As the 'Great Kate Wait' carries on in Britain, the whole world is watching, holding its breath in anticipation of the birth of the Royal baby.
And naturally, I'm one of them.
Now I'm not British, but I married one, so that's close enough. Actually, that first statement is a lie if you look deep into my heritage. Apparently, I come from a line of nobility, but thisclose to royalty, which shouldn't be a surprise since I like to think I'm Queen most days.
The lineage on my mother's side has been traced back to 1066, originating in Wales, although my family history didn't get interesting until about the late 1400s, early 1500s. My 14th Great-Grandmother married an Earl - not a guy named Earl, but an actual Earl, as in member of nobility. I believe her father was a Baron, so for argument sake, let's just say she was SUPER noble. In fact, I wouldn't be too far off the mark to say that BOTH her and her husband were pretty high up in rank; the Posh and Becks of their time. My 15th Great-Grandfather was apparently beheaded by Henry the VIII (I am I am) along with my 16th Great-Grandmother at a later date, for committing treason, but it was later determined that the only reason they were executed was their claim to the throne. WHAT?
Yes. You read right. CLAIM. TO. THE. THRONE. This only means one thing my friends.
I could be dripping or at least frosted in diamonds and rubies as we speak if not for some jealous spats back in the days of yore.
Bloody hell.
To show I'm not bitter about the whole situation and in honour of the impending birth, I made a cake.
This is the same cake (with my own twist of course) that was served to Prince William at his birthday parties when he was a lad and also served as his Groom's Cake when he married Kate.
It's simple. It's no bake. It's delicious.
Almost as delicious as the 40-carat diamond tiara that should be on my head.
*Sigh*.
CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE
For the cake:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup extra fine granulated sugar
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used both milk and dark)
1 large egg
8 ounces Rich Tea biscuits, broken into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup hazelnuts, choppedFor the ganache frosting:
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Lightly grease a small (6 or 7-inch) cake ring or springform pan with butter or a non-stick spray that has a flour base in it. Cut a piece of parchment paper to match that of the bottom.
Break the biscuits into bite-size pieces; set aside.
Melt chocolate using a a double boiler method. Once melted, remove pan from heat and add the butter and sugar, stirring constantly. Add the egg; continue stirring.
Fold in broken biscuits, raisins, and hazelnuts until they are all completely coated.
Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it stand for a couple minutes. Run a butter knife around the perimeter of cake and flip over onto wire rack. Remove ring and parchment paper.
To make ganache:
Place butter and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a bubbling simmer. Pour over chocolate and stir until smooth and creamy. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Using an offset spatula, apply ganache frosting to top and sides of cake. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature.
Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where it may have stuck to the cooling rack and transfer the cake to a serving dish.
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This looks delicious! Love that it's no-bake too! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz! Perfect for summer. XO
DeleteGIRLFRIEND. I feel your pain. My great grandpa was associated with the mob and if he hadn't left I could be a mafia princess.
ReplyDeleteTotally the same thing as your whole royalty business, yeah? :P
I can't wait for that lil royal baby and I can't wait to eat a big ole slice of this cake!!
NO WAY! I love to hear ancestry and what could have been. Can you imagine if the lineage stayed as is?
DeleteI loved hearing about your lineage, how interesting! The only thing I'll be waiting for is this cake to set so I can eat some!
ReplyDeleteAncestry is crazy, isn't it? That is the one downfall with this cake. It needs to chill faster! Thanks Kat! XO
DeleteThe cake looks delicious, your majesty, errr, Jenny. If it makes you feel better, apparently I have Russian princess blood running through my veins. Or else a great-aunt with an active imagination. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Renee! I think I have one of those relatives as well. Both my Mom & Dad's side offer up some fabulous history with wealth and triumph, yet I don't know what went wrong because I ain't dripping in any jewels, gems or cash bonds. Ha! XO
DeleteLove, love LOVE the story behind this! We (on our Father's side of the family) SUPPOSEDLY are related to some king or such other somewhere in Europe, either that, or my cousins like to tell stories, haha! According to my dad, we have Spanish and French blood somewhere down the line, so it's somewhat believable. ANYWAY, this cake of yours looks FANTASTIC and I may just have to try making it soon! You deserve a 40-carat diamond tiara just for making this! ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you Diana! History is crazy, isn't it? I do deserve a diamond tiara. Or necklace. Or bracelet. Heck, I'd even settle for a diamond dust keychain. :P XO
DeleteStopping by to let you know I am featuring you tomorrow on Made in a Day! Thanks so much for linking up and sharing such amazing inspiration!
ReplyDeleteKim
KIM! You're such a rock star! Thank you so much for that! You deserve a tiara too. XO
DeleteOh my gosh this looks soooo good. Love it!
ReplyDeleteEmily
Thanks Emily! Yeah, we polished it off before the royal baby arrived. Treats like this don't last long in this house. Thanks for stopping by! XO
DeleteWhere is that mug from? I LOVE it.
ReplyDeletewow that looks amazing!
ReplyDelete