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Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe

Updated on May 2, 2011

Prince William's Favorite Chocolate Biscuit Cake

According to the official royal wedding website, It appears that there will be not one, but two cakes at the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Kate's choice is a multi-tiered traditional fruit cake. William's choice of a Chocolate Biscuit Cake as a Groom's cake has sent people (including yours truly) in search of recipes on the Internet. The chocolate biscuit cake to be made by McVitie's sounds much better than the fruitcake that Kate has chosen.

This chocoholic was interested in what went into such a special cake. I searched for a recipe to make one for my family, who love McVitie's biscuits and digestives, especially the chocolate ones. Plus my daughters have birthdays this month and have wanted a refrigerated/frozen cake. This cake sounds a bit like a chocolate covered digestive and a bit like a very rich candy bar. Be aware, Abegail Joyce Sabayo and her family refer to it as an "Evil Biscuit Cake" because it is so calorie dense.

With a bit of searching and sleuthing, I was able to uncover several Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipes and the recipe from Darren McGrady's book that is likely to be the favorite of Prince William. His favorite Chocolate Biscuit Cake is reportedly a family favorite and a Windsor family secret. According to former Palace chef, Darren McGrady, "It is the only cake that returns again and again to the royal tea table each day until it is gone."

Read on to find out more about Queen Elizabeth's and William's favorite chocolate biscuit cake recipe.

Chocolate Hearts by Sachyn

Image by Leevclarke
Image by Leevclarke

Prince William Favors Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Prince William, known for having a sweet-tooth, has requested his own Groom's cake for his upcoming wedding. His favorite chocolate biscuit cake, one favored since childhood, will be served at the upcoming April 29, 2011 wedding.

The Chocolate Biscuit Cake is a Windsor family favorite. This no bake chocolate cake is made from broken Rich Tea biscuits and dark chocolate and sets up in the refrigerator instead of being baked.

William's Grooms cake will be made by McVitie's following a secret royal recipe.

Reportedly 1,700 crushed Rich Tea biscuits and close to 40 lbs (17 kilos) of dark chocolate will be used to make the special chocolate cake. The groom's cake is a wedding tradition associated with the southern United States.

According to Paul Courtney, McVitie's cake design and development head chef, William's cake "will be decorated with chocolate display work which will be contemporary, modern and elegant." Courtney also noted that 'When Prince William was a young boy he would have it for tea and really enjoyed it.'

One has to wonder, if the Chocolate Biscuit Cake may have also been a favorite of Prince William's mother, Diana and a way of having her present at the wedding.

Image of Rich Tea Biscuits by Leevclarke

Poll on the Royal Wedding Cake Choices

Composite Image by Kirsti A. Dyer
Composite Image by Kirsti A. Dyer

Chocolate Cake by Mom the Barbarian Fruitcake by Pickle

Which Royal Wedding cake would you rather try?

See results

The Groom's Cake

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

The McVities Chocolate Cake - The Official Groom's Cake

The chocolate biscuit cake is made from a Royal Family recipe and was specially requested by Prince William. The chocolate biscuit cake was created by the McVitie's Cake Company.

Image by Superelle
Image by Superelle

The chocolate biscuit cake can be made with your favorite tea biscuit-Rich Tea, Maries, digestives, sweetmeal biscuit or graham crackers. To me, It seems more like a chocolate bar treat than a cake.

Experiment make your own favorite this chocolate treat. With or without nuts? Which biscuit to use.

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 hours 30 min
Ready in: 4 hours
Yields: 10 - 12

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup (10 oz.) Digestive biscuits (Rich Tea or Marie or graham crackers or Shortbread cookies)
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup (8 oz.) dark chocolate cut into small pieces
  • 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz.) white chocolate cut into small pieces (optional)
  • 1/8 cup (1 oz.) chopped hazelnuts or almonds (optional)

Instructions

  1. 1. Prepare a cake pan (7 in. x 7 in. square, 8-9 in. round) by lining with parchment paper or greasing the pan or use a silicone pan.
  2. 2. Crush biscuits into desired pieces (almond-sized or smaller).
  3. 3. Melt the dark chocolate with the butter in a double boiler. Make your own double boiler by placing in a large bowl sitting in a saucepan of boiling water on a low heat.
  4. 4. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and add sweetened condensed milk. Stir.
  5. 5. Add crushed biscuits, white chocolate and nuts. Stir until coated.
  6. 6. Spoon and spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Keep spreading to smooth out (and get air bubbles out of the bottom - which will become the top of the cake).
  7. 7. Place in refrigerator for 3 hours or in freezer for 45 minutes to set.To serve lift out (with parchment paper) or pop out (silicone) of pan and cut into small pieces (for portion control).
  8. Store remaining pieces in refrigerator with parchment paper between pieces (so the cake doe not melt or get sticky).
  9. Image of Chocolate Squares from Superelle
Cast your vote for Chocolate Biscuit Cake - The Easy Recipe

Cake Boxes for Your Chocolate Biscuit Cake

After making your special cake, you may want to put it in special cake boxes.

How to Make a Chocolate Biscuit cake - Video

The Princess Cook shows how to bake another kid-friendly version of a Chocolate Biscuit Cake. This version uses golden syrup and digestives in place of tea biscuits.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake - a Bit like Cookies and Cream Cake

The [chocolate biscuit] cake requires a whack of chocolate, it's an easy-make, no-bake sweet that's long been popular with home bakers in the United Kingdom.

In fact, it's a bit like a British version of a North American cookies-and-cream fridge cake.

Alison Gillmor

Winnipeg Free Press

Recipes for Chocolate Biscuit Cake

A collection of the Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipes from around the Internet. Also included are several kid-friendly versions.

The Royal Wedding reception cake - Video

An interview with Paul Courtney, Head Chef, Cake Design and Development at McVitie's from TheRoyalChannel. Chef Courtney talks about plans for making Prince William's reception cake.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Image by Nacu
Image by Nacu

Chocolate Biscuit Cake - Another Version

This version of Chocolate Biscuit Cake has been adapted from from Darren McGrady's recipe from Eating Royally available on Amazon. He reports this recipe was Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Tea Cake and a Windsor Family Favorite.

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 hours 30 min
Ready in: 4 hours
Yields: 8 - 10

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon butter (omit if using non-stick pans)
  • 1 cup (8 oz.) McVities Rich Tea Biscuits crushed
  • 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup white (granulated) sugar
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz.) dark chocolate
  • 1 egg *
  • 1 cup (8 oz.) dark chocolate - additional for icing
  • 1/8 cup (1 oz.) white chocolate for decorating

Instructions

  1. 1. Using the 1/2 teaspoon butter lightly grease a 6 x 2 1/2 inch cake ring or Springform pan or line with parchment paper. (If using a silicone pan, this step can be omitted).
  2. 2. Place the ring or pan on a parchment-lined tray until needed.
  3. 3. Break up tea biscuits by hand into largish (almond-sized) pieces. Set aside.
  4. 4. Mix the butter and sugar together into a bowl until creamy.
  5. 5. Melt the 4 ounces of dark chocolate in a double boiler.
  6. 6. Add the butter and sugar mixture to the chocolate and continue to stir.
  7. 7. Add the egg stirring mixture well.
  8. 8. Fold in the biscuit pieces carefully into the chocolate mixture, until completely coated with the chocolate-butter-egg mixture. Remove from heat.
  9. 9. Quickly spoon the chocolate-biscuit mixture into the prepared cake ring. Be sure to fill in any gaps or holes on the bottom of the ring; the bottom will become the top when it is removed from the pan.
  10. 10. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least three hours.
  11. 11. Once chilled, remove the cake from the refrigerator, slide the ring off the cake. Turn the cake upside down onto a cooling rack with covered parchment paper.
  12. 12. Melt the 8 ounces of dark chocolate; this chocolate will be used for icing.
  13. 13. Pour this melted dark chocolate over the cake, carefully smoothing the top and sides of the cake using a knife or spatula.
  14. 14. Allow the chocolate icing to set at room temperature.
  15. 15. When ready to serve, run a knife around the bottom of the cake to help release. Transfer the cake to a cake dish.
  16. 16. Melt the 1 ounce of white chocolate; this white chocolate will be used to drizzle contrasting chocolate on the cake icing.Note: * Since this recipe calls for 1 egg, make sure that the mixture is over the heat long enough to cook the egg. Alternatively, you might try substituting 3 tablespoons of egg substitute, which are pasteurized, eliminating the risk of salmonella from raw eggs.
  17. Image of Chocolate Cake by Nacu

Eating Royally on Amazon

Eating Royally
Eating Royally
In Eating Royally: Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen former palace chef Darren McGrady shares many of the recipes he served the Royals, including Princess Diana. His recipe for Chocolate Biscuit Cake can be found in this book. Royalties from the book are donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.
 Buy Now
 

All royalties from the cookbook, Eating Royally are donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.

Eating Royally on eBay

You can also purchase Eating Royally on eBay

Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe

According to the blog post by former palace chef Darren McGrady, his book includes the recipe for the Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipe in his book Eating Royally, Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen available (again) on Amazon and eBay. All royalties from Eating Royally are donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.

Abegail Joyce Dabayo on Tastebook gives two Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipes. The first method, adapted from "Eating Royally" book by Darren McGrady, is said to be the favorite cake of Queen Elizabeth, so is likely to be the one served by the Royal Family and enjoyed by Prince William as a child.

Poll on Biscuits

Which biscuits to you like best?

See results

Chocolate Biscuit Cake - Healthier Versions

The first recipes is in the video clip from Miss Weight Watchers learn how to make a healthier version of the Chocolate Biscuit Cake from March - April 2008 recipe magazine. In this recipe they use shortcake biscuits, low fat margarine, dried cherries, apricots and dried cranberries to make a 2 1/2 points per serving version.

The second recipe comes from En Petit Chef and uses slightly less butter, condensed milk and no eggs.

Will you be trying Prince William's favorite Chocolate Biscuit Cake?

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