Cook: 20 mins, plus 20 mins freezing/chilling
Serves: 6-8
This spectacular-looking bake, inspired by the viral chocolate bar, requires a few stages to make it but the steps are all simple. You will need three 20cm round disposable trays and an electronic weighing scale to make it.
Method:
Make the kataifi base:
- Heat your oven to 180°C (fan) and line three 20cm round cake tins (or disposable aluminium containers) with baking parchment.
- Separate the pastry strands so they’re not clumped together and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the melted butter and mix well to ensure the pastry strands are fully coated.
- Divide the pastry equally between the cake tins or containers, pressing it into each one to help the strands stick together.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden. If you don’t have enough containers you could bake each one separately.
- Cool the discs on a wire rack until ready to assemble the cake.
Assemble the cheesecake:
- Melt the 250g chocolate in a bain-marie (in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water with with the base not touching the water) or in the microwave in bursts of 30 seconds to a minute (depending on the wattage of your microwave) so the chocolate doesn’t burn. Stir after each burst until smooth.
- Place one pastry disc in a cake tin or container – this will help keep it stable as the bases are fragile. Spread half the melted chocolate (125g) evenly over this pastry base then freeze for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Gently spread half (150g) of the cream cheese vanilla mixture over of the set chocolate.
- Top with the second kataifi disk. Spread evenly with the pistachio cream – you will need to be gentle so it doesn’t break.
- Place the third pastry disc on top of the pistachio cream and spread that evenly with the other 125g of melted chocolate.
- Place the formed cake in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the chocolate and once set, top with the remaining 150g cream cheese/vanilla mixture.
Decorate:
- Melt the last 25g chocolate and drizzle it over the top. Drizzle with pistachio cream – if you yours has a thick consistency you may need to warm it for a few seconds in the microwave or in a small pan.
- Finally scatter the chopped pistachios over the top.
- Refrigerate to set the cake until needed (up to 24 hours) but remember to take out at least one hour before serving.
Instagram: @fabienne_viner_luzzato
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Ingredients
For the base:
200g kataifi pastry (shredded filo pastry)
115g melted butter
For the filling:
150g pistachio cream plus a 1-2 tbsp for decoration
300g cream cheese mixed with 3tsp of vanilla essence
275g milk chocolate, divided into 250g and 25g for decoration
50g pistachios roughly chopped
