This Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cake is what happens when the viral Dubai chocolate covered strawberries meet the rich decadence of chocolate cake - and it is every bit as indulgent as it sounds. Imagine a moist chocolate cake topped with crispy pistachio knafeh, juicy fresh strawberries, and a silky chocolate ganache. It is a show-stopping dessert bursting with flavor and texture in every bite. And the best part? It all comes together in under an hour!
Video Tutorial
Here's a short video to see this recipe in action:
Components Of This Cake
This cake has 4 main components:
Chocolate cake. This is my trusted easy chocolate cake from scratch which comes together in less than 10 minutes without a mixer and turns out impeccable every single time
Pistachio knafeh. Made with toasted kataifi pastry and pistachio cream, this brings the "Dubai chocolate" into this dessert (and is my favorite part!)
Fresh strawberries. The pistachio knafeh is topped with a generous layer of fresh strawberries which cut through the richness of the cake and add a delicious juicy flavor
Chocolate ganache. A simple ganache made of semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream is poured on top of the cake to bring it all together
Recommended Ingredients
Most ingredients in this cake are straightforward, but I do want to quickly share the two ingredients I recommend for the Pistachio Knafeh layer, as they are less commonly known:
- Kataifi (shredded phyllo pastry): I recommend Alkis Kataifi from Amazon. I love it because it is made for Dubai Chocolate, and remains crispy even days later!
- Pistachio Cream: I recommend Pisti Pistachio Cream from Amazon (also available at Costco if you get lucky). It has the best texture, flavor and color. Keep in mind this is not the same thing as pistachio butter, and already has other components like milk powder and sugar added to it!
Step By Step Photos
The full recipe is in the recipe card below, but let's quickly go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything:
For the cake, add all the dry ingredients except cocoa powder to a bowl and whisk.
Add the egg, oil and buttermilk.
Whisk gently until no lumps of flour remain.
In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, boiling water and instant coffee.
Add the cocoa powder mixture to the cake batter.
Whisk very gently until a smooth chocolate cake batter forms.
Pour the batter into a lined baking pan.
Bake until the cake is cooked through - then let it cool down.
For the pistachio knafeh layer, add kataifi, salt and melted butter to a pan.
Cook and stir on medium low heat until the kataifi is golden and crispy.
Stir in the pistachio cream.
Lastly, make a chocolate ganache with cream and chocolate.
Cover the cake with the pistachio knafeh layer, then add strawberries and drizzle over the ganache. Serve & enjoy!
Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cake Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 servings
Description
A rich and moist single layer chocolate cake topped with a crunchy pistachio knafey layer, juicy strawberries and silky choc9olate ganache
Ingredients
Chocolate cake:
- 1 cup all purpose flour (130g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (65g)
- ½ cup buttermilk (120g) - mix ½ cup milk + ½ tablespoon vinegar to make your own
- 1 tsp instant coffee (can be reduced to ½ tsp if you prefer)
- ¼ cup boiling water (60g)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (25g)
Pistachio knafeh:
- 3 cups shredded kataifi (100g)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (56g)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup pistachio cream (185g)
Chocolate ganache:
- ½ cup heavy cream (120g)
- 120g dark or semi-sweet chocolate of choice (you can also use milk, but it becomes too sweet in my opinion) - chopped or chips
Serving:
- Fresh strawberries, to taste
Instructions
Chocolate cake:
- Pre-heat your oven to 350F (conventional) and prepare a 9" cake pan with parchment paper and butter / oil
- If making your own buttermilk, mix ½ cup milk with ½ tablespoon vinegar, stir, and set aside
- Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk thoroughly to make sure there are no lumps
- Break in the egg, and add the vegetable oil and buttermilk. Use a whisk to gently mix until the ingredients come together and no lumps of flour remain - do not overmix
- In a smaller bowl, mix boiling water with cocoa powder and instant coffee, and whisk until you get a shiny mix. This step blooms the cocoa powder and brings out its lovely chocolatey notes
- Add the bloomed cocoa powder mixture to the remaining cake batter, and gently whisk until combined. You should have a smooth, glossy chocolate cake batter
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan
- Bake at 350F for about ~20-23 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached
- Wait 10 minutes and then carefully turn out the cake onto a serving stand
Pistachio knafeh:
- Add the shredded kataifi, melted butter and salt to a nonstick pan. Cook and stir on medium low heat for ~10 minutes until the kataifi becomes golden brown and very crispy. Break clumps along the way and make sure it doesn't burn
- Mix in the pistachio cream. Stir, and set aside
Chocolate ganache:
- Bring the cream to a boil, and pour over the chocolate. Cover and rest for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, then mix until you get a shiny ganache. Rest for another 10 minutes so the ganache thickens slightly
Serving:
- Carefully spread the pistachio knafeh on top of the cake once both have cooled down for ~10-15 minutes
- Spread a generous layer of fresh chopped strawberries on top of the pistachio knafeh layer
- Pour over the chocolate ganache
- Slice, serve & enjoy!
Video tutorial:
Notes
- Storage: Due to the addition of strawberries, I recommend eating this cake within a day of making it. It is best kept at room temperature in an airtight container, but you can also warm it up in the microwave for 10s for a more cozy, indulgent dessert
- Make ahead: If you want to prep ahead, you can make the cake, pistachio knafeh and ganache components and keep them covered in the fridge or at room temperature. When ready to serve, reheat the pistachio knafeh on the stove to make it spreadable, and microwave the ganache in 15s increments until it becomes pourable
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
More Pistachio Recipes
If you're here, chances are you're a fan of pistachio (and chocolate)! Here are some more recipes you might enjoy:
- No Bake Dubai Chocolate Cake with a chocolate crust, pistachio knafeh, a pistachio cheesecake filling and chocolate ganache
- Dubai Chocolate Donut Rolls made with King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
- No Bake Pistachio Tiramisu made with only 8 ingredients, no eggs and 20 minutes of work
The best young baker says
AMAZINGGGG SO GOOD! I'm a young baker and frying the kanafe was a little tricky, but I added more butter (say 1/2 tsp) and was great.
Recomended 😊👌🩷