A Rustic Version of the Duke`s Cake

So as promised here is my rather rustic version of Will`s favourite chocolate biscuit cake.  I didn`t cover it with chocolate as it was just for Zaki and me and I made it with McVities` Digestives as you can`t get Rich Tea biscuits here.  It`s good.  It`s rich.  It tastes like a rather large and squidgy McVities` chocolate digestive.  Would I make it again?  Perhaps. Like all refrigerator cakes, it was simple beyond belief. Next time, perhaps I`d add some nuts, coconut or dried fruit.

Something for the Wedding `Hangover` - The Groom`s Cake

I was watching Oprah`s Royal Wedding Party just now and she was tasting the recipe for one of the cakes that Will and Kate had at the wedding reception - yes, they had two! They had a traditional fruit cake and then this cake  - a chocolate refrigerator cake, which is apparently Will`s favourite. It`s by Darren McGrady who is a former royal pastry chef to Princess Diana and the two princes and he used to make this cake for them.  It`s known simply as a Chocolate Biscuit Cake but doesn`t it deserve a slightly more glamorous name? 

Thanks Oprah for the recipe, which is below.  I love chocolate and so does my son (I couldn`t say where he gets that from) so I`m going to try it tomorrow and I`ll let you know how it turns out. The ever needed diet will just have to wait a couple more days.

Servings: Makes one 6-inch round cake (8 portions)

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp. butter , for greasing
• 8 ounces Rich tea biscuits
• 4 ounces unsalted butter , softened
• 4 ounces granulated sugar
• 4 ounces dark chocolate , for the cake
• 1 egg

• 8 ounces dark chocolate , for coating
• 1 ounce chocolate , for decorating

Directions

To make cake: Lightly grease a 6" x 2 1/2" cake ring and place on a tray on a sheet of parchment paper.

Break each of the biscuits into almond-size pieces by hand and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture starts to lighten.

Melt the 4 ounces of dark chocolate and add to the butter mixture while constantly stirring.

Beat the egg into the mixture.

Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake ring. Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring because this will be the top when it is unmolded.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

To coat and decorate: Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it stand while you melt the 8 ounces of dark chocolate.

Slide the ring off the cake and turn it upside down onto a cake wire.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and smooth the top and sides using a palette knife.

Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.

Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where the chocolate has stuck to the cake wire and lift it onto a tea plate.

Melt the remaining 1 ounce of chocolate and use to decorate the top of the cake.