Chocolate Biscuit Cake

After the recent royal wedding of William and Kate, all I heard about was the grooms cake. A chocolate biscuit cake that he had eaten since he was a child. Biscuit cake? I had never heard of it, but good enough for royalty, it would have to be good enough as a "gift" at a little get together...especially since the hosts were originally from England..right?

Well it ended up being a hit. I did give in and taste a tiny bite. Holy cow! Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Rich, yummy decadence. It wasn't even that difficult to make. I will make this again for a dinner or another hostess gift.

The recipe out of all the many I found was by Alison Ladman. I did review one that was supposed to be by the chef who cooked for the royal family, but this one just looked better...I did however choose to add the white chocolate drizzle as suggested in the "original" recipe. 

**NOTE: I did not have a small 7-8" spring form pan, only a 9 inch, so I doubled the ingredients for the cake. There was just enough of the glaze in the original recipe to cover the cake, but just enough.  

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 12 servings

For cake:

   1 (7-ounce) package butter/rich tea biscuits (sold in the cookie aisle. I used McVities)

   1 cup heavy cream

   2 tablespoons honey

   1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

   16 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 1/2 cups)

   1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I used vanilla paste)

  

For glaze:

   2 tablespoons butter

   1/4 cup heavy cream

   6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

1. Make the cake. Coat a 7- or 8-inch round springform pan with cooking spray. Break up biscuits with your hands into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces; you want chunks, not crumbs.
2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup cream, honey and 1/4 cup butter. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until bubbling. Add 16 ounces chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla, then crumbled biscuits.
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, using the back of the spoon to smooth the top.
4. Gently tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air pockets. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
5. Once the cake is chilled, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup cream. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Add 6 ounces chocolate, stirring until smooth.
6. Carefully remove the sides from the springform pan (you may need to slide a paring knife around the inside upper edge to ensure the sides come away cleanly from the cake). Invert the cake onto a wire rack, then remove the bottom of the pan. Set the rack over parchment paper to catch drips.
7. Pour the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing it to drip down and completely cover the top and sides. Allow to firm up, then transfer to a serving plate. Refrigerate leftovers.