Chocolate Biscuit Wreath Cake Recipe

Introduction

This Chocolate Biscuit Wreath Cake is a festive and indulgent treat, perfect for the holiday season. Combining rich chocolate biscuit cake with gingerbread holly leaves and stunning poinsettia decorations, it’s sure to impress your family and guests.

Ingredients

• Sunflower oil, for brushing
• Christmas chocolate biscuit cake mix (see method)
• Gingerbread biscuit dough (see method)
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 1 quantity royal icing (see method)
• Green food colouring gel
• 1 quantity royal icing plus 3 tbsp (see method)
• Red and yellow food colouring gels
• 1kg chocolate fondant icing
• Icing sugar, for dusting
• Red sugar pearls

Instructions

1. Step 1: Oil a 25cm bundt tin and line with cling film, ensuring no gaps and that the cling film comes up over the sides. Lightly brush with sunflower oil.
2. Step 2: Prepare the chocolate biscuit cake mix: roughly crush 120g digestive biscuits, 120g rich tea biscuits, and 100g ginger nut biscuits in a large bowl. Stir in 100g roughly chopped roasted salted almonds, 170g mixed dried berries, and 70g finely chopped crystallised ginger.
3. Step 3: Gently melt 300g dark orange chocolate, 200g golden syrup, and 375g unsalted butter in a saucepan. Pour over the biscuit mixture and stir until evenly coated.
4. Step 4: Spoon the biscuit mix into the prepared tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon. Cover with cling film, seal, and chill in the fridge for about 4 hours until completely firm.
5. Step 5: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Prepare the gingerbread biscuit dough by mixing 425g plain flour with spices and raising agents, and combining with a mixture of butter, sugar, egg yolk, treacle, vanilla, and milk. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
6. Step 6: Lightly knead and roll out the gingerbread dough on a floured surface. Cut 16–18 holly leaves using a biscuit cutter and bake on a lined tray for 8 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
7. Step 7: Divide royal icing into two bowls and colour one dark green and the other light green. Use piping bags to outline and flood the holly biscuits, allowing them to set overnight.
8. Step 8: Colour 3 tbsp royal icing yellow and the remainder red. Pipe three 6cm circles of six-petal poinsettia flowers on baking parchment, layering petals and leaving to set between layers. Add yellow dots to the centres and allow to dry completely for up to two days.
9. Step 9: Roll out the chocolate fondant icing on a surface dusted with icing sugar. Cover the chilled cake wreath, trimming the center with a 5cm cutter for a neat finish.
10. Step 10: Arrange holly biscuits on the fondant-covered cake, fixing them with royal icing. Add the poinsettias on top, and finish by attaching red sugar pearls with royal icing.
11. Step 11: Store the cake in a cool place for up to two weeks. Remove biscuits before slicing and enjoy them separately or with the cake wedges.

Tips & Variations

• Use different sizes of holly leaf cutters to create visual interest on the cake.
• For a softer biscuit, reduce baking time slightly or add a teaspoon of golden syrup to the gingerbread dough.
• If you want to make the cake ahead, the chocolate biscuit mix can be prepared and chilled up to one week in advance.
• Swap dried berries for your favourite nuts or dried fruits if preferred.

Storage

Store the completed cake in a cool place for up to two weeks. Keep it covered to prevent drying out. The decorated biscuits can be stored separately in an airtight container lined with baking parchment for up to one month. When serving, remove the biscuits from the cake and slice the biscuit cake into wedges. If refrigerated, allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use a different type of chocolate for the biscuit cake?

Yes, you can substitute the dark orange chocolate with other dark chocolate varieties, but the distinctive orange flavor contributes to the festive taste. Adjust according to your preference.

How do I prevent the royal icing from cracking on the biscuits?

Ensure the icing consistency is like freshly whipped cream—mallowy and not too stiff. Let the biscuits dry slowly at room temperature overnight, avoiding rapid drying or heat.

Chocolate Biscuit Wreath Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 108 reviews

• Author: Jake
• Total Time: 5 hrs 30 mins (including 4 hrs chilling and icing drying times, not including icing flower drying up to 2 days)
• Yield: Serves 12–16 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This festive Chocolate Biscuit Wreath Cake is a beautifully crafted holiday centerpiece combining rich chocolate biscuit cake with spiced gingerbread holly leaves and delicate royal icing decorations. The cake features a dense, no-bake chocolate biscuit base infused with dried berries, crystallised ginger, and nuts, topped with intricately piped holly biscuits and vibrant poinsettia flowers made from royal icing and fondant. Perfect for Christmas celebrations, this cake offers a delightful blend of textures and flavors presented in an elegant wreath shape.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Christmas Chocolate Biscuit Cake Mix

• 120g digestive biscuits, roughly crushed
• 120g rich tea biscuits, roughly crushed
• 100g ginger nut biscuits, roughly crushed
• 100g roasted salted almonds, roughly chopped
• 170g mixed dried berries (cranberries, cherries, blueberries)
• 70g crystallised ginger, finely chopped
• 300g dark orange chocolate
• 200g golden syrup
• 375g unsalted butter

Gingerbread Biscuit Dough

• 425g plain flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 140g unsalted butter, softened
• 165g dark muscovado sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 165g black treacle
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1–2 tbsp milk

Royal Icing

• 3 large egg whites
• 500–600g icing sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• Green food colouring gel
• Red food colouring gel
• Yellow food colouring gel

Decoration and Assembly

• Sunflower oil, for brushing
• 1kg chocolate fondant icing
• Icing sugar, for dusting
• Red sugar pearls

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Instructions

1. Prepare the Biscuit Cake Base: Oil a 25cm bundt tin and line it with cling film, ensuring no gaps and that the cling film extends over the sides. Brush lightly with sunflower oil. In a large saucepan, melt the dark orange chocolate, golden syrup, and unsalted butter gently until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the crushed digestive, rich tea, and ginger nut biscuits with chopped almonds, dried berries, and crystallised ginger. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the biscuit mix and stir until fully coated. Spoon this mixture into the prepared tin, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon. Cover by bringing the cling film over the top, seal, and press down firmly. Chill in the fridge for about 4 hours until completely firm.
2. Make the Holly Biscuits: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/Gas 6. Lightly knead the gingerbread dough and roll out on a floured surface. Use a holly-leaf-shaped cutter to stamp out 16-18 biscuits, re-rolling dough as needed. Place biscuits on a lined baking sheet with space between each. Bake for 8 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Prepare and Color Royal Icing: Whisk 3 large egg whites lightly until frothy. Gradually beat in 500-600g icing sugar until the mixture resembles whipped cream. Add 3 tbsp lemon juice through a sieve and continue beating until smooth and glossy. Divide icing into bowls and color one with dark green gel, another with light green gel. Thin remaining icings with water until runny for flooding.
4. Decorate Holly Biscuits: Fit piping bags with small round nozzles and fill with light and dark green icings for outlines. Pipe outlines on cooled biscuits, using each color on half the biscuits. Flood the inside of the biscuits with the thinned contrasting icing, smoothing with a damp fine paintbrush if desired. Use remaining piped icing to reinforce outlines and central veins. Leave to set overnight. Store in an airtight container once dry.
5. Create Poinsettia Flowers: Color 3 tbsp royal icing with yellow gel and the remaining royal icing with red gel (icing should be slightly stiff). On parchment lined board, draw three 6cm circles for guides. Flip parchment and pipe three red petals in a triangle within each circle, then three more petals between them creating six-petal base flowers. Let set 30 minutes. Pipe smaller six petals on top and set another 30 minutes. Use yellow icing in a small round nozzle to pipe dots in centers. Allow to dry fully (up to 2 days).
6. Cover the Wreath: Knead and roll out the chocolate fondant icing on an icing sugar-dusted surface until large enough to cover the biscuit wreath. Carefully drape over the cake, press into position, then cut out the center with a 5cm round cutter. Neaten and trim edges for a smooth finish.
7. Assemble the Cake: Transfer the fondant-covered cake to a cake stand or board. Place decorated holly biscuits flat on top, fixing with royal icing. Layer additional biscuits for texture and dimension. Remove dried poinsettias from parchment using a palette knife and affix to wreath with royal icing. Finish by attaching red sugar pearls evenly across the wreath using royal icing. Allow decorations to set thoroughly.
8. Serving and Storage: The assembled cake will keep up to two weeks in a cool place. Remove holly biscuits to enjoy separately or serve sliced wedges of the cake. The biscuit cake mix can be prepared up to a week ahead, the holly biscuits up to one month in advance.

Notes

• The biscuit cake base is no-bake and relies on chilling to set firmly.
• Royal icing consistency is critical: smooth, glossy, and mallowy for piping; thin and runny for flooding areas.
• Decorated biscuits and royal icing flowers can be made well in advance to save time on assembly day.
• Use cling film in the bundt tin to easily remove the cake after chilling.
• Store finished cake in a cool environment away from direct sunlight to preserve decorations.
• The recipe requires patience for royal icing flowers to dry fully, up to two days.

• Prep Time: 45 mins (plus chilling and drying times)
• Cook Time: 8 mins (for biscuit baking only)
• Category: Dessert
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: British

Keywords: Christmas cake, chocolate biscuit cake, gingerbread biscuits, royal icing, holiday dessert, festive cake, biscuit wreath