When entertaining loads – kids or otherwise – I’m always asked for one of my tried and tested recipes for desserts. Sometimes chocolate truffle cake, or Delia Smith’s wonderful chocolate mousse (probably the best) or a creamy no bake cheesecake or, if it’s cold outside, Mary Berry’s treacle suet pudding. This latter is totally decadent but much loved in this house at least as long as there’s real home made custard to go with.Entertaining this May bank holiday I decided it was time for an addition to the repertoire with a chocolate biscuit cake. I don’t love baking, although I will if I must, so a non cooked chocolate dessert seemed to be the perfect answer.
I came across this recipe a few days ago, it’s ridiculously easy to make, you ne
ed to do it in two stages, one for the cake itself and then the chocolate covering and decoration. The one place I didn’t do so well was the drizzling. Read on. This recipe is from the Daily Mail, titled Recipes fit for a Prince or two – Chocolate Biscuit Cake. I particularly liked it because of the additions of pistachios and dried figs, and the Maltesers of course.You’ll need a 9” spring clip mould – this worked best for me
Cling film as it’s so easy to take off and easy to line the tin with
Ingredients for the cake taken from the Daily Mail recipe.
- 340g (12oz) butter
- 240g (8oz) golden syrup
- 60g (2oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 120g (4oz) dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 60g (2oz) pistachios
- 100g (3½ oz) soft, plump dried figs, sliced or chopped
- 450g (1lb) digestive biscuits, crushed
- 300g (11oz) dark chocolate, chopped
- 50g (2oz) white chocolate, chopped
- selection of small chocolate sticks and dark and white Maltesers or Whoppers
2. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder, dark chocolate and vanilla extract.
3. Stir until you have a very smooth, glossy mixture.
4. Add the pistachios, figs and crushed biscuits to the chocolate mixture and stir well.
5. Line the base and sides of the cake tin with baking parchment or plastic wrap – I used the latter
6. Place the mixture in the tin and press it down. (If you are using a square tin, make sure you press it down well into the corners.)
7. Leave to cool at room temperature before covering and chilling in the fridge. It will take about 2 hours to set completely firm.
8. When set, remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack.
9. Melt the dark chocolate and white chocolate separately.
10. Spread the dark chocolate all over the cake.
11. Decorate with the Maltesers before the chocolate sets, so that they stick to the cake. Position chocolate sticks as desired and drizzle with the white chocolate and a little of the dark.
Notes: Be aware that covering with melted dark chocolate will be an extremely messy operation so allow yourself plenty of room.
The top picture is mine, and I will post another once it has been cut if I can take it before it’s demolished. The chocolate covering goes matte once it’s set.
I’m not sure what the covering is in the second picture, it’s much lighter than mine and looks like chocolate frosting rather than just chocolate.
Don’t expect this cake/dessert to hang around for long. I’ve hidden mine so that it stays in one piece until Monday……
