Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Cake

This chocolate pistachio cake is inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar. It's made with layers of chocolate cake, filled with pistachio cream and crunchy kataifi, and frosted with a melt-in-your-mouth whipped chocolate ganache.

Jump to:

• Notes from the baker
• Why you'll love this recipe
• Tools
• Ingredient notes
• Tips for making the best chocolate pistachio cake
• Storage
• Frequently asked questions
• More cake recipes to try
• Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

• Soft chocolate cake layers. An easy-to-make chocolate cake that is my go-to recipe.
• Super crunchy toasted kataifi filling. The crunch is incredible! If you've tried the Dubai chocolate bar or kataifi made in the same way, you know what it's like!
• Delicious pistachio flavour. Pistachio and chocolate go so well together and it's an easy way to elevate this chocolate cake.
• Rich whipped dark chocolate ganache frosting. This fluffy ganache frosting melts in your mouth and is a welcome change from the usual buttercream frosting.

Tools

• 6" cake pans - This recipe was developed for a 3-layer 6" cake. If you want to use 8" cake pans, multiply all the ingredients by 1.8x or simply double the recipe to avoid any weird decimals.
• Whisk - You only need a whisk to mix the cake batter but you can also use a hand mixer if you prefer.
• Electric hand mixer - You'll need a hand mixer to whip the ganache frosting.
• Frying pan - You'll need a pan to toast the kataifi. Try to use a large pan so that there's enough room to spread the kataifi out so that it toasts evenly.
• Cake turntable - A turntable makes frosting cakes so much easier. If you're buying a new one, I would highly recommend spending a little more on a full metal turntable rather than a plastic one. Metal turntables are heavier (so they don't move around) and spin much smoother.
• Offset spatula - A offset spatula makes spreading the filling and frosting easier because it's bent at the perfect angle.
• Bench scraper - This is optional but a bench scraper allows you to smooth the frosting around the cake for straight edges. Depending on how you want to frost your cake and the design you want to create, you might not need it at all.

Ingredient notes

• All-purpose flour
• Cocoa powder - Use natural cocoa powder (usually the most common kind of cocoa powder you can find in store). You could also probably use dutch-processed cocoa powder with fine results but this recipe has not been tested with it.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Unsalted butter - This should be melted and cooled until it's lukewarm. Don't use the melted butter while it's hot - we don't want to dissolve all the sugar or cook the eggs in the batter.
• Oil - Use any light-tasting oil such as canola oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil. Using a combination of oil and butter makes the cake softer than an all-butter cake.
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Eggs - These should be at room temperature. If you forget to take them out ahead of time, you can submerge them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
• Milk - Use any dairy or non-dairy milk that you prefer. It's important that this is also at room temperature to prevent the butter from solidifying into little chunks.
• Kataifi pastry - Kataifi, also called kadayif or katayif, is a type of shredded phyllo pastry commonly used in Turkish and Middle Eastern desserts. It can be found frozen or dry (shelf stable). This recipe was tested with the dry kind which may be easier to find online and easier to work with.
• Pistachio cream - This is a pistachio spread made with pistachios and usually milk-based ingredients and oils to make it a milky and spreadable texture.
• Dark chocolate - I would recommend using 55-70% dark chocolate. 70% dark chocolate will be on the more bitter side so it depends on what you prefer! Be sure to finely chop it so that it melts evenly.
• Whipping cream or heavy cream - Ganache works best when made with heavy cream because of the higher fat content but whipping cream also works.
• Pistachios - You only need a small handful of chopped pistachios to decorate the top of the cake.

Tips for making the best chocolate pistachio cake

• Use room temperature ingredients. This is important in all recipes that call for it but especially in this one since we're using melted butter. Room temperature ingredients such as eggs and milk mix more seamlessly into the batter and won't cause the butter to solidifying or curdle.
• Use cake strips for flatter cake layers. The cake layers may bake with a domed top if the sides of the cake cook faster than the middle. You can either cut off the domed top once the cake layers have cooled or bake the cakes with cake strips. Cake strips are strips of fabric that you soak in water and wrap around the outside of the cake pans to help lower the temperature of the pan. You can also make DIY cake strips with wet paper towels wrapped in aluminum foil.
• Use a large pan to toast the kataifi. Once the kataifi starts toasting, it happens pretty quickly. A large pan allows you to spread the kataifi out and have room to move the pastry around so that each little piece toasts evenly.
• Use the ganache frosting immediately after whipping. Whipped ganache tends to firm up pretty quickly after whipping. It works best if used right away. If it becomes too stiff, you can re-whip it but be careful not to overwhip.
• 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.

Frequently asked questions

More cake recipes to try

• Raspberry Pistachio Cake
• Strawberry Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Mousse Cake
• Chocolate Orange Cake
• Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Recipe