Video summary

Former Royal Chef Revisits Prince William's 'Chocolate Biscuit' Grooms Cake for the 10th Anniversary

Main summary

Key takeaways

Cooking

Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter, room temperature (quantity not specified)
  • Sugar (quantity not specified)
  • Chocolate (quantity not specified, melted and lump-free)
  • Rich Tea biscuits (McVitie’s recommended; broken into walnut-sized pieces)

Substitutions and Variations:

  • Other biscuits like digestive or graham crackers are sometimes used, but Rich Tea biscuits are preferred for authenticity.
  • Optional additions include chopped apricots, chopped dates, and M&M’s (Smarties in the UK) folded into the mix.

Equipment & Preparation

  • Mixer for creaming butter and sugar
  • 8-inch cake tin, greased with butter around the edges
  • Wire rack and baking sheet for chocolate coating
  • Small knife for releasing cake from wire rack
  • Spatula for smoothing chocolate coating

Method

  1. Cream Butter and Sugar: Beat unsalted butter and sugar together using a mixer until smooth, light, and fluffy.
  2. Melt Chocolate: Melt chocolate and stir until completely smooth with no lumps.
  3. Combine: Add melted chocolate to the creamed butter and sugar mixture and mix thoroughly.
  4. Prepare Biscuits: Break Rich Tea biscuits into walnut-sized pieces by hand (avoid crushing with rolling pin or pan to preserve texture).
  5. Mix Biscuits and Chocolate: Fold the chocolate mixture into the biscuit pieces until all biscuits are fully coated.
  6. Assemble Cake: Spoon the mixture into the greased 8-inch cake tin, pressing down to create a flat, smooth surface (this will become the top when inverted).
  7. Chill: Refrigerate the cake overnight.
  8. Chocolate Coating: Remove cake from tin onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Melt more chocolate and ladle or spoon over the cake, swirling to cover the top and sides evenly. Use a spatula to smooth the coating.
  9. Set: Refrigerate until the chocolate coating is set (about 1 hour or longer).
  10. Finish: Carefully release the cake from the wire rack using a small knife and transfer to a serving plate.
  11. Decorate: Decorate as desired (e.g., sugar flowers, edible picture frame, gold dusting).

Chef Tips & Notes

  • Use Rich Tea biscuits for the authentic texture and flavor.
  • Breaking biscuits by hand into walnut-sized pieces preserves the right texture better than crushing.
  • The bottom layer in the tin should be flat and smooth as it becomes the top of the cake after inversion.
  • The cake keeps well and is traditionally eaten over several days.
  • Chocolate biscuit cake is a favorite for afternoon tea, especially with the Queen.
  • The recipe is easy and great for involving children.
  • Decorating can include sugar daffodils and roses, or an edible chocolate picture frame dusted with gold for special occasions.

Variations Discussed

  • Adding dried fruits like apricots and dates.
  • Folding in colorful candies such as M&M’s/Smarties.
  • Different biscuit types (though Rich Tea is preferred for authenticity).

Background & Presentation

  • The recipe was originally the groom’s cake for Prince William’s wedding.
  • The chef shared the recipe with the Prince of Wales’ chefs at Highgrove.
  • The cake was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show, with a three-tier version decorated with sugar flowers and an edible picture frame.
  • The chef donated royalties from the recipe book Eating Royally to the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation, linking to Princess Diana’s charitable interests.

Presenter: Former Royal Chef (name not specified) Referenced Source: Eating Royally cookbook and royal kitchen anecdotes

Original video