This moist, tall pound cake is based on the viral pistachio chocolate bar from Dubai! It's a pistachio chocolate cake with a crunchy pistachio filling. This was one of the trickiest cakes I've ever made - be warned!
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pistachio extract (optional, if you can find it)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup natural cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour
1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 box (3.4 oz) instant pistachio pudding mix
Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by brushing with pan coat (if using two piece pan, fit with a parchment paper square between the two pieces first). Whisk or sift flour and cocoa powder together. Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale, light and fluffy (about 6 minutes at medium speed). Add extracts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 cup flour mixture, beat until combined. With the mixer running, add 1 egg and beat until fully incorporated. Repeat with each egg, beating well after each addition. Add 2 cups of flour mixture, beating until it just disappears. Slowly drizzle in half the cream with the mixer running on low. Beat in the rest of the flour, then drizzle in the remaining cream. Beat in pudding mix. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 10 seconds. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and gently shake to settle the batter. Place on middle rack of oven with a baking sheet on the rack below it to catch any drips. Bake 2 hours and 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool until the pan is comfortable enough to handle. (If using two-piece pan, place it over a metal can and press down to remove the outer piece first). Transfer the cake to a wire rack in two steps: first, turn the cake up on its side, then invert fully. Let cool completely.
Dubai Chocolate Filling
1 stick butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups (about 230 grams) shredded kataifi
1 1/2 cups (about 430 grams) pistachio cream
1/4 cup tahini
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine melted butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add shredded kataifi and use your hands to mix well and distribute the butter mixture. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20-35 mins (depending on how thin you spread it), mixing half way, until golden brown. Melt pistachio cream and tahini and toss with toasted kataifi to coat. Cut a sliver (about 1/4 inch) off each side of the cake. With gloved hands, mold filling evenly on entire cake. Cover cake and filling with plastic wrap, leaving the tube uncovered. Cover the tube portion of the pan with plastic wrap. Place the pan back on the cake to mold the filling into the shape of the cake. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Chocolate Shell
1/2 cup green candy melts
1/2 cup yellow candy melts
1 1/2 pounds (about 5 cups) milk chocolate candy melts
Clean and dry your pan well. Melt yellow candy melts and drizzle and flick designs on to the pan. Repeat with green candy melts. Freeze 20 minutes or until firm. Melt milk chocolate candy melts. Scoop and brush on to all surfaces of the cake pan. Remove plastic wrap from cake. Working quickly, pour remainder of chocolate melts in the pan then and place cake back into pan. Push cake down to make sure it’s making contact with the chocolate. Place entire pan in freezer for at least 45 minutes. Take out of freezer, and rap the pan onto a towel lined counter to loosen. Flip the cake to release. If it does not release, warm the sides of the pan slightly with a hot towel. Serve the cake at room temperature. To cut the cake, run a sharp knife under hot water or above a gas burner between each slice.
