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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My Aunty Marian’s spin on a biscuit cake, her No-Bake Cake, was always a treat at Christmas time! This No-Bake Cake recipe will give you the tastiest biscuit cake ever. It has delicious buttery digestive biscuits smothered in rich, sweet chocolate and golden syrup. Top it off with some green and red decorations, and you’ve got yourself the perfect Christmas Cake!
Christmas is quickly approaching, so I hope your tools and ingredients are at the ready for some more holiday baking! If you’re anything like me, there are a few recipes that always remind you of home during this time of year. One for me is my Aunty Marian’s take on biscuit cake, which she transforms into a traditional Christmas Pudding in her No-Bake Cake recipe! Packed with chocolatey, buttery flavors and a mixture of creamy and crumbly textures, it’s bound to be everyone’s cup of tea.
My Aunty’s recipe is a really fun and festive version of biscuit cake that requires no baking and takes just 20 minutes to prep. This recipe is also great for last-minute desserts when you only have a day or two in advance.
For even more inspiration and holiday baking tips, be sure to also check out my Holiday Baking Headquarters, a one-stop shop for all holiday recipes, baking staples, and FAQs!
Table Of Contents
- What Is Aunty Marian’s No-Bake Christmas Cake?
- What Is Golden Syrup?
- Tools You Need To Make Aunty Marian’s No-Bake Christmas Cake
- Ingredients You Need To Make Aunty Marian’s No-Bake Cake
- How To Make Aunty Marian’s No-Bake Christmas Cake
- How To Double Boil Chocolate
- Can I Make Fridge Cake Ahead Of Time?
- How To Store No-Bake Cake
- FAQs
- Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- More Christmas Desserts
What Is No-Bake Cake?
Aunty Marian’s No-Bake Christmas Cake is based on classic biscuit cakes or tiffin. Biscuit cakes are a type of no-bake tea cake found in many cuisines. However, it’s a very typical dessert in England, Ireland, and Scotland during the holidays.
This cake is composed of biscuits and chocolate glaze, with some recipes using golden syrup and various mix-ins, like nuts and dried fruit.
The biggest difference between these cakes and regular cakes is that no baking is involved. They are also known as “fridge cakes” because they set in the refrigerator rather than being baked in the oven. There’s no need for additional dry ingredients since the biscuits serve as the base, making this a very simple and easy recipe.
What Is Golden Syrup?
Golden syrup is a thick inverted sugar syrup made by either refining sugar or by adding acid to a sugar water solution. It’s a popular ingredient for baking in Ireland, and it is used in a wide variety of foods like in my Classic Steamed Treacle Pudding, Homemade Honeycomb, and Traditional Irish Flapjacks!
Tools You Need
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Pudding bowl
- Cling wrap
- Double boiler (alternatively, microwave-safe mixing bowls)
- Silicone spatula
- Plate
Ingredients You Need To Make No-Bake Cake
- Bittersweet chocolate: Bittersweet chocolate has a deep chocolate flavor without being too sweet.
- Milk chocolate: Sweeter in taste, resulting in a less pronounced chocolate flavor with other ingredients.
- Condensed milk: Condensed milk adds richness and sweetness to your cake!
- Butter: Make sure to soften your butter before use so that your cake comes out tender.
- Golden syrup: Thick inverted sugar syrup similar to corn syrup. Great for caramel flavors in your desserts. Make your own here!
- Digestive biscuits: Semi-sweet, whole wheat shortbread that has a crunchy texture and buttery flavor. Try out a homemade version.
How To Make No-Bake Christmas Cake
- Grease and line a pudding bowl with cling wrap. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add chocolate condensed milk, butter, and golden syrup. Melt together in the microwave or double boil.
- Fold in crumbled cookies.
- Fill the prepared pudding bowl with the mixture. Press down firmly and flatten the mixture out with a spatula.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to set.
- When ready to serve, remove it from the pudding bowl and place it on a plate.
- Optional: Decorate with fondant to resemble a traditional Christmas pudding.
How To Double Boil Chocolate
A double boiler, or bain-marie, is a gentler way to melt chocolate. You stack one pot or heatproof bowl on top of a pot filled with water. Heat it to barely a simmer, and the steam from the lower pot will heat the upper hot or bowl where the chocolate can gradually melt.
You can also melt your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it in 20-second intervals. Make sure to stir in between.
Can I Make No-Bake Cake Ahead Of Time?
The best part about Aunty Marian’s No-Bake Christmas Cake recipe is that it requires no baking and you can make it in advance! Make this cake a day or up to a week before you want to serve it. Plate as usual and decorate it to make it extra festive this Christmas.
How To Store No-Bake Christmas Cake
If you have some leftover cake, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. If your kitchen is on the warmer side, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
FAQs
Why is my cake so dry?
Your cake could turn out dry if you don’t crumble your biscuits properly. If your biscuits are left on the larger side, they won’t be able to absorb the chocolate mixture, and in turn, make your cake dry. Make sure to crumble your biscuits, but leave some chunks for texture.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?
You can use either salted or unsalted butter for this recipe. Typically, salted butter will balance out the rest of the sweeter ingredients. In this recipe, there are many sweet elements so you can use salted butter.
If you use unsalted butter, your cake may turn out a tad sweeter.
What do I do if I don’t have a pudding bowl?
No worries if you don’t have a pudding bowl on hand! You can use any large bowl or cake tin.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- You can use and make homemade Shortbread Cookies, Digestive Biscuits, and Graham Crackers for this recipe.
- Make sure your biscuits aren’t too thick. Otherwise, they won’t be able to absorb the liquids and make your biscuits dry.
- This cake leans on the sweeter side. If you’re using sweeter biscuits, feel free to reduce the amount of sugar.
- Use store-bought condensed milk or make your own using my homemade recipe here.
- Don’t have golden syrup? Use honey, corn syrup, or my Homemade Golden Syrup recipe.
For More Christmas Recipes, Check Out:
- Chocolate Biscuit Cake/Chocolate Salami
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Truffles
- Aunty Rosaleen’s Irish Christmas Cake
- Panettone Recipe (Italian Christmas Bread)
- 3 Easy Christmas Cookies To Bake With Kids
And don’t miss more everyday baking recipes in my NEW Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook!
Try These Recipes!
Aunty Marian's Christmas No-Bake Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (9 oz255 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 ½ cups (9 oz255 g) milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 can (14oz/400g) condensed milk
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz/58 g) butter
- 3 tablespoons golden syrup
- ½ pack (7 oz/200 g) digestive biscuits, crumbled.
Instructions
- Grease and line a pudding bowl with 3 layers of cling wrap. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add the chocolate, condensed milk, butter and golden syrup and gently melt together in the microwave or over a Ban Marie.
- Fold in the crumbled cookies.
- Fill the prepared pudding bowl with the mixture. Put it down firmly and flatten it out with a spatula on top.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to set. (It can stay in the fridge for up to a week.)
- When ready to serve, remove it from the pudding bowl and place it on a plate. Decorate with fondant to resemble a traditional Christmas pudding. Slice and enjoy! Store at room temperature.
