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Dubai Chocolate Mousse Cake with Pistachio Insert and Glaze Recipe

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3.8 from 60 reviews

This Easy Dubai Chocolate Mousse Cake is a luscious, multi-layered dessert featuring a crunchy pistachio insert, a rich brownie base with pistachio crunch, and a smooth, airy chocolate mousse topped with a silky cocoa glaze. Made with premium ingredients like dark chocolate, pistachio spread, and kataifi pastry, this cake delivers complex textures and flavors, finished with elegant decorative snowflakes and chocolate leaves accented with gold shimmer. Perfect for special occasions and impressing guests with an exquisite Middle Eastern-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Pistachio Insert

  • 1½ sheets gelatin sheets (gold strength)
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup sweetened pistachio spread

Brownie Base

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup dark baking chocolate (70% cocoa)
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ⅓ cup crushed pistachios

Kataifi Crunch Layer

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1½ cups kataifi pastry (roughly chopped)
  • ½ cup sweetened pistachio spread

Chocolate Mousse

  • 3 sheets gelatin sheets (gold standard)
  • 1 ¼ cups dark baking chocolate (70% chopped)
  • 1 cup whole milk (full cream)
  • ⅔ cup heavy cream (35% fat)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ⅓ cups cold whipping cream
  • 4 sheets gelatin sheets (gold standard)

Cocoa Glaze

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup glucose syrup
  • 7 tbsp water
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream
  • 4 sheets gelatin sheets (soaked and drained; from mousse gelatin count)

Decoration

  • 1 oz (30g) dark chocolate (for snowflake)
  • 1 tbsp green candy melts (for leaves)
  • Gold shimmer spray (for decorating snowflakes and leaves)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Pistachio Insert: Soak 1½ gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. Whisk together 3 egg yolks and 2 tbsp sugar until pale and smooth. Heat 1 cup heavy cream until steaming and slowly temper into egg yolks while whisking. Return mixture to saucepan and cook on medium-low until 180–183°F (82–84°C), stirring constantly. Remove from heat, squeeze excess water from gelatin, stir into custard until dissolved. Mix in ¼ cup pistachio spread until smooth. Pour into an 8-inch ring mold lined with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 3 hours until firm.
  2. Make the Brownie Base: Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Melt 4 tbsp butter and ¼ cup dark chocolate in microwave until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg and ¼ cup sugar until pale. Stir in melted chocolate mixture. Fold in ½ tsp vanilla, ¼ cup flour, a pinch of salt, and ⅓ cup crushed pistachios until smooth. Pour batter into pan and bake for 12 minutes; center should remain slightly soft. Cool completely in pan.
  3. Prepare the Crunch Layer: Melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Add 1½ cups chopped kataifi pastry and sauté for 5–7 minutes until golden and crispy, stirring constantly. Cool on paper towel. Mix cooled kataifi with ½ cup pistachio spread. Spread this mixture evenly over cooled brownie base and press lightly. Refrigerate to set.
  4. Make the Chocolate Mousse: Soak 3 gelatin sheets in cold water. Place 1 ¼ cups chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1 cup whole milk, ⅔ cup heavy cream, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until steaming. Whisk 5 egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until pale. Temper hot milk mixture into yolks while whisking. Return to stove; cook to 180–183°F (82–84°C) stirring continuously. Remove from heat, add squeezed gelatin sheets and stir. Melt chopped dark chocolate in microwave, pour hot custard over it, mixing until smooth. Cool mixture to 95–104°F (35–40°C). Whip 1 ⅓ cups cold whipping cream to soft peaks and fold gently into cooled chocolate custard in three batches to maintain airiness.
  5. Assemble the Cake (Upside Down Method): Line a 10-inch ring mold with plastic wrap. Pour two-thirds of mousse into mold and tap to remove bubbles. Freeze 10 minutes to firm slightly. Place frozen pistachio insert centrally and press lightly. Pour remaining mousse on top. Place brownie/crunch layer, crunch-side down, onto mousse and press gently to flush sides. Freeze entire cake at least 6 hours or overnight.
  6. Prepare the Cocoa Glaze: Soak 4 gelatin sheets in cold water. Boil 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup glucose syrup, and 7 tbsp water until 217°F (103°C). Remove from heat; whisk in ¾ cup cocoa powder until combined. Heat ¾ cup heavy cream to 140°F (60°C) with squeezed gelatin sheets until dissolved. Pour cream mixture in thirds into cocoa sugar mixture, mixing gently. Blend with immersion blender on low speed until smooth and no bubbles form. Strain glaze and cool to 86°F (30°C).
  7. Glaze and Decorate: Unmold frozen cake onto wire rack with tray underneath. Pour glaze evenly over the cake in one smooth motion. Allow glaze to stop dripping. Transfer to serving platter and refrigerate until thawed before serving.
  8. Make Decoration – Snowflakes: Melt 1 oz dark chocolate in microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Pour onto silicone baking mat and spread thinly with offset spatula. Let set to matte ‘leather’ stage (not hard). Press snowflake cutter into chocolate to cut shapes. Refrigerate mat for 10 minutes to harden. Carefully peel chocolate shapes off mat. Spray with gold shimmer spray.
  9. Make Decoration – Chocolate Leaves: Melt 1 tbsp green candy melts. Pour into silicone leaf mold, tap to release bubbles. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Pop leaves out and lightly mist or brush with gold shimmer spray or luster dust for subtle effect.

Notes

  • Be careful not to scramble eggs during tempering; whisk continuously.
  • Chocolate mixture must cool to 95–104°F before folding with whipped cream to prevent melting.
  • Freezing between layers is essential to maintain structure.
  • Use a digital thermometer for temperature accuracy during custard cooking and glaze preparation.
  • Let the glaze cool to exactly 86°F for proper pouring consistency and finish.
  • Store the finished cake in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days for best quality.
  • Decoration with gold shimmer spray is optional but adds elegant presentation.
  • Kataifi pastry can be found in Middle Eastern or specialty stores; substitute with shredded phyllo dough if unavailable.

Find it online: https://justsosavory.com/dubai-chocolate-mousse-cake-with-pistachio-insert-and-glaze-recipe/