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. Prepare the chocolate cake batter by mixing flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, warm water, instant coffee powder, and vanilla extract.
2. Bake the cake layers until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
3. Make the buttermilk substitute by combining milk and white vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes.
4. Prepare the chocolate ganache by heating heavy cream and pouring it over semi-sweet chocolate chips, then stirring until smooth.
5. Assemble the pistachio filling by mixing kanafi, melted butter, pistachio cream, and tahini.
6. Prepare the simple syrup by boiling water and sugar together.
7. Layer the cake with pistachio filling and chocolate ganache, then cover with more ganache.
8. Apply the simple syrup to keep the cake moist.
9. Decorate as desired with additional pistachio or chocolate toppings.