl, add the finely chopped chocolate. In a pan on low-medium heat or in the microwave, heat the cream until tiny bubbles start coming to the surface and it just barely begins to simmer.
2. Melt chocolate: Pour the hot cream on top of the chopped chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Then, start stirring the mixture starting from the middle of the bowl outwards until all the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth.
3. Cool: Let the ganache cool to room temperature either on the counter or in the fridge to speed up the process. Meanwhile, start assembling the cake.

Assemble the cake:

1. Layer: On a cake turntable, lay down a cake board. Place the first cake layer down on the board. Add half of the pistachio kataifi mixture on top of the cake layer and use an offset spatula to spread it out into a flat layer. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat.
2. Whip ganache: Once the ganache is cooled and firmed up, use an electric hand mixer to whip the ganache for a few minutes until it lightens in colour and holds peaks. Use it to frost the cake immediately.
3. Crumb coat: Spread a thin layer of whipped ganache around the cake as a crumb coat, focusing on the gaps in between the cake layers. Smooth the ganache with a bench scraper.
4. Frost cake: Spread the rest of the whipped ganache on the cake and smooth with a bench scraper.
5. Frosting design: Starting at the bottom of the cake, drag an offset spatula upwards through the ganache and repeat across the whole cake to create a vertical pattern. Drag the spatula across the top of the cake while spinning the turntable to create a spiral pattern on top.
6. Decorate: Sprinkle the top with chopped pistachios to finish it off. Run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe dry before slicing for clean cuts.

Tips & Notes:

• Ensure that you use room-temperature ingredients. This is crucial for all recipes that require it, but it’s especially important here since we’re working with melted butter. When ingredients like eggs and milk are at room temperature, they blend into the batter much more smoothly, preventing the butter from solidifying or curdling.
• Consider using cake strips for flatter cake layers. If the sides of the cake cook faster than the center, you might end up with a domed top. You can either trim off the dome once the layers have cooled or use cake strips while baking. These strips are made of fabric that you soak in water and wrap around the outside of the cake pans to help keep the temperature down. If you’re feeling crafty, you can even make your own cake strips using wet paper towels wrapped in aluminum foil.
• When toasting kataifi, opt for a large pan. Once the kataifi starts to toast, it can go quickly. A larger pan gives you the space to spread out the kataifi and move the pastry around, ensuring that every little piece gets toasted evenly.
• Use the ganache frosting right after whipping it. Whipped ganache tends to firm up fast, so it’s best to use it immediately. If it does get too stiff, you can re-whip it, but just be cautious not to overdo it!
• Run your metal spatula and bench scraper under hot water to create a smooth finish in the frosting. Since the ganache is chocolate-based, it will melt and soften when exposed to heat. Using hot tools allows you to move the frosting around or create designs in it by slightly warming the surface.

Storage:

• This chocolate pistachio cake can be stored covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let the cake come back to room temperature before serving.
• Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition:

Calories: 941kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 394mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 1047IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 8mg