Dubai Chocolate Cake

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Dubai Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate cake -

  • 1 ½ cup Flour
  • ½ cup Castor sugar
  • ½ cup Brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 1/3 cup Vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup Hot coffee
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Vinegar

Pistachio buttercream frosting -

  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/4 cup icing sugar
  • 1/4 cup pistachio butter smooth
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 drop almond extract

Kunafa -

  • 1 1/2 cups kataifi pastry (frozen or dry)
  • 1 tbsp butter

Preparation

Chocolate cake -

  • Preheat oven to 180°C, line a 7/8inch round cake tin with oil and baking paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, white & brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and whisk until evenly combined and no lumps.
  • Add all the wet ingredients except for the vinegar and whisk well until smooth. Add the vinegar at the end and whisk again. It is a wet batter and this makes it moist.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tin and bake for 55 mins, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Let it sit in baking tin for a few minutes until easier to handle, remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack completely before using. You can also allow the cake to cool in the tin overnight wrapped in cling wrap.

Pistachio buttercream frosting -

  • In a large mixing bowl add the butter, pistachio paste, icing sugar and beat with an electric beater until smooth and creamy, around 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the almond extract and tahini into the mixing bowl and beat again until combined. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Kataifi -

  • In a sauté pam on low heat add the butter and finely chopped Kataifi pastry.
  • Stir the pastry around using a rubber spatula making sure it is evenly golden and has a light brown color. This should take 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring it as it will burn in some places and not get toasted in others.
  • Take off the heat and allow it to cool completely before using.

Assembly -

  • Using a bread knife or cake leveler divide the cake into 3 parts horizontally to create 3 even layers- to the best of your ability.
  • Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate/platter, add 2 scoops of the pistachio buttercream frosting on the cake, top with 3 tablespoons of the toasted kunafa pastry and drizzle over a tablespoon of the pistachio spread.
  • Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat the process. Use the remaining buttercream frosting to cover the top and the edges. 
  • Top the edges of the cake with the remaining toasted kataifi pastry and allow this to sit in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife and serve 

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