Earl grey tea, chocolate cake and champagne were reportedly all staples of Queen Elizabeth’s long and extraordinary life.
Whatever your politics, you have to admire Queen Elizabeth’s uncomplaining dedication to her duties. So many formal dinners, so make ceremonial cakes to cut! You can only imagine the relief to be back in the palace with the royal slippers on and a fresh pot of tea on the table.
The Queen was known to be a creature of habit when it came to food, avoiding carbs when eating alone, eating to the same foods most days, with a tipple of gin at midday and a glass or champers to finish the evening meal.
Getty
The Queen was partial to chocolate biscuit cake during high tea at Buckingham Palace, so much so, it was reported that she would eat a slice of it every single day. The rich-looking cake is also loved by her grandson Prince William, who served it as a second cake at his wedding to Kate Middleton.
Darren McGrady, the Royal Chef and former personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II, said that the ‘rich dark chocolate cake has a lovely crunchy texture thanks to the addition of classic English cookies called Rich tea biscuits’. The cake is finished off with a layer of chocolate frosting.
“It is her favourite cake that she eats until it is all gone,” McCrady said.
Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 teaspoon butter, for greasing the pan
- 8 ounces Rich Tea biscuits or sweet cookies
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces granulated sugar
- 4 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 egg (optional as raw)
Icing
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, for coating
- 1 ounce chocolate, for decoration
Method
Lightly grease a 6-inch-by-2½-inch cake ring with the butter and place on a tray on a sheet of parchment paper.
Break each of the biscuits into almond size pieces by hand and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar until the mixture starts to lighten.
Melt the 4 ounces of the dark chocolate and add to the butter mixture, stirring constantly. Add the egg and beat to combine. Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake ring. Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring because this will be the top when it is un-molded. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it stand.
Meanwhile, melt the 8 ounces of dark chocolate in a double boiler or saucepan on the stove top over low heat. Slide the ring off the cake and turn it upside down onto a cake wire.
Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and smooth the top and sides using a palette knife. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.
Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where the chocolate has stuck it to the cake wire and lift it onto a tea plate.
Melt the remaining 1 ounce of chocolate and use to decorate the top of the cake.
Source: Chef Darren McGrady
