Christmas Chocolate Ripple Cake Wreath

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.

💬 Recipe FAQ’S