Chocolate Ripple Wreath Cake is a no bake Christmas Dessert made with chocolate ripple biscuits. Pick a favourite between our Christmas Wreath Pavlova, 8 egg pavlova or this cake to rock your table this Christmas!
For a traditional Australian Christmas menu, start with a spinach cob loaf, throw some coconut prawns in the wok serve as appetizers, glaze a ham, pop a Christmas salad on the table.
This is a round chocolate ripple cake that you may have also seen been done as a chocolate log cake!
With a secret ingredient making for a chocolate ripple cake with a twist, spread the Christmas cheer dunking our biscuits in sherry (alcohol), before spreading them with whipped cream and sticking them to the plate.
This was my all time favourite cake to make growing up. Mum taught us how to make this the log variation and it was a delight from childhood days that I thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn't Christmas if we weren't making a choc ripple cake!
I have mentioned to you guys that pavlova is insanely popular in Australia at Christmas. They work perfectly with the heat and abundance of fresh fruit available. But a gal has to have more than one Christmas treat up her sleeve and this is where our chocolate ripple wreath appears!
How long does it take for choc ripple cake to set?
It takes a good few hours for our choc ripple cake to set (No less than 3 hrs)
I recommend making it the day before you want to serve it. This will give the biscuits enough time to go soft under our cream making a deliriously delicious chocolate texture. (I am talking YUM!)
If you don't have enough time to leave it overnight, then try and set a minimum of 4 hours in between layering the cream and serving the cake.
As we are using alcohol to soak the biscuits this speeds in the process of the biscuits becoming moist, soft and simply AMAZING!
What about Chocolate Ripple biscuits?
Chocolate Ripple Biscuits are made by a brand called Arnotts in Australia.
They are biscuits that are well known for their use in chocolate ripple cakes where they are stuck together and layered with cream for an easy no bake dessert.
The cake is as popular as it is fun, simple and easy to make.
The biscuits are smeared with cream and then stuck together with the process being repeated till the cake is formed. Then it is layered with freshly whipped cream before being refrigerated as a means of the cream melting the hard texture of the biscuits giving more of a traditional cake type texture to the dessert.
What ingredients are used to make a chocolate ripple wreath?
As you can see from the photo above the ingredients we use for this recipe are simple, easy to locate and minimal!
- chocolate ripple biscuits
- sherry (alcohol)
- cream
- cocoa powder
- vanilla essence (or extract)
- icing sugar
How long does choc ripple cake last in the fridge?
This cake will last for 2 days in the fridge.
It is perfect to make and serve the next day or to make 2 days in advance and then serve.
Cover the cake with aluminium foil if you are making in advance. Cling wrap is not ideal as you need a bit of space in between the cover and the cream so that it doesn't get squashed.
Chocolate ripple cakes are not suitable to freeze.
Choc ripple cake variations
One of the reasons why this type of cake is so popular is because of the wide variations that can be done from the basic recipe to make a similar version.
There is no limit to the possible options for recipes using chocolate ripple biscuits!
You can make a chocolate log cake, a vegan chocolate ripple cake or our chocolate ripple wreath cake just to name a few.
Here is how to make our Chocolate Ripple Wreath
The steps you need to take to make this chocolate wreath cake are shown in the sets of photo and listed in the steps below:
- make your chocolate whipped cream (shown in photos 1-5)
- use a cake tin as a guide to your circle shape by dusting around the outside with icing sugar (shown in photo 6)
- pour your sherry into a bowl (shown in photo 7)
- dunk biscuits one by one into the sherry and brush them with cream (shown in photos 8-9)
- spread a cream layer onto your cake platter (shown in photo 10)
- sandwich your biscuits together and start to make a wreath shape (shown in photo 11)
- repeat process till wreath is fully formed (shown in photos 12-13)
- spread layer of cream onto cake and place in the fridge for 3-4 hrs (shown in photo 14)
- get your festive sprinkles ready to decorate your cake (shown in photo 15)
After the steps above, we now need to decorate our chocolate wreath cake, here is how:
- make your chocolate whipped cream (shown in photos 16-19)
- crush your chocolate balls and prepare your sprinkles (shown in photos 20-21)
- spread another layer of cream over cake and begin to decorate (shown in photo 22)
- top the cake with the variety of sprinkles and toppings working with 1 ingredient at a time (shown in photo 23-30)
Looking for appetizers for the big day? Here they are!
Chocolate Ripple Cake steps
Of the steps listed above, there are 4 to focus on for the ultimate success of your cake:
These steps are shown in the photo below:
- the biscuits need to be dunked into the sherry 1 by 1 for only a second or 2 (shown in photo 1)
- then spread cream on each biscuit so that it can be used to stick the next biscuit to it (shown in photo 2)
- stick the biscuits to the plate and sandwich together (shown in photo 3)
- repeat this process until your wreath shape is fully formed (shown in photo 4)
Chocolate Ripple Wreath quick info:
About the recipe:
- we use 2 packets of chocolate ripple biscuits with those leftover crushed for decorating
- the cocoa, vanilla and icing sugar is to make (and sweeten) the chocolate whipped cream
- hand held electric beaters are perfect to whip the creaam
- this a a no bake cake (super easy, right!)
FAQs about Choc Ripple Cake
- the biscuits get dipped in the alcohol before being spread with cream
- this recipe makes a large cake and can serve at least 14 people
- I used a 25cm, approx 10 inches (out outside that circle)
- the cake can be made 1-2 days before
- choose festive sprinkles that are red and green
- This is an EASY recipe
Choc Ripple Pro tips:
These additional tips are so that you can master this recipe from the 1st time you make it:
- if you don't use alcohol to dunk your biscuits allow an additional 2 hrs before serving
- the cream layer on the plate helps to make your biscuits stick in place
- you can mold the wreath shape as you go but it will start to soften quickly (don't we all with a little booze, haha!)
- whip your cream before starting as you need it straight after dunking ie one biscuit, dunk, spread, cream repeat.
APPETIZERS FOR YOUR TABLE
Christmas is all about the food. Here are some appetizers you might enjoy trying:
- Grazing Platter (perfect for a crowd)
- Spinach Cob Loaf (dip in a bread bowl)
- Baked Brie with Garlic (this is INSANELY delicious!!)
- Coconut Prawns (shrimp for my American friends)
- Mini Quiches 12 ways (both vego and non vego options)
- Chili Lime Chicken Wings (oven baked recipe)
Or if you want to make the Christmas Wreath Pavlova or another dessert like our 8 Egg Pavlova, knock your festive socks off!
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Ripple Cake
Equipment
- Large Platter
Ingredients
Chocolate Ripple Wreath
- 500 grams chocolate ripple biscuits Note 1
- 600 ml cream Note 2
- 1 cup sherry Note 3
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder Note 4
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence Note 5
- 2 tablespoon icing sugar Note 6
- 3 chocolate ripple biscuits Note 7
- ¼ cup red chocolate balls Note 8
- ¼ cup mint chocolate balls
- ¼ cup mini chocolate balls (green or red)
- 1 tbs red sprinkles
- 1 tbs green sprinkles
- 1 tbs chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
Chocolate Ripple Wreath
- Add your cream, cocoa powder, icing sugar and vanilla essence to a mixing bowl and whip to combine.
- Use a cake tin as a guide to form your circle by placing it on a large cake platter, dust icing sugar around the outside of the cake tin in a circle .
- Pour your sweet alcohol into a small bowl
- Spread a layer of cream around in a circle on the base of the cake platter
- Dip 1 biscuit into the alcohol, spread with cream, then stick to the cake platter. Repeat 1 by 1 per biscuit until you complete a wreath shape.
- Top the chocolate wreath with whipped cream, then refrigerate for 4 hrs.
- Remove from fridge, do another cream layer to cover the cake and then decorate with your toppings. Note 9
Notes
- Note 1 we need 2 x (250 gram) packets of the biscuits. You will have a few left over which you can use for topping. You can use another type of chocolate biscuit if you can't find chocolate ripple or they don't sell them in your location
- Note 2 your cream needs to be suitable for whipping. Read the label on the side before purchasing to save another trip to the store!!
- Note 3 I use 'Royal Reserve' Australian Fortified Wine. Your alcohol needs to be sweet, not dry.
- Note 4 Australian tablespoons measure 20ml. You need ½ for each batch of cream
- Note 5 No need to use the more expensive vanilla essence, the extract is perfect.
- Note 6 Taste this as you go, it is to add a touch of sweetness to the cream
- Note 7 These are the leftover biscuits, crushed and used as 'sprinkles'.
- Note 8 You don't have to use my exact toppings. Go for festive red and green and use candy/lollies that you can find which are 'Christmas' type ones. I use 'Jaffas', 'Large Mint Dark Chocolate Green Balls' and 'Mini Green Milk Chocolate Balls'.
- Note 9 You can either do 1 layer of cream and decorate then, or cover the cake with cream then do another thin layer just before topping so the cream is 'fluffy' still and the toppings will stick easily. If you find that you don't whip enough cream in the beginning, then whip some more for your cream pre topping layer. It doesn't make too much difference if you layer the cream and straight away top or you do this in 2 stages. But don't try and decorate without additional cream if you place it in the fridge without topping in the 1st stage. This is because the toppings need the cream to be fresh and 'wet' to stick to easily by sprinkling from above and not 'pushing' onto cake.
Nutrition
Christmas recipes
I hope I have filled you with inspiration to make the best Christmas recipes your guests can eat!
There is one thing for certain, if you are in for a hot Christmas then our Chocolate Ripple Wreath and our Christmas Pavlova Wreath are perfect for Christmas Day Dessert.
Take your time, read the recipe and look at the steps, if you have any questions, sing out, I want your Chocolate Ripple Cake to be the bomb diggity.
Adrianne xx
P.S. Ho, ho, ho, not long to go now!
Marcellina says
Fantastic recipe, Adrianne! So simple and festive for a Christmas dessert!
Adrianne says
Thanks Marcellina!! It makes me happy to see your feedback, appreciate the positive vibes.
Nicole says
My new go to christmas dessert – so easy.. i included mixed berries in the middle & crushed up cherry ripe bar & dark chocolate to decorate
Adrianne says
Oh yum!! The cherry ripe sounds fantastic. Thanks Nicole!