Easy Dubai Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe
The viral Dubai Chocolate sensation, now a stunning Christmas Mousse Cake! Layers of pistachio crunch, gooey brownie, and dark chocolate mousse. Easier than you think!
Servings: 12 slices
Cost: $75
Ingredients
The Pistachio Insert - Make this first. It needs at least 3 hours to freeze.
- 1½ sheets gelatin sheets gold strength
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp sugar granulated
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Pistachio spread sweetened pistachio cream
The Brownie Base
- 4 tbsp butter unsalted
- ¼ cup dark baking chocolate 70% cocoa
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup sugar granulated
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- ⅓ cup pistachios crushed
The Crunch Layer
- 1 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1½ cups kataifi pastry (Kadaïf) chopped roughly
- ½ cup pistachio spread sweetened
Assembly and mousse
- 3 sheets gelatin sheets gold standard
- 1 ¼ cups dark baking chocolate 70% chopped
- 1 cup milk whole (full cream)
- ⅔ cup heavy cream 35% fat
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar granulated
- 1 ⅓ cups whipping cream cold for whipping
The Glaze
- 4 sheets gelatin sheets gold standard
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- ¼ cup glucose syrup
- 7 tbsp water
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
Optional decorations
- 1 oz dark chocolate for snowflake
- 1 tbsp green candy melts for leaves
- 1 can gold shimmer spray
Makes: 10inch round, 3inch height
Instructions
The Pistachio Insert
- Place gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to soften.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they look slightly pale and smooth.
- Pour the heavy cream into a saucepan and heat over medium until it just starts steaming. Remove from heat.
- Slowly pour the hot cream into your yolk mixture while whisking constantly (don't stop whisking or the eggs will scramble!).
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until it thickens slightly and reaches 180–183°F (82–84°C).
- Squeeze the excess water out of the softened gelatin sheets and stir them into the hot custard until dissolved. Add the pistachio spread and mix until smooth.
- Pour into an 8-inch ring mold lined with plastic wrap (or a silicone mold). Freeze for at least 3 hours until rock solid.
The Brownie Base
- Set oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter (4 tbsp) and dark chocolate together in short bursts, stirring until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and sugar until pale. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
- Stir in the vanilla, flour, and salt until just smooth, then fold in the crushed pistachios.
- Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes. The center should still be slightly soft. Let it cool completely in the pan.
- Melt the butter (1 tbsp) in a pan over medium heat. Add the kadaïf and sauté for 5–7 minutes until golden and crispy. Stir constantly so it doesn't burn!
- Spread the toasted kadaïf on a paper towel to cool completely. Once cool, mix it in a bowl with the pistachio spread.
- Spread this crunch mixture evenly over your cooled brownie. Press it down lightly to stick, then place the brownie/crunch layer in the fridge to set.
Assembly and mousse
- Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. Place your chopped dark chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk, heavy cream (⅔ cup), and vanilla until hot/steaming.
- Whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking to avoid scrambling the mixture.
- Return mixture to the stove and cook over medium heat to 180–183°F (82–84°C) stirring the whole time. Remove from heat and stir in the squeezed gelatin sheets.
- Melt the chopped dark chocolate in the microwave in short intervals until melted. Pour this hot custard over your the melted chocolate, mix until combined.
- Cool (CRITICAL STEP): Let this chocolate mixture cool to 95–104°F (35–40°C) on the counter.
- While it cools, whip the remaining heavy cream (1 ⅓ cups) to soft peaks. Gently fold the cooled chocolate mix into the whipped cream in three batches. Keep it airy!
Assembly (Upside Down Method):
- Prepare a 10-inch ring mold with plastic wrap stretched tight across the bottom.
- Pour about ⅔ of the mousse into the mold. Tap on counter to remove air bubbles. Freeze for 10 minutes to firm up slightly.
- Place the frozen Pistachio Insert (from the freezer) in the center. Press lightly.
- Pour the rest of the mousse over the insert.
- Take your Brownie/Crunch layer. Place it crunch-side down onto the mousse. Press gently until the mousse comes up the sides flush with the brownie.
- Freeze the entire cake for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).
The Glaze
- Soak gelatin in cold water.
- In a saucepan, bring the sugar, glucose syrup, and water to a boil. Cook until it reaches exactly 217°F (103°C). Remove from heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until combined.
- In another small pot, heat heavy cream to 140℉ (60℃) and add in the squeezed (drained) gelatin sheets, once combined pour this mixture into the cocoa sugar mix in three stages, mixing gently the whole time.
- Use an immersion blender (stick blender) to smooth it out on a medium to low speed setting. Keep the blade submerged to avoid bubbles, until the glaze becomes smooth.
- Strain this mixture into a pouring jug using a metal colander. Let the glaze cool to exactly 86°F (30°C).
- Unmold your frozen cake and place it on a wire rack over a tray. Pour the glaze over the frozen cake in one confident motion.
- Once the glaze stops dripping, transfer to a platter. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Optional Decoration
- For the Snowflake: Melt your 1 oz (30g) dark chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring in between until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate onto your silicone baking mat. Use an offset spatula (or the back of a spoon) to spread it out very thinly—about the thickness of a credit card.
- Let the chocolate sit on the counter until it starts to set. You want it to reach a "leather" stage—where it looks matte and isn't wet, but isn't hard/snappy yet.
- Press your snowflake cutter gently into the chocolate. Do not try to lift them out yet! Just make the cuts.
- Place the entire mat in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden completely.
- Gently peel the silicone mat away from the chocolate shapes. They should pop right out.
- Place the snowflakes on a paper towel and spray them with the gold shimmer spray.
- For the chocolate leaves: Melt the 1 tbsp (15g) green candy melts in a small bowl.
- Spoon the melted candy into your leaf silicone mold. Tap the mold on the counter a few times to bring air bubbles to the surface.
- Place the mold in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Pop the leaves out.
- Give them a light misting of gold shimmer spray (or brush with gold luster dust if you prefer a more subtle look).
Video
Notes
- Make Ahead & Storage: You can make the cake (up to the glaze) and keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month wrapped tightly. Glaze it on the day you plan to serve. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The "Melt" Factor (Crucial): When making the chocolate mousse, the chocolate base must cool down to 95–104°F (35–40°C) before you fold in the whipped cream. If it’s too hot, it will melt your cream into soup!
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Gelatin Substitution: If you don't have Gold sheets, you can use powdered gelatin.
- Insert: Use 1 ¼ tsp powder + 1 tbsp water.
- Mousse: Use 2 ¾ tsp powder + 2 tbsp water.
- Glaze: Use 4 tsp powder + 3 tbsp water.
- Bloom the powder in cold water for 5 minutes before melting.
- Finding Kataifi: You can find Kataifi (Kadaïf) pastry in the frozen section of Middle Eastern grocers or some gourmet supermarkets. It looks like shredded phyllo dough. Defrost it completely before frying.
- How to Serve: For perfect, clean slices like a pro, run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe it dry before every single cut.
- Thawing: Remember, this cake is frozen solid for the glaze! Allow it to thaw in the fridge for at least 4–6 hours before serving so the mousse is soft and creamy, not icy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1032kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 232mg | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 1702IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 4mg