DUBAI CHOCOLATE STYLE BARFI

Everything has been revolving around the Dubai chocolate recently.  This chocolate went viral last year and since then people have been creating stuff with kataifi and pistachio cream like Dubai chocolate cake, Dubai chocolate biscuit or cookies and  Dubai chocolate tiramisu. I've been wondering if creating something like the Dubai chocolate cake but with a layer of barfi at the bottom instead of a chocolate cake would turn out good. I tried asking chat gpt and it says go on it will be good.  I've searched the net but couldn't find a recipe; I did found some people who have tried barfi with incorporated kataifi.  But this is not what I wanted; I wanted it layered similar to the dubai chocolate cake. 

Recently at the end of May, I saw that Ambala launched a Dubai chocolate barfi, but still this is not what I wanted. The barfi Ambala launched was more like a pistachio barfi, followed by a layer of katafi and topped with chocolate. And again this didn't turn me on.

Ambala foods Dubai Style chocolate barfi
copied from Ambala Foods on FB

I wanted it similar to the layer of a Dubai chocolate cake.  And here is my inspiration:

INGREDIENTS FOR PISTACHIO BARFI

500 g milk powder 

180 g nestle cream

250 ml water 

1 cup sugar 

1 tbsp good quality pistachio essence

25 g good quality pure salted butter 

50 g almond toasted and chopped 

60 g pistachio lightly toasted and chopped 

Method for preparing barfi

1. Mix milk powder with nestle cream  until it resembles fine crumbs.

2. Meanline pour water in a pan and add 1 cup of sugar.  when mixture starts to boil, add milk crumbs.  Mix until well combined with the  syrup.  Add pistachio essence, chopped nuts followed by butter.  Cook over low heat stirring constantly for 15 minutes.  

3. Pour mixture in a slightly buttered square or rectangular pan.  I used a rectangular pan of size 25cmx30cm.

INGREDIENTS FOR PISTACHIO KATAIFI FILLING 

175 g kataifi roasted (room temperature)

180 g nestle cream

200 g Lindt white cooking chocolate (chopped, room temperature)

1 tbsp butter (room temperature)

200 g pistachio cream or paste (room temperature)

Method for preparing pistachio kataifi cream

1. Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it's just about tonafa  simmer. Pour the cream over the white chocolate and let it sit for a minute or two.

3. Stir the mixture gently until the white chocolate has completely melted. Add butter and mix until smooth. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

4. Beat the pistachio cream with a spoon for a few seconds then add the white chocolate ganache and mix until smooth.  Finally fold in the roasted kataifi. 

5. Pour the mixture over the barfi and level it out. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS FOR MILK CHOCOLATE TOPPING 

250 g Lint milk chocolate

Around 20 g toasted chopped pistachio

Method for melting chocolate

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  Pour the melted chocolate over the barfi and decorate with some more toasted pistachio. When the chocolate has hardened, you may cut and serve the barfi.

Try it and let me know how it goes.... Leave a comment below.

RED VELVET CAKE

With its distinctive red or crimson hue and smooth, "velvety" texture, a red velvet cake is a soft, tender cake with a subtle chocolate flavor. A tiny bit of cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vinegar are important components that give it its distinct qualities; they provide the color and a balance of tart flavor. Traditionally, the cake is served with a tangy cream cheese icing or, less frequently, a classic ermine (roux-based) frosting (Wikipedia, 2025).

I have baked a few red velvet and with some adjustments I came up with this recipe.  A red velvet cake normally contains buttermilk.  However, buttermilk is not widely available in Mauritius, hence am replacing it with yoghurt. I have made it several times and it was always liked by everybody.  But its very delicate and break easily if not handled with care. Make sure the cake is completely cool before arranging the layers and refrigerate or freeze to make handling easy. 

I made a large cake with two layer and the recipe below is for 1 layer. One layer was of size 32cm x 24cm.  I was able to serve this to 40+ people.

The recipe quantity can be poured in two 8 inch (20cm) cake tin as well. An 8 inch cake can be served to 12 people usually

Ingredients for Red velvet cake

list A

15g cornflour

15g cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

30g self raising flour + 150 g All purpose flour

list B

60g softened salted butter

112g avocado oil or any other oil

240 g castor sugar

 

list C

2 eggs

2 tbsps liquid food colouring

2 tsp white vinegar

120g yoghurt

Method for making red velvet cake

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1. Sift all the ingredients in List A in a bowl  
2. Cream List B that is butter, sugar and oil for 8-10 minutes until light and fluffly.
3. Add eggs one by one and mix for for about 30 seconds after each addition. Mix in the vinegar and food colouring. 
4. Fold in the dry ingredients (List A)in two batches alternating with the yoghurt. 
5.  Pour in a baking tin.  
6. Bake at 190 degrees celcius until a skewer inserted comes out clean (20 minutes).

White Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting

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400g lindt white chocolate 

250 ml whipping cream 

400g cream cheese at room temperature

1. Heat whipping cream until very hot.  Pour on white chocolate.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes stir the mixture until smooth.  Place a cling film on top and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
2. Beat cream cheese until smooth. 
3. Whip the white chocolate ganache until light and fluffy and then whip in the cream cheese.  

Arranging the cake layers

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I usually wrap my cake layers with cling film and freeze them a couple of hours before arranging them.  Rectangular cake layers are very delicate specially when they are large and can break easily when they are soft.

Place a layer of cake on a cake board. Sprinkle with a little full fat milk.  I usually use milk over syrup.  Spread a layer of chocolate cream cheese on top.  Spread some strawberry jam on top. I have a strong preference for Bonne Maman Jam. Use good quality one if not available in your country.

Place the second layer over the cream.  Brush with liquid milk again and top with a layer of cream.  That's it...... You can decorate as you wish. 

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl

I have been baking many chocolate cake recipe lately and I've noticed that the cake is more flavourful when I use Nestlé cocoa powder than those sold in stores that sell baker's stuffs.  I like to use a combo of butter and oil as butter gives a good taste while oil provides moistness to the cake. 

Ingredients for Chocolate Cake 

Dry Ingredients

300g self raising flour 

50g cocoa powder (I use Nestle cocoa powder)

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt 

Wet Ingredients 

200g soft butter (I use Red Feather or Lurpark) 

4 tbsps avocado oil

300 g granulated white or light brown sugar 

5 eggs

125g yoghurt without sugar 

3/4 cup hot water + 1 tbsp coffee (i use Nestcafe)

1 tbsp vanilla essence 

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Mixture

250g cream cheese

80g icing sugar 

1 large egg

1 tbsp vanilla essence 

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 190 degrees celcius.
2. Grease and line a baking tin. I use a rectangular cake pan size L:29cm X B:20cm X H:5cm.

3. Beat cream cheese, icing, vanilla essence and egg until well combined. Set aside.
4. Sift the dry ingredients in a bowl.
5. In another bowl add butter, oil and sugar, mix for 3-4 minutes until combined; Stir in the eggs and mix vigorously; mix in the yoghurt and vanilla essence.  It's ok if the mixture looks slightly curdled.
6. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
7. Mix in the very hot coffee mixture until smooth.  All the mixing should be carried with a balloon hand whisk. Do not overmix. 

8. Pour the mixture in the prepared mould. Add dollops of the cream cheese on top. Swirl with  a skewer.  I have added some lindt white cooking chocolate on top and its optional. 

Cream cheese mixture

cake with cream cheese swirl and lindt chocolate chunks

9. Bake at 190 degrees celcius for 30-35 minutes. Check with a skewer if ready. Let cool in the oven itself with the door half open. Cut into squares or rectangles.

They are perfect for wrapping and can be gifted during festive occasions.

  

I hope you will enjoy this recipe.....