Got a stash of leftover chocolate sitting in a cupboard? This Building Site Chocolate Biscuit Cake is a brilliant way to use it up. It’s a no-bake recipe that’s simple enough for kids to help with from start to finish, and the “building site” theme makes it a fun centrepiece for a birthday party or just a weekend treat.
If you can’t get to baking straight away, unwrap any leftover chocolate and pop it in the freezer until you’re ready to make this cake.
Makes 16 portions
Ingredients
- 500g digestive biscuits (or similar)
- 100g unsalted butter
- 100ml golden syrup
- 75g caster sugar
- 50g cocoa powder
- 1 packet of jelly tots (or similar sweets)
- 1 bar of chocolate that can be broken into blocks
Method
1. Crush the biscuits. Place the digestive biscuits inside two sturdy sandwich bags, one inside the other. Bash them with a rolling pin or wooden spoon until they’re broken into crumbs — this is a great job for kids to help with!
2. Make the chocolate mixture. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, golden syrup, caster sugar and cocoa powder. Warm over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth and the sugar has fully dissolved.
3. Prepare your tins. Line a springform cake tin well with cling film (a 21cm tin works well). Line a separate baking tray with cling film too.
4. Combine and press. Once the saucepan mixture is fully liquid, pour in the crushed biscuits and stir until evenly coated. Take two-thirds of this mixture and press it firmly into the lined cake tin. Cover with cling film and leave to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about an hour.
5. Make the “rubble.” Spread the remaining third of the biscuit mixture out on the lined baking tray and break it up with a fork.
6. Assemble the cake. Line a large board or tray. Turn the chilled cake out onto it. Scatter the reserved biscuit crumbs on top to look like rubble, add jelly tots as “buried treasure,” build a wall using the chocolate blocks, and finish with a few toy trucks or diggers for the full building site effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this cake in advance?
Yes — the biscuit base can be made a day or two ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Add the crumb “rubble,” sweets and chocolate decorations closer to serving time so everything stays fresh and looks its best.
Can I use a different type of biscuit?
Yes, any similar plain biscuit works well as a substitute for digestives if that’s what you have on hand.
What can I use instead of jelly tots?
Any small, colourful sweets work as the “buried treasure” — use whatever you have or whatever your kids enjoy most.
How should I store leftovers?
Keep the cake covered in the fridge and enjoy within a few days.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this, you might also like our Jellybean Rainbow Cake, our Spaghetti & Meatballs Cake, or our roundup of 12 Birthday Cake Ideas for more fun, kid-friendly baking inspiration.
Loved This Recipe?
If you try this Building Site Chocolate Biscuit Cake, we’d love to hear how it turned out — let us know in the comments below.
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