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Home » No-Bake Wicked Chocolate Cake aka Groom’s Cake

No-Bake Wicked Chocolate Cake aka Groom’s Cake

Prince William had this cake at his wedding to Catherine Middleton.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

I don’t remember where this recipe came from but I have vague memories from England (pre-celiac disease) of a flyer with recipes based on Scotch Whisky, which is no doubt why I tried this recipe in the first place! In England we are not into chocolate chip cookies (or at least not when I lived there), so chocolate for baking is quite expensive and normally bittersweet. I made this for Thanksgiving one year at my husband’s request and the ladies present must have needed a chocolate fix, since we sat nibbling away like little mice until it was finished.

This is a very easy recipe that keeps well in the fridge or the freezer so it is ideal for the holidays. It can also be poured into a loaf pan, sliced once firm and served in small pieces, as the equivalent of an after dinner mint.  It is very rich, but the flavor of whisky or other liqueur is not overpowering. Some variations could be gluten-free gingersnaps with spiced rum and raisins; orange rind and raisins soaked in orange liqueur, instant coffee and coffee liqueur, gluten-free dark chocolate wafers and brandy or chocolate liqueur. My personal favorite is the orange version. Be creative! For gluten-free, choose which cookies and liqueur you can tolerate.

By the way, if you are at all concerned about using the eggs, then don’t use them. Just add the sugar to the melting chocolate mix and leave out the alcohol for kids.

Gluten-Free No-Bake Wicked Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 eggs at room temperature (about one hour out of fridge)
  • 2 c (12 oz bag) of gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 stick (4oz) butter
  • 1/2 c cream – whipping or heavy
  • 8-oz gluten-free graham crackers or gluten-free shortbread made into fine crumbs
  • 1 c, 4 oz finely chopped, toasted almonds, pecans or hazelnuts (10 minutes at 350*)
  • 1/4 c whisky or other liqueur

Directions:

1.  In a 2-qt non-stick saucepan, gently melt chocolate, cream and butter until the chocolate is smooth. Do not heat on high temperature but the mixture does need to be showing the bubbles of almost boiling, once everything is smooth.

2.  In a food processor, kitchen aid or hand held electric mixer and bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until foamy but not stiff.  About 2-3 minutes.

3.  With the machine running pour in the melted hot chocolate mix. As the mixture beats, it will thicken to a thick sauce like consistency. With an electric mixer it will only thicken slightly. The hot chocolate mixture has actually cooked the eggs into a chocolate sauce.  There is no more cooking involved. This is why it is important to start with eggs at room temperature for about 1 hour and have the hot chocolate mixture just bubbling as you pour it into the machine.  The heat of the chocolate mix should take the temperature of the eggs above the 160* mark. (The temperature at which salmonella is killed if it is present in the egg.  Salmonella has to be there to start with, it will not magically appear).

4.  Pour chocolate sauce out of food processor into a 4-qt bowl.  Mixture can remain in kitchen aid bowl.

5.  Stir in crushed graham crackers, nuts and alcohol.

6.  Line a 1-qt basin or 7-8” decorative cake pan (4 cup capacity) with plastic wrap and pour the chocolate mixture into pan.  Smooth surface, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  This allows the flavors to develop as well as being sufficient time for the chocolate to set.  The chocolate will not set like a bar of chocolate but will be more like a cold block of cream cheese.

7.  Turn out onto decorative plate and either cover in whipped cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate or drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Indulge!

 

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