Dubai Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups (400 grams) All-Purpose Flour
• 1½ cups (125 grams) Cocoa Powder
• 1 tbsp Baking Soda
• 1½ tsp Baking Powder
• 1½ tsp Salt
• 2 ½ cups (500 grams) White Granulated Sugar
• 4 Eggs, large
• 1½ cups (355 ml) Buttermilk
• ½ cup (125 ml) Vegetable Oil
• 1½ cups Warm Water
• 1 tbsp Instant Coffee Powder
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 ½ cups (375 ml) Milk, room temperature
• 1 ½ tbsp White Vinegar
• 3 ½ cups (650 grams) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 ¾ cups (400 ml) Heavy Cream (35%)
• 1 tbsp (14 grams) Unsalted Butter
• 250 grams Kanafi (shredded Philo dough)
• 50 grams Butter
• 1 cup (225 grams) Pistachio Cream
• 1 tbsp Tahini
• ½ cup (120 ml) Water
• 3 tbsp Sugar

Method

1. To make a buttermilk substitute, stir the white vinegar into the room-temperature milk and set it aside for several minutes. Use this instead of the listed buttermilk, not in addition to it.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F. Grease three 9-inch round cake tins, dust the sides with cocoa powder and line the bases with parchment paper.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the sugar and whisk until evenly combined.
5. Dissolve the instant coffee powder in the warm water and set it aside.
6. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, coffee mixture and vanilla extract.
7. Mix first with a spatula, then beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the batter is smooth.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake tins.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
10. Cool the cakes completely on wire racks before removing them from the tins.
11. For the ganache, bring the heavy cream to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
12. Place the chocolate chips and 14 g butter in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the hot cream, cover for 5 minutes, then stir until completely smooth.
13. Cover the ganache directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the remaining components.
14. For the kataifi filling, chop the kataifi pastry into small pieces.
15. Melt 50 g butter in a deep frying pan. Add the kataifi and cook, stirring regularly, until golden and crisp.
16. Transfer the toasted kataifi to a bowl and mix in the pistachio cream and tahini.
17. For the simple syrup, stir the sugar into the water until dissolved.
18. Level the cooled cakes if necessary.
19. Spread a small amount of ganache onto a cake board or serving plate and place the first cake layer on top.
20. Brush or spoon some simple syrup over the cake, then spread over a thin layer of ganache.
21. Pipe a ring of ganache around the outer edge to form a dam. Spoon half of the kataifi pistachio filling into the centre and level it.
22. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat with syrup, ganache and most of the remaining kataifi filling, reserving a little for decoration.
23. Add the final cake layer and moisten it with simple syrup.
24. Cover the top and sides with the remaining ganache, smoothing it with an offset spatula and bench scraper.
25. Decorate with the reserved kataifi pistachio filling and optional chopped pistachios before slicing.