Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Cake and Cupcakes Recipe (Ready in 95 Min)

This Saudi Arabian dessert builds white chocolate, oreo cream biscuits and sevaiiya into a hearty meal you can have ready in about 95 minutes. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 12 steps.

You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 12 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.

How to make it

For Chocolate Cake:Ready all the ingredients. Powder the oreo biscuits, pinch salt and mix warm milk as needed and make a cake batter. Add in baking powder and vinegar and mix.
Grease a loose bottomed tin. Pour a 1cm thick layer of the batter.
Bake in a preheated oven @160°C for 7-8 minutes or until the knife comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
For Homemade Pistachio Paste:Ready all the pistachio paste ingredients. Slightly melt white chocolate on a double boiler.(else the mixer blade may break) Coarsely powder the pistachio in mixer. Add in condensed milk.
Add in slightly warmed and slightly melted white chocolate and milk as required and crush to a smooth paste.(Green food colour can be add. I haven't.)
For Kunafa: In a kadhaai take ghee and roast the sevaiiya on slow gas. Keep stirring until a pleasant roasted aroma releases. Cool it. Add in the Homemade pistachio paste.Mix well.
Lip smacking Kunafa is ready. Spread a 2 cm layer on the cooled chocolate cake.
Melt dark chocolate and strained malai and prepare the chocolate ganache. Cool and pour on the Kunafa layer.
Garnish Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Cake with chopped pistachio and silver balls. Keep in fridge for 2-3 hours. Then unmould the Kunafa Cake.
I also prepared Kunafa cupcakes. Cut and enjoy. The cake looked so pretty that we could either save it or have it!! ☺
Cross sectional view of the Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Cake.
Enjoy with a new sweet delicacy this festive season with family and friends.

You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Mixer

Tips & common questions

How long does Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Cake and Cupcakes take to make?

About 95 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 12 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of milk?

Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

Is Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Cake and Cupcakes vegetarian?

Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.