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 -
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Preheat oven to 180°C, line a 7/8inch round cake tin with oil and baking paper.
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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.
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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.
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Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tin and bake for 55 mins, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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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 -
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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.
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Add the almond extract and tahini into the mixing bowl and beat again until combined. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Kataifi -
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In a sauté pam on low heat add the butter and finely chopped Kataifi pastry.
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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.
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Take off the heat and allow it to cool completely before using.
Assembly -
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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.
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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.
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Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat the process. Use the remaining buttercream frosting to cover the top and the edges.
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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