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No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake

A rich and indulgent no-bake chocolate cake made with crunchy biscuit pieces coated in a silky chocolate sauce and topped with a smooth chocolate ganache. It’s incredibly easy to make, requires no oven, and is perfect for chocolate lovers.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: international
Ingredients Equipment Method Video

Ingredients
  

For the Chocolate Sauce
  • 250 ml whole milk
  • 80 g heavy cream
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 50 g sugar
  • 35 g unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
  • 80 g dark chocolate 33.6%, finely chopped
  • Zest of ½ orange
  • 1 teaspoon brewed coffee
  • Pinch of salt
For the Biscuit Layer
  • 320 g Digestive biscuits broken into large pieces
For the Ganache
  • 100 g dark chocolate 33.6%, finely chopped
  • 40 g milk chocolate finely chopped
  • 150 g heavy cream
  • 15 g unsalted butter
  • Pinch of salt

Equipment

  • 1 pan 21 cm

Method
 

Make the chocolate sauce
  1. Add the milk, heavy cream, butter and sugar to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has completely melted and the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Sift the cocoa powder directly into the saucepan and whisk continuously until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps.
  3. Remove from the heat and add the chopped dark chocolate, orange zest, brewed coffee and salt. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
  4. Let the sauce cool for about 5 minutes before adding it to the biscuits.
Add the biscuits
  1. Place the broken Digestive biscuits in a large bowl.
    2. Digestive biscuits can be replaced with another plain biscuit of your choice.
  2. Pour the warm chocolate sauce over the biscuits and gently mix until all the pieces are coated.
  3. Be careful not to overmix. Keeping some larger pieces of biscuit gives the cake a much nicer texture.
    4. Don’t crush the biscuits too finely. Larger pieces give the cake a better texture.
Assemble the cake
  1. Line a 21 cm cake pan with baking paper.
  2. Transfer the biscuit mixture to the pan and gently spread it into an even layer. Lightly press it down with a spoon or spatula, but avoid compacting the mixture too much.
  3. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Make the ganache
  1. Place the heavy cream in a saucepan and heat until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Do not let it boil.
  2. Pour the hot cream over the chopped dark and milk chocolate. Add the butter and salt.
  3. Let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then gently stir from the centre outward until the ganache is completely smooth and glossy.
  4. Let it cool at room temperature until it thickens slightly. It should still be pourable, but it should not be warm when added to the cake.
Add the ganache
  1. Pour the cooled ganache over the chilled biscuit cake and spread it evenly over the surface.
  2. You can add the ganache after the base has chilled for about 1 hour, then continue chilling the cake, or leave the base in the refrigerator overnight and add the ganache the following day.
    3. Make sure the ganache has cooled slightly before pouring it over the chilled cake.
Final chilling
  1. Return the cake to the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until the ganache has completely set.
  2. For clean, neat slices, warm a sharp knife under hot water, dry it thoroughly and slice the cake while the knife is still warm.
Storage
  1. Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  2. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Video