Royal Chocolate Biscuit Cake – Popular Gourmet Dessert Recipe

 

Enjoy this royal favourite biscuit cake Jubilee, this summer.

The recipe requires over 2 hours Preparation time, No cooking required, Serves 8-10

Equipment and Preparation: You will need three 15cm/6in diameter tall cake tins and a cake board. You can use one tin, but you will need to allow extra time for each layer to firm up before assembly.

Ingredients:
For the dark chocolate layer

  • 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
  • 50g/1¾oz unrefined caster sugar
  • 50g/1¾oz golden syrup
  • 25ml/¾fl oz warm water
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 125g/4½oz dark chocolate, in pieces
  • 60g/2¼oz tea biscuits (such as Rich Tea)
  • 60g/2¼oz digestive biscuits

For the milk chocolate layer

For the white chocolate layer

  • 225g/8oz white chocolate, in pieces
  • 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
  • 75g/2½oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 25g/1oz golden syrup
  • 1 tbsp hot water
  • 150g/5½oz pink or chocolate wafer biscuits
  • ½ tsp sea salt

To assemble

  • 50g/1¾oz melted milk, white or dark chocolate

For the ganache

  • 150ml/5fl oz double cream
  • 100g/3½oz dark chocolate
  • 50g/1¾oz milk chocolate
  • sprinkles, flags, biscuits and any Jubilee-themed decorations

Directions:

  • For the dark chocolate layer, line a 15cm/6in diameter tall cake tin with baking paper.
  • Put the butter, caster sugar, golden syrup, water and sea salt together in a pan over a low heat. Bring to a simmer, then take off the heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth.
  • Break the biscuits up into chunky pieces and mix them into the chocolate mixture.
  • Spoon the mixture into the tin and level off. Refrigerate for one hour.
  • Remove from the fridge, carefully remove from the tin and peel off the baking paper.
  • For the milk chocolate layer, line another 15cm/6in diameter tall cake tin with baking paper. Combine the butter, condensed milk and sea salt in a pan and place on a low heat. Once melted, take off the heat, add the chocolate and stir until smooth.
  • Break the biscuits up into chunky pieces and mix into the chocolate mixture.
  • Spoon the mixture into the tin and level off. Refrigerate for one hour. Remove from the fridge, carefully remove from the tin and peel off the baking paper.
  • For the white chocolate layer, line a 15cm/6in diameter tall cake tin with baking paper. Put the butter, golden syrup, condensed milk, water and sea salt in a pan and melt over a low heat. Remove from the heat. Add the white chocolate and stir until smooth.
  • Chop the biscuits up into chunky pieces and stir them into the chocolate mixture.
  • Spoon the mixture into the tin and level off. Refrigerate for one hour.
  • Remove from the fridge, carefully remove the cake from the tin and peel off the baking paper.
  • To assemble the cake, place the dark chocolate layer of cake onto a cake board. Spread one dessertspoon of the melted chocolate onto the dark layer.
  • Place the milk chocolate layer on top and press firmly so that it bonds to the dark chocolate layer.
  • Repeat this with the melted chocolate and white chocolate layer so that you now have a layered cake with white chocolate at the top, milk chocolate in the centre and dark chocolate at the bottom.
  • For the ganache, chop both the types of chocolates into small pieces. Bring the cream to a simmer in a pan and pour onto the chocolate, whisking well until glossy and smooth.
  • Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature, but not to go fully cold as it will be too thick to spread.
  • Spread the ganache evenly over the sides and top of the cake making sure that you are generous with the ganache on the top of the cake. Do not worry if the ganache is not perfectly even or flat, it doesn’t need to be.
  • Refrigerate for 15 minutes to set the ganache.
  • To serve, use a sharp knife to cut into wedges. This cake must be served at room temperature (It will keep in an airtight container for 5 days or the individual layers of biscuit cake will keep for two weeks.) Enjoy!

 

Lamb Racks with Salsa Verde

Rack of lamb with salsa verde recipe - BBC Food
Want something special for Sunday lunch?

As days get brighter, celebrate the new season with a lamb dish full of the flavours of Spring. This marinated lamb is full of flavour and perfect with salsa verde.

The recipe requires less than 30 mins Preparation time, 30 mins to 1 hour Cooking time, Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 2 x French trimmed lamb racks (6-8 chops in each), chine bone removed
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest and juice
  • 2 tsp runny honey
  • 2 tbsp oil

For the salsa verde

  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • small bunch flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
  • small bunch basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 8 anchovies, finely chopped
  • 75g/2¾oz dill pickle cucumbers, finely chopped (you can also use gherkins)
  • 1 tsp runny honey
  • 150ml/5fl oz olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

  • Trim any excess skin from the lamb and score the fat using a sharp knife. Put the garlic, lemon zest (reserve the juice for the salsa verde), honey and oil in a large bowl and mix. Add the lamb and rub in the marinade. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7
  • Place a large frying pan over a medium heat, put the lamb fat-side down into the pan and fry for about 5 minutes or until the fat is dark golden-brown. Transfer to a roasting tin, browned side up and bones facing the centre.
  • Roast for 18–20 minutes, cover with aluminium foil and rest for 15 minutes.
  • For the salsa verde, mix all the ingredients and the reserved lemon juice together in a bowl and season with little salt and pepper. Gently warm the salsa before serving.
  • Carve the lamb to divide it into chops. Serve two chops per person with the salsa verde alongside.

*Recipe Tips – The lamb can be marinated up to a day ahead. The salsa can be made up to 3 days ahead, in fact the flavour increase the longer it is left.

Spring Green Soup – Seasonal Recipes

Broccoli Soup with Toasted Walnuts – 2 Bliss of Baking

Step into Spring and embrace the wonderful flavours of spring with this simple recipe using delicious seasonal ingredients.

This Primavera spring green vibrant soup is the perfect springtime celebration, packed with seasonal vegetables.

The recipe requires less than 30 mins Preparation time and 30 minutes to 1 hour Cooking time, Serves 2.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 spring onions, white and green parts separated and chopped
  • 100g/3½oz sprouting broccoli, chopped
  • 300g/10½oz frozen peas
  • 50g/1¾oz fresh broad beans
  • 30g/1oz wild garlic
  • 400ml/14fl oz vegetable stock
  • 50ml/2fl oz plant-based cream

To serve

  • 1 tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan and add the white spring onions, broccoli, peas, beans, almost all of the wild garlic and the stock. Cook for 5–6 minutes, then add the cream and blend until smooth.
  • Heat the remaining oil in a separate small saucepan and fry the green parts of the spring onion and the remaining wild garlic for 2–3 minutes.
  • Serve the soup topped with the fried onions, wild garlic, hazelnuts and a swirl of olive oil.

*Recipe TipsTo take this soup to the next level, serve in large, hollowed out bread rolls