Double Chocolate Fridge Cake

When I first discovered my love for baking I felt truly blessed. Then somewhere along the way I found myself more than a little obsessed, before finally becoming completely possessed. My mind is awash with thoughts of baking, I find myself pacing the kitchen looking for excuses to bake and I lie awake at night thinking of recipes and ideas. Baking, talking about baking, writing about baking, it's all I want to do, all of the time. It can't be good for me, this infatuation. I really should give myself a break. But how can I indulge my adoration for sweet treats, without fully succumbing to the baking devil lurking just below the surface?

The answer sits in the corner of my kitchen. The hulking grey obelisk so frequently used, but rarely offered more than a little regard. The cooler, the chiller cabinet, the fridge. One of the most important inventions in the history of food, yet taken for granted by most of us, myself included. It deserves its time in the spotlight and can be equally as useful for producing beautiful cakes and desserts as your trusty oven. All you need is the right recipe.

Fortunately for both of us I have the right recipe. Well a recipe so wrong, it's right. A dense, rich, chocolatey gratification, with a dark chocolate tiffin base topped with white chocolate ganache. A luscious, luxurious, licentious extravagance which is stunning to serve and simple to prepare. It is more than just an alternative to a baked cake, it is an absolutely sensational dessert in its own right.

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: Zero, but at least 5-6 hours chilling time
150g Unsalted Butter (Chopped into cubes)
100g Golden Syrup
300g Digestive Bicuits
50g Cocoa Powder
300g White Chocolate (Broken into squares)
150ml Single Cream
The seeds from 1 Vanilla Pod
25g Dark Chocolate (Broken into squares)

Take a 23cm springform tin (without the base) and line with two sheets of cling film, so the cling film overlaps both at the top and bottom. Fit the base and close the tin around it, locking it and securing the cling film in place. Make sure there are no gaps or tears in the cling film and fold any excess over the edges. You don't need to worry about lining the base of your tin. With that little chore done the real fun can now begin.

In a large saucepan melt together the butter and golden syrup on a low heat. Whilst they are melting place the biscuits in a large bowl and crush them finely. You can use a rolling pin for this and try to pulverise them as finely as you can, although a few odd lumps are fine. Tip in the cocoa powder and mix together, then set to one side. When the butter and syrup have melted together remove from the heat, tip in the crushed biscuits and cocoa mixture, then mix together until combined. Tip the mixture into your prepared tin, press firmly all over until evenly compacted and set to one side for an hour until cool.

When the base has cooled for an hour you can prepare the ganache. Sit a large mixing bowl over a pan over simmering water. Tip in the chocolate, cream and vanilla seeds then leave to melt together. You can stir occasionally but try to avoid mixing too much whilst it's on the heat. When the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat and mix together until evenly combined, then pour over the cooled base. Slightly tip the tin in each direction to ensure the ganache mixture reaches the edges. Melt the dark chocolate, also in a bowl over simmering water or in the microwave (if you are confident in you timings). Dribble little drops of dark chocolate over the top of the white chocolate mixture, then place the tin in the fridge for 5-6 hours (even overnight) until set.

When the cake has set, it's time to carefully remove it from the tin. Before we start though, a tip. I place the tin in the freezer 30 minutes prior to removing the cake from it, which allows the edge to firm up slightly and makes it a LOT easier to remove. To remove the cake, loosen the tin, then very gently peel off the cling film. You can leave on the base to serve, or to remove completely slide a palette knife underneath the base, before easing the cake onto a serving plate. Congratulations, your work is done. Time to enjoy a slice or two.