"Dubai šokolaadi" toorjuustutort

Even before new trends come along, I managed to make a “Dubai chocolate” themed treat. The trendy crispy kataifi and pistachio chocolate comes from Dubai, where cooking and desserts have become an art form in their own right. Dubai is known for its diverse and enriching culture, which is also reflected in its desserts.

I wasn't excited about making chocolate, but I was inspired by it and made an airy and creamy cream cheese cake. Preparing the cake doesn't require much time or complicated technical skills. So I used whipped cream cheese as the cream, which doesn't need to be added to it. If you were to make this cake in the summer and it might happen that the cake needs to be kept at room temperature for a while, you should add a little gelatin to be on the safe side.

This is a cake worth trying at least once. It's simple to make and looks, but the taste and texture are surprising. I've also used the same recipe for kataif filling in large American-style cookies.

Thaw the kataif dough at room temperature a little earlier or refrigerate it the day before.

Prepare a flat surfaced tray or plate on which you will start making the cake and place a 22 cm diameter cake ring on it. If you are making a different size pan, you will need to recalculate the quantities.

Cookie base

Cookies 140g (dark with filling, chocolate - for example, honeydew drops, Kalev cookies with nut cream)
Butter 50g

Crush the cookies in a food processor or in a pastry bag, for example, using a rolling pin.
Melt the butter and mix with the cookie crumbs.
Press the cookie mixture (for example with a spoon) into an even cake base and place in the refrigerator to set.

Kataif filling

150g of kataif dough (thawed)
Butter 25g (for frying)
White chocolate 60g

25g tahini (sesame paste)
Butter 15g
Pistachio paste 85g (with at least 90% nut content, pastes with a lower nut content have other bulking agents added, such as some oil or sugar (then you should keep in mind that the filling will be sweeter)

For the kataif filling, cut the kataif into small pieces with a knife. It's easier to cut a large piece in half lengthwise. Fry in a pan with butter until golden brown and crispy, stir carefully so it doesn't burn, and lower the heat a little if necessary. I fried the whole package at once (also increase the amount of butter according to the amount of kataif), because once melted, it should be used up within a week. It's more convenient to make the whole dough at once and then store the crispy kataif in an airtight container, so it will keep at room temperature for at least a couple of weeks. If you make the whole package at once, fry it in two parts, so the kataif browns more evenly and faster. Later, I weighed the amount of kataif I needed (I also included the amount of butter)
Melt the butter and white chocolate in a water bath or in the microwave.
In a bowl, mix together the fried kataifi, melted chocolate, butter, pistachio paste and tahini. Mix the nut and seed pastes thoroughly before using.
Use an angled palette knife or spoon and press the kataif mixture into an even layer onto the cookie base and refrigerate again.

Cream cheese cream

Whipped cream 250g
Sugar 100g
500g cream cheese (I use Otto or Philadelphia cream cheese)

Beat the cold whipping cream with the sugar until soft peaks form, add the cold cream cheese and beat until stiff. Start beating on a slower speed, increase the speed when the mixture starts to become more uniform. In the meantime, you can mix by hand once with a spatula if the machine is mixing unevenly.
Add the cream on top of the kataif layer and spread evenly, if you want to leave about 100g of cream. Put it in a piping bag with a suitable nozzle and you can later use the cream to decorate the cake. I used the classic deep star nozzle (1M).

Ganache

Whipped cream 60g
Milk chocolate 60g
Dark chocolate (54-56% cocoa content) 25g

For decoration: pistachios, strawberries, cookies or anything you like

Cut the chocolates into smaller pieces or use chocolate buttons.
Bring the whipped cream to a boil and pour in the chocolate. Let stand for 1-2 minutes and stir until smooth.
Let the finished ganache cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, then pour over the cake and spread evenly.
Once the ganache has set, you can pipe the remaining cream onto the cake, making rosettes or tassels.
The cake should be refrigerated for at least 4 hours. It would be best to keep the cake in the refrigerator until the next day, so that the cream has set and does not fall apart when cut.
Strawberries go wonderfully with pistachios and they added color and freshness to the cake. I cut the remaining cookies from the bottom in half and added them to the cake. Finally, I chopped salted pistachios and sprinkled them on top of the cake.
To remove the mold, wet a small sharp knife under hot water, dry it, and remove the mold by moving the knife along the edge of the mold.

Video tutorial on making a cake IS HERE

I would be very happy if you would share pictures and feedback about your baking and tag me on social media!
Get baking.