Christmas Chocolate Ripple Cake Wreath
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This Christmas Chocolate Ripple Cake Wreath is a dairy based dessert made with sweetened whipped cream and choc ripple biscuits. Decorated with gingerbread cookies for the ultimate holiday table centerpiece!
Chocolate ripple cake is a popular and easy dessert typically served during Christmas.
With the biscuits and cream arranged into a circle to resemble a wreath for Christmas, this classic holiday dessert is by far a family favorite.
You will see choc ripple cake in various forms, like my Ginger Ripple Log but you may not have seen one topped with Gingerbread Cookies.
You can however decorate your ripple cake with your favorite toppings, some of which I mention below, such as peppermint crisps or berries, delicious!
🍫 Why You Will Love This Recipe
- No-bake dessert.
- Easy to make.
- Make ahead.
- Family favorite & crowd pleaser.
- Traditional Christmas dessert.
- Decorated with homemade gingerbread biscuits.
It’s a perfect make-ahead dessert as you must make this the day before so the chocolate biscuits can absorb the moisture from the cream.
Once chilled and ready to serve, the texture is a wonderfully moist, cake-like crumb with soft and sweetened whipped cream.
To achieve those iconic chocolate ripple cake stripes, cut your slices at a 45-degree angle.
🍪 Topping Ideas
Instead of decorating your ripple wreath with gingerbread biscuits, try these:
- Grated/crushed Peppermint Crisp Bars.
- Chocolate shavings.
- Dust cocoa powder.
- Fresh mint leaves.
- Fresh berries and fruit such as kiwi fruit and mango.
- Crushed/chopped nuts such as peanuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, and walnuts.
- Chopped chocolate-covered nuts such as choc-covered macadamias, hazelnuts, or almonds.
- Red and green Christmas-colored candy such as M&M’s, Smarties, or lollies.
📋 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Heavy/thickened cream – known as heavy cream in the US and thickened cream in Australia. Do not use light cream as it won’t whip. I have not tested this recipe using coconut whipping cream, you can certainly try though!
- Caster sugar – use either white or golden/raw caster sugar. I recommend not substituting it with granulated sugar as it won’t dissolve properly into the cream and the texture will be gritty.
- Choc ripple biscuits – chocolate biscuits made by Arnott’s. Substitute with Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers or any plain sweet chocolate biscuit/wafer.
- Gingerbread cookies – as the topping/decoration. I used my decorated gingerbread cookies and aren’t they so cute?! Or use your favorite homemade version or store-bought gingerbread cookies.
🥣 Step By Step Instructions (with photos)
There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.
This cake must be made the day before serving orallow 6-8 hours for it to chill in the fridge.
Step one: In the mixing bowl, pour in cream, sugar and vanilla. Using a stand mixer or electric hand beaters, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
Step two: If you’re adding brandy, pour in one tablespoon at a time, while beating the cream, until your desired potency, I use three tablespoons. Do not over-beat cream at this point, just until the brandy is mixed through.
Step three: On a large round serving plate/platter, create a large circle by dolloping some of the whipped cream around the edges of the plate, leaving a small gap between the cream and the edges of the plate.
Step four: Pick up one biscuit in your hand, spread about half a tablespoon onto the flat side and do the same with a second biscuit.
Step five: Stand both biscuits together upright onto the cream on the plate.
Step six: Spread cream onto a third biscuit and sandwich it onto the biscuits on the plate so the cream is in the middle of the biscuits. Repeat method with remaining biscuits, arranging biscuits along the circle of cream, creating a wreath shape.
Step seven: Dollop remaining cream over the cake and spread it using a small rubber spatula or spoon to cover the entire outside of the wreath. TIP: if you have leftover whipped cream, save it for the next day to stick on the gingerbread cookies.
Step eight: Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 6-8 hours or overnight for the biscuits to soften and absorb the moisture from the cream.
Step nine: If using gingerbread cookies, before serving make some extra whipped cream, or use leftovers from the cake. Spread the back of each gingerbread cookie with some cream and place them onto the top of the ripple wreath so they stick. Serve and enjoy!
💭 Tips For Recipe Success
- Dollop some of the whipped cream onto the plate in the shape of a circle to achieve the shape of the wreath, before adding the biscuits.
- Do not over-whip the cream, only until soft peaks form.
- The biscuits don’t need a lot of cream spread onto them, about half a tablespoon for each.
- Leave enough cream to cover the entire outside of the wreath after using it on the biscuits. Whip up some more cream if needed.
- If you have leftover whipped cream from the cake, save it to dollop a little on the back of the gingerbread cookies to stick onto the cake.
- Add your gingerbread cookies/toppings just before serving. If you’re adding any colored candy, the colors can bleed onto the whipped cream so it’s best to add these before you serving.
⏲️ Storage Instructions
Store ripple cake still on the plate, covered with plastic wrap and in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Alternatively, store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 2 days.
Making ahead of time is ideal for choc ripple cake as it needs to be made the day before serving.
You can make it up to 2 days before serving, just be sure to cover the cake still on the plate, with plastic wrap and a layer of foil if making it 2 days ahead of time.
Expert tip: place toothpicks in the cake so they’re sticking up and then wrap over the plastic wrap to avoid it touching the cream.
Not suitable for freezing.
💬 Recipe FAQ’S
Instead of the gingerbread cookies, top your chocolate ripple cake wreath with crushed Peppermint Crisp Bars, chocolate shavings, fresh berries and fruit, crushed nuts, chopped chocolate covered nuts, lollies, or Christmas colored candy.
To achieve that iconic choc ripple cake appearance, you must cut it on a 45-degree angle so it creates that ‘ripple’ effect with the chocolate biscuits and cream with each slice.
Yes! You need to make it the day before serving as it needs to chill in the fridge overnight to allow the biscuits to absorb the moisture from the cream.
It will take 6-8 hours to set.
It lasts for up to 2 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.
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Christmas Chocolate Ripple Cake Wreath
Ingredients
- 900 ml heavy/thickened cream
- 2 tsp golden or white caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tbsp Brandy, optional
- 500 g (2 packets) Arnott’s choc ripple biscuits, alternative is Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers or any plain sweet chocolate biscuit/wafer
Decoration
- Gingerbread cookies, like my homemade gingerbread, or decorate with grated Peppermint crisp, chocolate shavings, or fresh berries
- Extra whipped cream, to stick the gingerbread cookies on if using
Instructions
- NOTE: This cake must be made the day before serving or allow 6-8 hours for it to chill in the fridge.
- Prepare either a stand mixer with the whisk attached or a large mixing bowl with an electric hand beater.
- In the mixing bowl, pour in cream, sugar and vanilla.
- Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
- If you’re adding brandy, pour in one tablespoon at a time, while beating the cream, until your desired potency, I use three tablespoons. Do not over-beat cream at this point, just until the brandy is mixed through.
- On a large round serving plate/platter, create a large circle by dolloping some of the whipped cream around the edges of the plate, leaving a small gap between the cream and the edges of the plate.
- Pick up one biscuit in your hand, spread about half a tablespoon onto the flat side and place another biscuit on top and do the same with a second biscuit.
- Stand both biscuits together upright onto the cream on the plate.
- Spread cream onto a third biscuit and sandwich it to the biscuits on the plate so the cream is in the middle of the biscuits. Repeat method with remaining biscuits, arranging biscuits along the circle of cream, creating a wreath shape, leaving enough cream to cover the cake.
- Dollop remaining cream over the cake and spread using a small rubber spatula or spoon to cover the entire outside of the wreath. TIP: if you have leftover whipped cream, save it for the next day to stick on the gingerbread cookies, if using.
- Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 6-8 hours or overnight for the biscuits to soften and absorb the moisture from the cream.
Decoration
- If using gingerbread cookies, before serving make some extra whipped cream, or use leftovers from the cake. Spread the back of each gingerbread cookie with some cream and place them onto the top of the ripple wreath so they stick.
- Then gently stack any extra cookies on top.
- Alternatively, decorate your ripple wreath using fresh berries, kiwi fruit, chocolate shavings, grated/crumbled Peppermint Crisp Bars, crushed nuts, chopped chocolate covered nuts, lollies or Christmas colored chocolate candy such as smarties/M&M's.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Do not over-whip the cream, only until soft peaks form.
- Leave enough cream to cover the entire outside of the wreath after using it on the biscuits. Whip up some more cream if needed.
- Add your gingerbread cookies/toppings just before serving. If you’re adding any colored candy, the colors can bleed onto the whipped cream so it’s best to add these before you serving.
- Store ripple cake still on the plate, covered with plastic wrap and in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Alternatively, store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 2 days.
- Making ahead of time is ideal for choc ripple cake as it needs to be made the day before serving. You can make it up to 2 days before serving, just be sure to cover the cake still on the plate, with plastic wrap and a layer of foil if making it 2 days ahead of time. Expert tip: place toothpicks in the cake so they’re sticking up and then wrap over the plastic wrap to avoid it touching the cream.
- Not suitable for freezing.