Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cups (180 g) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
For the pistachio – kadaif filling:
- 10.6 oz kataifi pastry
- 3.7 oz butter
- 6.35 oz white chocolate bar (chopped)
- 6.35 oz natural pistachio butter
- Pinch of salt (taste and adjust)
For the whipped chocolate ganache:
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream (35% fat, very cold)
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 10.6 oz (300 g) dark chocolate (55% cocoa or more, melted)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Add vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, and egg. Mix until smooth.
4. Pour the batter evenly into pans and bake for 25–30 minutes. Let cool completely.
5. Prepare the kataifi filling by shredding and spreading the kataifi pastry on a baking sheet.
6. Drizzle with melted butter and bake until golden brown and crisp.
7. Melt the white chocolate gently, then mix with pistachio butter and a pinch of salt.
8. Fold in the crispy kataifi and chill the mixture until thick but spreadable.
9. For the ganache, heat the cream with honey until steaming, then pour over chopped dark chocolate.
10. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Chill until thick and whip until fluffy.
11. Layer the cake with pistachio-kataifi filling, then cover with whipped ganache.
12. Decorate with crushed pistachios, chocolate shards, or edible gold if desired.
Notes
- Use good-quality chocolate for the ganache to ensure a smooth finish.
- The kataifi filling adds crunch—substitute with crushed wafers if needed.
- Chill the cake before slicing for clean layers.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Resting Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Fusion, Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegetarian