Pistachio knafeh chocolate cake

Method

1. To make the chocolate sponges, preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.

2. Mix the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl.

3. Whisk the eggs and oil together in a separate large bowl. Gradually pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix slowly.

4. Add the buttermilk and continue mixing until everything is incorporated.

5. Whisk together the coffee, boiling water and cocoa powder in a bowl.

6. Gently mix the coffee mixture into the cake mixture until fully combined.

7. Transfer the cake mixture to three 20cm/8in round cake tins.

8. Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean.

9. Leave the sponges to cool completely on wire racks.

10. To make the chocolate fudge, heat the evaporated milk and brown sugar in a saucepan until the sugar is fully dissolved.

11. Pour the hot evaporated milk mixture over the chocolate in a bowl and mix until chocolate is melted.

12. Leave to cool to 50C, testing the mixture with a cook’s thermometer.

13. Add cubes of the butter to the fudge mixture and mix until the butter has melted. Cover the fudge with cling film pressed against the surface. Chill in the fridge. Once cool transfer to a pipping bag.

14. To make the khaleeji cream, whisk the cream cheese, double cream and condensed milk in a bowl to medium–firm peaks. Chill in the fridge.

15. To make the pistachio knafeh filling, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

16. To assemble the cake, take one of the sponges and pipe a spiral of chocolate fudge on the top.

17. Pipe a spiral of pistachio knafeh filling in between the spiral of fudge and then pipe on the khaleeji cream.

18. Take another sponge and repeat the above steps.

19. Place the final sponge layer on top. Decorate with piped fudge, dates, gold leaf and pistachio powder.

20. Cut the cake into slices and serve.