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Chocolate Pistachio Kunafa Cake (VIRAL Fix Chocolate Bar style)

A moist and tender eggless chocolate cake frosted with a smooth pistachio buttercream and toasted, golden and crunchy kunafa pastry. Basically Dubai’s TikTok VIRAL Copycat FIX Chocolate Bar Recipe but turned into a cake.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Decoration Time 15 minutes
Course Cake, Celebration, Dessert, High Tea, Icing, Party, Sweet tooth, tea time
Cuisine American, levantine, Middle Eastern
Servings 10 people

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Electric beater
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • 7/8inch round cake tin
  • Baking paper
  • Sauté pan
  • Bread knife
  • Off set spatula

Ingredients
  

Chocolate cake -

  • 1 ½ cup Flour
  • ½ cup Castor sugar
  • ½ cup Brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 1/3 cup Vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup Hot coffee
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Vinegar

Pistachio buttercream frosting -

  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/4 cup icing sugar
  • 1/4 cup pistachio butter smooth
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 drop almond extract

Kunafa -

  • 1 1/2 cups kunafa pastry
  • 1 tbsp butter

Instructions
 

Chocolate cake -

  • Preheat oven to 180°C, line a 7/8inch round cake tin with oil and baking paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, white & brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and whisk until evenly combined and no lumps.
  • Add all the wet ingredients except for the vinegar and whisk well until smooth. Add the vinegar at the end and whisk again. It is a wet batter and this makes it moist.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tin and bake for 55 mins, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Let it sit in baking tin for a few minutes until easier to handle, remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack completely before using. You can also allow the cake to cool in the tin overnight wrapped in cling wrap.

Pistachio buttercream frosting -

  • In a large mixing bowl add the butter, pistachio paste, icing sugar and beat with an electric beater until smooth and creamy, around 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the almond extract and tahini into the mixing bowl and beat again until combined. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Kunafa -

  • In a sauté pam on low heat add the butter and finely chopped kunafa pastry.
  • Stir the pastry around using a rubber spatula making sure it is evenly golden and has a light brown color. This should take 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring it as it will burn in some places and not get toasted in others.
  • Take off the heat and allow it to cool completely before using.

Assembly -

  • Using a bread knife or cake leveler divide the cake into 3 parts horizontally to create 3 even layers- to the best of your ability.
  • Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate/platter, add 2 scoops of the pistachio buttercream frosting on the cake, top with 3 tablespoons of the toasted kunafa pastry and drizzle over a tablespoon of the pistachio spread.
  • Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat the process. Use the remaining buttercream frosting to cover the top and the edges. There is plenty of frosting to make a clean finish but I love leaving it rustic.
  • Top the edges of the cake with the remaining toasted kunafa pastry and allow this to sit in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife and serve with a cup of coffee.

Notes

  • Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting or else it will melt off.
  • If the frosting is too stiff use a little heavy cream or milk to adjust the consistency.
  • When toasting the kunafa make sure to stir it constantly or else it will not brown evenly.