Easy Chocolate Biscuit Cake

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Need a cheap and cheerful dessert? Don’t want complicated? This stunning biscuit cake is said to be Her Late Majesty’s favourite treat. And for good reason! It’s insanely easy to make, cheap as chips and results in an exceptionally beautiful dessert. What are you waiting for? Read on to discover just how good this chocolate biscuit cake truly is…

No bake biscuit cake

In this day and age, cake can mean anything really. It can be a cake recipe in the traditional sense of the word. But it can also be no bake like a no bake strawberry cream cake or an ice cream cake.

Biscuit cake is more like the latter than the traditional. A mish mash of crushed Rich Tea biscuits, chocolate, butter and golden syrup. ALL the good things in life, together in one beautiful chocolate biscuit cake recipe!

You could almost say it’s a bit like rocky road or tiffin, but in cake form.

Then top it off with a silky, shiny chocolate ganache and some luxurious chocolate curls to finish. It’s no wonder Her Majesty enjoyed it so much!

What is biscuit cake make of?

Chocolate biscuit cake is essentially made of chocolate and biscuits. (Surprise, surprise!) Ok there’s a little more to it than that, but not much.

Alongside chocolate and biscuits, you’ll find plenty of butter and golden syrup in a biscuit cake too. Then cream and yet more chocolate, to make the chocolate ganache coating.

What’s the best chocolate to use in a biscuit cake?

We know that branded and good quality chocolate can be expensive. They might taste great, but it all stacks up. And you need a lot to make a chocolate biscuit cake!

With that in mind, yes, a good quality chocolate is likely to taste better. However, supermarket own brand bars (you know, the 100g bars for around 40-50p) actually taste surprisingly good!

So I say this… Buy the best chocolate you can afford. And if that’s the cheap 50p bars? So be it! I promise it will still look and taste great.

Just know that the chocolate will be the dominant

It’s also worth noting, it depends who you’re making this for. My easy biscuit cake recipe uses a mixture of dark and milk chocolate. It tastes quite rich. If I were making it for children (or if I just preferred sweeter, creamier chocolate over rich and bitter), I’d change it to only milk chocolate.

Ingredients and substitutions

Confused about what ingredients to buy? Not sure about a substitution? Here’s everything you need to know…

For the biscuit cake

• Chocolate – A key flavour in biscuit cake, use the best you can afford. (Although cheap versions do still taste good!) Like it rich? Use both dark and milk chocolate as per the recipe. Prefer it sweeter and creamier? Use all milk chocolate instead.
• Golden Syrup – Brand doesn’t matter here. Just make sure it’s golden syrup. You can use light corn syrup if you’re in the US, but it won’t really taste the same.
• Biscuits – These have to be Rich Tea biscuits for that classic biscuit cake texture. Don’t substitute for digestives, it would alter the texture in a negative way.

For the ganache and decoration

• Chocolate – Again, use the best you can afford, but cheap still works well. I don’t recommend switching to milk chocolate here. You’re blending with cream anyway, which will tone it down. Plus, a dark chocolate ganache looks stunning on a cake!
• Cream – Always use double cream when making a chocolate ganache. Use heavy cream in the US and as close to 48% fat as you can in Australia.
• Chocolate Curls – You can decorate your cake however you like! I chose to use homemade chocolate curls. But you could use anything! Think chocolate stars, Maltesers, wafer rolls or even just leave it plain. The choice is yours.

Recipe tips and troubleshooting

Here are a few tips you’ll find helpful when making this recipe.

• Find a balance when crushing your Rich Tea biscuits. You want some nice big chunky pieces, but it also needs to be squashed into your tin with as few gaps as possible. So you’ll need some smaller pieces too.
• Be gentle when melting chocolate. It can split if over heated. The general rule is stir more, heat less.
• Use a really big bowl to mix your biscuit cake in! It’s very challenging (and messy) to do it without that extra room.
• When making the ganache, chop your chocolate as finely as you can. Otherwise you will end up with unmelted lumps.
• Have unmelted pieces of chocolate in your ganache? Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and stir continuously until completely melted. Do not overheat or allow any water into the bowl!
• Use an angled spatula to spread the ganache over your biscuit cake. Having the right equipment makes for less stress and better results.

Time management

Have limited time? Struggle with recipe timings? Or juggling around other things? Here’s some time managing info to make your life easier.

• Making the biscuit cake itself will only take about 15 minutes.
• Allow 3-4 hours minimum chilling time. It may help to make this the night before you need it.
• The chocolate ganache will take 10-15 minutes to make, a few minutes to spread over the cake and 15 minutes to set.
• You can make the whole thing the day before if you like. The chocolate ganache (if made correctly) should stay nice and shiny. Even after being in the fridge.

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

• No bake chocolate Oreo tart
• UK brownie recipe
• No bake chocolate cheesecake

No Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to serve 10

For the biscuit cake

• 400g (14 oz) Rich Tea Biscuits
• 275g (9.7 oz) Dark Chocolate
• 275g (9.7 oz) Milk Chocolate
• 250g (1 + 1/8 Cup) Unsalted Butter
• 85g (1/4 Cup) Golden Syrup

For the ganache and decoration

• 150g (5.3 oz) Dark Chocolate
• 150ml (2/3 Cup) Double Cream
• Chocolate Curls (or whatever you fancy!)*

Essential equipment

• 20cm (8″) Springform Pan
• 2 Large Mixing Bowls
• Small Saucepan
• Wire Rack
• Baking Tray
• Spatula

*I used this guide on how to make chocolate curls. It worked brilliantly!

Biscuit cake instructions

First thing’s first. Lightly grease and line the base and sides of your springform pan.

(You could use a loose bottom tin instead, if that’s all you have.)

Then crush the Rich Tea biscuits (400g | 14 oz) into a large mixing bowl using your hands. It’s good to leave some bigger bits. But you will need some smaller too – as we want it all to push into the tin with as few gaps as possible.

Next, break both the dark chocolate (275g | 9.7 oz) and milk chocolate (275g | 9.7 oz) into the other large bowl. Cube up the butter (250g | 1 + 1/8 Cup) and add this in too.

Heat in a microwave in 10 second increments. Make sure you stir really well after each time. Continue until the mixture is around two thirds melted, then stir until completely melted.

Now weigh in the golden syrup (85g | 1/4 Cup) and stir thoroughly to mix in.

Time for the messy bit! Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the crushed biscuits. Stir really well and ensure everything is fully coated.

Then add a quarter of the mixture into your lined tin, and push firmly to fill in any gaps. Add a further quarter of the mixture and push firmly again. Don’t worry if you break a few biscuits here and there.

Continue this trend until all of the mixture has been pressed into your tin. Smooth out the top as best as you can then chill for 3-4 hours.

Chocolate ganache instructions

Finely chop your dark chocolate (150g | 5.3 oz) and I do mean finely. (Otherwise it won’t fully melt) Then add it into a mixing bowl.

Then pour the cream (150ml | 2/3 Cup) into a small saucepan and set over a low heat on the hob. Keep a close eye on this, you don’t want it to boil!

Stir occasionally. As soon as it starts to bubble on the sides, remove it from the heat.

Pour over the finely chopped chocolate and briefly stir. Then leave to sit for 4-5 minutes.

When the time is up, stir until it transforms into a silky, shiny ganache. Leave to one side for a few minutes to thicken slightly (if it’s not already quite thick).

If lumps of chocolate still remain, place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir continuously until fully melted. Do not over heat and do not let any water get into the bowl.

Decoration instructions

Carefully remove the biscuit cake from the tin and peel off any baking paper. Place a wire rack over a baking tray and set the cake on top.

Now pour the chocolate ganache onto the top of the cake. Then use a spatula to smooth it over the top and sides.

It should be thick enough to fill in any little gaps.

When you’re happy, leave to stand for about 15 minutes. At this point, you can top with any decorations and serve.

Alternatively, you can refrigerate for up to 24 hours before you need it. I recommend adding decorations just before serving, if you choose to do this.

How to store chocolate biscuit cake

If by some miracle you have any leftovers, you can store them covered in the fridge. Consume within 2-3 days.

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Easy Chocolate Biscuit Cake - Printable Recipe

Yield: 10

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Chill Time: 3 hours

Setting Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Need a cheap and cheerful dessert? Don’t want complicated? This gorgeous no bake biscuit cake is insanely easy to make, cheap as chips and results in an exceptionally beautiful dessert!

Print

Ingredients

For the biscuit cake

• 400g (14 oz) Rich Tea Biscuits
• 275g (9.7 oz) Dark Chocolate
• 275g (9.7 oz) Milk Chocolate
• 250g (1 + 1/8 Cup) Unsalted Butter
• 85g (1/4 Cup) Golden Syrup

For the ganache and decoration

• 150g (5.3 oz) Dark Chocolate
• 150ml (2/3 Cup) Double Cream
• Chocolate Curls (or whatever you fancy!)*

Essential equipment

• 20cm (8″) Springform Pan
• 2 Large Mixing Bowls
• Small Saucepan
• Wire Rack
• Baking Tray
• Spatula

Instructions

For the biscuit cake

1. Lightly grease and line the base and sides of your tin.
2. Crush the biscuits into a large mixing bowl. You will need a mixture of large and small pieces. (Large look good when sliced but small help to fill in the gaps)
3. Break the dark and milk chocolate into a large bowl. Cube the butter and add it in. Heat in 10 second intervals in the microwave. Stir well each time. Once two thirds melted, stir until completely melted.
4. Stir the golden syrup into the chocolate mixture.
5. Pour the chocolate over the crushed biscuits and mix until everything is coated.
6. Tip a quarter of the mixture into your tin. Press firmly, until as many gaps as possible have been filled. Repeat, a quarter at a time, until all the mixture has been pressed into the tin. Chill for 3-4 hours.

For the ganache/decoration

1. Chop the dark chocolate as finely as you can, and place it into a mixing bowl.
2. Gently heat the cream in a small saucepan set over a low heat. DO NOT BOIL. As soon as it starts to bubble at the sides, remove from the heat.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, stir briefly, then leave to stand for 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir until it comes together to form a smooth and shiny chocolate ganache.
5. Remove the biscuit cake from the tin and peel away any baking paper. Set on a wire rack over a baking tray.
6. Pour the ganache onto the cake, and smooth over the top and sides with a spatula. Leave to set for 15 minutes. Then top with chocolate curls or whatever decorations you like!

Notes

*I used this helpful guide on making homemade chocolate curls. Alternatively you could top with Maltesers, chocolate stars, wafer rolls or even leave it plain.

See the main post for a more detailed, step by step picture recipe.

Be sure to read the sections Ingredients and Substitutions, Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting and Time Management for lots of helpful information before you begin making this recipe. You can find them in the main body of this post.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Springform Cake Tin with Loose Base, 20 cm (8 Inch)
• 
  Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set 3 Piece

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 812Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 31gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 231mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 4gSugar: 49gProtein: 7g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

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Other tasty no bake cake recipes

• No bake strawberry Charlotte cake
• No bake lemon meringue pie