Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 25Oreo cookies, powdered in food processor; for chocolate cake layer
• 1/2 cupmilk, warm; for cake batter; add as needed
• 1/2 tspbaking powder, for cake batter
• 1/2 tspvinegar, for cake batter; acts as leavening activator
• salt, a pinch; for cake batter
• 6 tbspwhite chocolate, slightly melted; for pistachio paste
• 1 cupunsalted pistachio, coarsely powdered; for pistachio paste
• 3 tbspsweetened condensed milk, for pistachio paste
• 5 tbspmilk, warm; added as needed when making pistachio paste
• 5 ozsevaiiya, thin wheat vermicelli; roasted in ghee for kunafa layer
• 1 tbspghee, for roasting vermicelli
• 4 ozdark chocolate, for ganache
• 4 tbspmalai, thick cream / clotted cream; for ganache

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 325°F. Make the chocolate cake batter: powder the Oreo cookies, add a pinch of salt and mix with warm milk as needed to form a batter, then stir in the baking powder and vinegar.

2. 2

   Grease a loose-bottomed pan and pour in a 1 cm (⅜-inch) layer of batter. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean, then cool on a wire rack.

3. 3

   While the cake bakes and cools, make the pistachio paste: slightly melt the white chocolate on a double boiler. Coarsely powder the pistachios. Combine with the condensed milk, melted white chocolate and warm milk as needed, blending until a smooth paste forms.

4. 4

   Make the kunafa: toast the vermicelli in a pan with the ghee over low heat, stirring until a pleasant roasted aroma develops. Cool, then mix with the pistachio paste.

5. 5

   Spread a 2cm layer of kunafa over the cooled chocolate cake.

6. 6

   Make the ganache: melt the dark chocolate with the malai (strained if needed) until smooth. Cool slightly, then pour over the kunafa layer.

7. 7

   Garnish with chopped pistachios and silver sugar balls. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours, then unmould and serve.

Nutrition per serving