Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (2024)

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Chocolate biscuit cake is a no bake cake recipe that happens to be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite/favourite cake! Growing up in the UK, this type of treat, called a tiffin, is quite popular for one reason: it’s fantastic!

Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (1)

The original recipe is by the Queen’s past royal chef–Chef Darryn McGrady, who shared it some years ago.

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I want to share this recipe with you because it’s the perfect treat to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee! Apparently, this is the only “cake” that Queen Elizabeth wants kept for leftovers for herself! All other cakes are shared after the queen has enjoyed a slice, but not this one.

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You may also recall that when Prince William and Kate were married, the groom’s cake was this exact recipe! So now you know, this cake is definitely fit for royalty, however, it’s the most simple treat you could probably ever make, since there’s no baking involved!

What was the Queen’s Favorite Cake?

The Queen’s favorite cake isn’t actually a traditional cake, but something known as a tiffin. It is made in the shape of a cake, but it is not baked. Instead, biscuits (cookies) are broken and folded into a chocolate mixture which is chilled and coated in more chocolate.

What was Queen Elizabeth’s Favorite Dessert?

Chocolate Biscuit cake was Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite dessert, as well.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (3)

If you’re surprised at the Queen’s “down to earth” taste in food, you shouldn’t be, as she’s been quoted as saying she loves beans on toast, and even attributed catching Covid to not eating her beans for two days! She’s got such a great sense of humor!

I hope you don’t believe the myth of bad English food! I can prove them wrong!

Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (4)

And Scottish shortbread is surely on the afternoon tea menu when the Queen is at Balmoral.
Shortbread is the Queen’s favorite cookie/biscuit.

What is a Tiffin?

Tiffin actually means a light meal or snack, and is an Indian/English word. As noted above, a tiffin is simply the name for this chocolate biscuit treat. A cake is actually a misnomer since there’s nothing cake-like about it, except for the shape and the tin it’s made in. You can add dried fruit, nuts, and British candy like Maltesers, but then it won’t be the Queen’s favorite version. Tiffin is often served with a cup of British tea.

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Tips on Making the Best Chocolate Biscuit Cake

  • Although it might be more difficult to find, I would recommend using McVitie’s Rich Tea biscuits. These are the ones I grew up eating, and always dipping into my cup of tea, just like Digestives! I could have ordered them on Amazon, but they would have taken too long to arrive, so I bought another brand at Cost Plus.
  • Use good quality dark chocolate. You can use something like Callebaut chocolate, but honestly, the big bars of Belgian chocolate from Trader Joe’s are really good, too, and much more inexpensive.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (7)

  • Be sure to use Baker’s or caster sugar or else the cake may have a gritty texture. You can also put granulated sugar in a blender, but don’t process too long or you’ll make powdered sugar.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (8)

Chocolate Biscuit Cake –
The Queen’s Favorite Cake (Tiffin Recipe)

Original recipe by Chef Darren McGrady-slightly adapted by Christina Conte. Serves 18

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

  • Rich Tea biscuits or similar cookies/biscuits
  • butter, softened
  • Baker’s/caster sugar
  • dark chocolate
  • pinch of salt
    COATING
    good quality dark chocolate
    chocolate curls, bits of a chocolate bar, or whatever you would like to put on top the cake

Special equipment: 6″ cake tin or springform pan (optional: cake stand)

Prepare the Chocolate Biscuits and Filling

Butter a 6″ cake tin and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper.

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Break the tea biscuits into small pieces (about 1″ long) and put into a bowl and set aside.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (10)

Beat the butter, salt and sugar together until light and fluffy.

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Melt the dark chocolate using the defrost function of the microwave or over a double boiler. Stop heating the chocolate when it is almost melted.

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Add the melted chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well until combined. (At this point, the original recipe adds an egg, however, I don’t recommend doing this in the US as it is not cooked.)

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Gently add in the Rich Tea biscuit pieces until they are fully coated in chocolate mixture.

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Put this into the prepared cake tin, carefully trying to fill all the air spots so there aren’t holes in the bottom or middle of the cake (the bottom will be the top).

Coat and Decorate the Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Place the tin in the fridge for about 4 hours. When ready to finish the cake, remove from the fridge and allow to stand for about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and turn upside down onto a cooling rack placed on a sheet tray (or anything to catch chocolate drips). Remove the parchment paper.

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Now, melt the dark chocolate for the coating in a double boiler or again in the microwave on defrost to slowly melt the chocolate, stirring at intervals. Stop heating the chocolate when there are still pieces of chocolate. Continue stirring off the heat until completely smooth.

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Slowly pour the melted chocolate over the top and sides of the cake and smooth using a butter or palette knife.

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Allow to set at room temperature. When set, remove the cake and place on a serving plate and decorate as desired and serve.

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Cutting the cake is much easier at room temperature, and a cup of tea is (practically) mandatory. 👑

Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (19)

Chocolate Biscuit Cake (The Queen's Favorite Cake - Tiffin Recipe)

Yield: 18 slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

A chocolate and cookie concoction that is called a tiffin in the UK and happens to be Queen Elizabeth II's favorite cake!

Ingredients

  • 8 oz (225 g) Rich Tea biscuits or similar cookies/biscuits
  • 5 oz (142 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • pinch of salt
  • 5 oz (142 g) Baker's/caster sugar (if the sugar isn't fine, it might be gritty)
  • 5 oz (142 g) dark chocolate

COATING

  • 8 oz (225 g) good quality dark chocolate
  • chocolate curls, bits of a chocolate bar, or whatever you would like to put on top the cake

Instructions

1. Butter a 6" cake tin and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper.

2. Break the tea biscuits into small pieces (about 1" long) and put into a bowl and set aside.

3. Beat the butter, salt, and sugar together until light and fluffy.

4. Melt the dark chocolate using the defrost function of the microwave or over a double boiler. Stop heating the chocolate when it is almost melted. Add the melted chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well until combined.

5. Gently add in the Rich Tea biscuit pieces until they are fully coated in chocolate mixture.

6. Put this into the prepared cake tin, carefully trying to fill all the air spots so there aren't holes in the bottom or middle of the cake (the bottom will be the top).

7. Place the tin in the fridge for about 4 hours. When ready to finish the cake, remove from the fridge and allow to stand for about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and turn upside down onto a cooling rack placed on a sheet tray (or anything to catch chocolate drips). Remove the parchment paper.

8. Now, melt the dark chocolate for the coating in a double boiler or again in the microwave on defrost to slowly melt the chocolate, stirring at intervals. Stop heating the chocolate when there are still pieces of chocolate. Continue stirring off the heat until completely smooth.

9. Slowly pour the melted chocolate over the top and sides of the cake and smooth using a butter or palette knife.

10. Allow to set at room temperature. When set, remove the cake and place on a serving plate and decorate as desired.

Notes

Use good quality chocolate for best results (DO NOT USE HERSHEY'S)

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 18Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 305Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 109mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 25gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is only estimated.

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Chocolate Biscuit Cake (the Queen's Favorite Cake) A Tiffin Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What was Queen Elizabeth's favorite cake? ›

Posted on www.today.com (Read original article here.) “This chocolate biscuit cake is Her Royal Majesty the Queen's favorite afternoon tea cake by far,” chef Darren McGrady, The Royal Chef and former personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II, told TODAY Food.

What is King Charles Favourite cake? ›

King Charles III has long been known to favour a fruit cake (unlike his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose favourite cake was a chocolate biscuit cake - Charles can't stand chocolate!) and so I thought I'd share with you my favourite fruit cake recipe.

What is the royal family's favorite dessert? ›

Chocolate biscuit cake is reportedly one of the Royal Family's favourite desserts, which "has become irresistible to generations of royal diners".

What is biscuit cake made of? ›

Biscuit cake is a type of no bake tea cake, similar to American icebox cake, found in Irish, English, Danish, Arabic (Especially Tunisian cuisine known as "Khobzet Hwe"), Bulgarian and Jewish cuisine. It is made with digestive biscuits and is optionally prepared with a chocolate glaze.

What chocolate did Queen Elizabeth like? ›

As for what chocolates are her favourite, Express.co.uk recently reported how the Queen is said to enjoy sweet offerings from the famous chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker, whose chocolate can sell for up to £280.

What is Queen Camilla's favorite cake? ›

When it comes to Queen Consort Camilla, she puts her own unique spin on a classic English cake. Victoria sponge cake commonly makes an appearance at afternoon tea, and consists of two fluffy sponge cakes with generous layers of fruit jam and whipped cream slathered between them.

What is Camilla's favorite cake? ›

It turns out that she's a fan of cake, and her favorite is a classic British treat, the Victoria Sponge.

What is Princess Diana's favorite dessert? ›

Another one of Princess Diana's favourites include bread and butter pudding. "Her favourite dessert? Bread and butter pudding – she would only have it when William and Harry were staying, and then she would only have a small portion," said Darren.

What is the royals favorite chocolate? ›

Adam Lee, chief chocolatier of luxury chocolate makers Charbonnel et Walker, confirmed that Her Majesty's favourite chocolates are the floral creams. Lee says the Queen has “very floral tastes” and has a list of her favourite treats made by the company.

What pudding does the Queen like? ›

The Bombe Glacée Royale

It's long been known that the Queen has a sweet tooth, particularly when it comes to chocolate, so it's no surprise that her go-to dessert is a rich, mint and chocolatey delight known as a Bombe Glacée Royale.

What is chocolate biscuit cake made of? ›

Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe. Easy no bake chocolate biscuit cake made with biscuits, cocoa, milk, sugar and chocolate. Serve it as a tea time cake.

Where did Tiffin cake come from? ›

Who's ever had Tiffin?? Also known as biscuit cake, or fridge cake, and invented in Scotland in the 19C this little chocolatey treat is just delightful. Biscuit, chocolate and golden syrup, topped with chocolate and left to set.

Why is my biscuit cake not fluffy? ›

Room Temperature Butter / Don't Over-Cream

Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness.

What was Queen Elizabeth's Favourite dessert? ›

When we learned that the Queen of England is obsessed with this Chocolate Biscuit Cake, a decadent layering of chocolate and rich tea biscuits (the most dunkable of English cookies), we knew it was the sweet for us.

What sweets did Queen Elizabeth eat? ›

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

The queen had a legendary love of sweets, especially anything chocolate. She especially enjoyed a classic icebox-style cake using simple tea biscuits suspended in an egg-enriched ganache and then chilled before coated in a thin layer of chocolate.

What desserts did Queen Elizabeth eat? ›

When it's time to treat herself, McGrady revealed that all the Queen wants is a piece of chocolate biscuit cake. The cake is reportedly made in-house (or, more appropriately, in-palace), and Her Majesty consumes one slice per day.

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