Classic Chocolate Ripple Cake
No-bake log of chocolate biscuits and whipped cream. The iconic Australian retro dessert from every 1970s-90s celebration.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My mother's party staple since 1975 - Helen Mitchell
If you attended a birthday party, engagement celebration, or family gathering in Australia between 1970 and 2000, you almost certainly encountered a Chocolate Ripple Cake. Sitting on the serving table in all its diagonal glory - a log of chocolate biscuits and cream, dusted with chocolate, sliced to reveal those distinctive rippled layers - it was the dessert that defined a generation. My mum made one for every single family celebration from 1975 until the early 2000s, when she declared it "too retro" and switched to cheesecake. We made her bring it back.
The Chocolate Ripple Cake was invented by Arnott's Biscuits in the 1970s as a recipe to promote their Chocolate Ripple biscuits - thin, crispy chocolate cookies that became a pantry staple in Australian homes. The genius was in the simplicity: layer biscuits with whipped cream, arrange them in a log on a diagonal, refrigerate overnight, and the biscuits soften into cake-like layers while the cream sets. No baking, no complicated techniques, just assembly and patience.
The recipe appeared on the back of Chocolate Ripple packets and in the Women's Weekly, spreading across Australia like wildfire. It became the default "easy dessert" for people who didn't consider themselves bakers. Mum learned it from a neighbor in 1975 and made her first Ripple Cake for my sister's 4th birthday. "It looked like something from a fancy café," she recalls. "But it took me twenty minutes and cost about three dollars. I was hooked."
The key to a perfect Chocolate Ripple Cake is threefold: the cream must be whipped to stiff peaks (not soft, or it will slide off the biscuits), the log must be assembled on a diagonal (this creates the ripple effect when sliced), and it must refrigerate overnight (the biscuits need time to soften from crisp to cake-like). Mum also had her own refinements: she'd add a splash of Kahlua or Baileys to the cream for adult parties, press flaked almonds into the sides, and dust the whole thing with cocoa and icing sugar for presentation.
The magic happened when you sliced it. Each piece revealed perfect diagonal stripes - dark chocolate biscuit alternating with white cream, softened to a texture somewhere between biscuit and cake. It wasn't fancy, it wasn't sophisticated, but it was delicious and it looked impressive. Kids at parties would fight over the end piece with its extra cream. Adults would take seconds while claiming they "shouldn't really."
In the 2000s, Chocolate Ripple Cake fell out of fashion, deemed too "retro" or "daggy" (Australian slang for unfashionable). But recently, it's experiencing a resurgence, with food blogs calling it "nostalgic" and "ironically brilliant." Mum was vindicated. "I told you it was timeless," she said, making one for my daughter's birthday in 2023, assembling it the exact same way she did in 1975. Some recipes don't need updating - they just need patience and proper refrigeration.
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
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💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
Pro Tips
- • Whip the cream to STIFF peaks - soft peaks will make a sloppy cake that slides apart.
- • The diagonal placement is key - it creates the ripple pattern when you slice.
- • Refrigerate overnight for best texture - the biscuits need time to soften.
- • Use Arnott's Chocolate Ripple biscuits if possible - they're designed for this recipe.
- • Add coffee liqueur for sophistication, or keep it plain for kids' parties.
- • Make it the day before your event - it's actually better the next day.
- • Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days (if it lasts that long).
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The texture continues to soften over time. Don't freeze - it doesn't work well with this dessert.
Instructions
- 1
This is crucial: make sure your cream is very cold - straight from the fridge is best. In a large bowl using electric beaters, whip the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla (and Kahlua if using) together until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks mean the cream holds its shape and doesn't slide off the beaters when you lift them. This takes about 3-4 minutes. Don't under-whip or the cake will be sloppy.
4 minutes - 2
Take a long serving platter or a piece of baking paper on a flat tray. You'll be building the log on a diagonal - this is what creates the ripple effect when sliced.
- 3
Start assembling: Spread about 1 tablespoon of whipped cream on one side of a biscuit. Place another biscuit on top, pressing gently. Spread cream on that biscuit, add another, and continue. You're building a stack, but you'll be laying it on its side soon.
- 4
After you've stacked 5-6 biscuits with cream, carefully lay the stack on its side on your serving platter at a diagonal angle. Mum always positioned it from bottom left to top right - this affects how the slices look.
- 5
Continue the pattern: cream on biscuit, place on log, cream on biscuit, place on log. Build the log along the diagonal line, pressing gently to secure but not so hard you squish out all the cream. The log will grow longer and longer.
- 6
Keep going until you've used all the biscuits. You should have a long log lying diagonally across your platter. The ends will be single biscuits - these become the prized 'end pieces' with extra cream when serving.
- 7
Now for the fun part: Use the remaining whipped cream to 'ice' the log. Spread cream all over the top and sides, covering the biscuits completely. Don't stress about making it perfectly smooth - rustic is fine, and you'll be adding decorations anyway.
- 8
Decorate: Mum would press flaked almonds gently into the cream along the sides, making a pattern. Then she'd dust the whole thing with cocoa powder and icing sugar using a tea strainer for an even coating. Some people add chocolate shavings on top. Make it your own.
- 9
This is the hardest part: Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap (don't let it touch the cream) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. During this time, the biscuits absorb moisture from the cream and soften from crispy to cake-like. Don't skip this - fresh Ripple Cake is just biscuits and cream, but overnight Ripple Cake is magical.
6 hours - 10
To serve: Remove from fridge 10 minutes before serving to take the chill off slightly. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal slices about 2cm thick. Each slice should show perfect rippled layers - dark chocolate biscuit alternating with white cream. Serve on individual plates. Watch people's faces light up with nostalgia.
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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