Kunafa Cake with Pistachios and Chocolate

A delightful multi-layered dessert inspired by Saudi cuisine: tender chocolate sponge cake, creamy pistachio layer with crispy vermicelli, and dark chocolate glaze. Perfect for a festive table.

Ingredients

• 25 pcs Oreo cookies
• 5 tbsp Milk
• 0.5 cup Milk
• 0.5 tsp Baking powder
• 0.5 tsp Vinegar
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 cup Unsalted pistachios
• 6 tbsp White chocolate
• 3 tbsp Condensed milk
• 5 tbsp Milk
• 150 g Vermicelli (sev)
• 1 tbsp Clarified butter (ghee)
• 120 ml Dark chocolate
• 4 tbsp Cream (malai)

Instructions

1. Grind Oreo cookies into powder, add a pinch of salt and mix with warm milk to create a sponge cake batter. Add baking powder and vinegar, mixing well.
2. Grease a springform pan and pour a layer of batter approximately 1 cm thick.
3. Bake the sponge cake in a preheated oven until done, when a knife comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
4. In a double boiler, gently melt the white chocolate. Process the pistachios in a blender into a coarse powder, add condensed milk. Pour in the slightly warmed and melted white chocolate, add milk as needed, and blend until smooth.
5. Heat the clarified butter in a skillet, add the vermicelli and fry over low heat, stirring constantly, until a pleasant toasted aroma appears. Cool and mix in the pistachio paste thoroughly.
6. Spread a kunafa layer approximately 2 cm thick over the cooled chocolate sponge cake.
7. Melt the dark chocolate with the cream to create a chocolate glaze. Cool slightly and pour over the kunafa layer.
8. Decorate the cake with chopped pistachios and silver dragees. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours, then carefully remove from the pan.