A RECIPE: Choc-full fridge cake

Chocolate refrigerator cake is not usually something that I would offer to do the washing-up for. This has mystified me based on the following argument: 1/ I like biscuits 2/ I like Chocolate 3/ I like biscuits covered in chocolate 4/ I like the word cake. Prior to my ovens unpredicted breakdown I had not spared a thought that a chocolate refrigerator cake might make it into the recipe archives of my blog. However, unable to bake with an oven other than the microwaveable variety this past Saturday morning- meant that I would have to either a/ find another activity or b/ bake without an oven. Unable to think of how I could possibly bake without an oven I opted for a- find another activity.

After visiting a couple of my favourite blogs (thank you Monica and Little Britainer) this other activity turned out to be cleaning out the kitchen cupboards. How exciting Saturday mornings can be! This was something that desperately needed to be done and included a spattering of the following appropriately edited phrases: “oh! I didn’t know this was in here” and “Ooooh! this should not still be in here!”. By the end of the clear-out I was left face to face with a handful of the dreaded opened, half-used, mostly used and nearly empty packets of ingredients that I would on any normal day bung into a batch of cookies and be pleased with myself that nothing had been wasted.

A lack of oven forced me to activate my brain (which only happens on the rarest of occasions) to find the perfect solution to use up the opened contents of my cupboard. At first I discarded my idea for a fridge cake- how could I put something in my blog that isn’t totally fabulous? But of course I had gone to the effort of activating my brain so I thought about it a little longer and concluded that why I never thought fridge cake was fabulous was because of the addition of dried fruit. I like raisins and I like chocolate but the two combined are not in my mind a happy couple- even when I’m not thinking. I wanted my fridge cake to have the best quality chocolate and stuffed full of crunch. Don thought perhaps I was a touch too liberal with my crunchy additions but I wanted a nut in every bite and that’s what I got! In any case, you could do any combinations of fruit, nuts, biscuits- Jamie even uses crushed meringue nests. Who knew a cake of all things could be so flexible? Baking has never been so easy.

Choc-Full Fridge Cake

If you really must have dried fruits in your chocolate fridge cake then just substitute with one of the other ingredients. Use the best quality chocolate that you can afford- it really does make a difference. Make this gluten-free by substituting the digestives for gluten free biscuits or other nuts.
Fills one 900g Loaf tin

Difficulty: You could do it with your eyes closed

300g/10 oz chocolate, broken up
100g/1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp golden syrup (or honey
200g/2 cups pecans, toasted (or other nuts)
100g/3/4 of a cup of hazelnuts, toasted (or other nuts)
100g/4 oz M&M’s or Maltesers
100g/4 oz digestive biscuits (or graham crackers) roughly broken up
50g/2 oz cocoa nibs (optional)

1. Line a 900g loaf tin with cling film, leaving the extra to come up over the sides. In a medium sized non stick pan, melt together the chocolate, butter and syrup over a gentle heat.

2. Mix together all of the other remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour over melted chocolate and mix to combine. Fill your cling-film lined bread tin (see picture above) and fold over the excess cling-film to cover. Chill for at least 2 hours, or until set.

3. Turn out onto a board, peel away the cling film, slice using a large chefs knife. Store in and airtight container in the fridge and visit regularly.