This chocolate ripple cake checks all the boxes for a delicious, no-fuss dessert.
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This chocolate ripple cake is everything: easy, fast, delicious and no baking required. It’s a classic dessert in Australia for a reason! The recipe is traditionally made with Arnott’s Chocolate Ripple Biscuits, but you can substitute any other small chocolate cookie or ginger snap and still have a winner.
This icebox dessert is made by layering the cookies and freshly whipped cream into a log, then letting it sit overnight in the fridge. As it chills, the cookies absorb the whip and become spongy and cake-like. And my personal favorite part is slicing into the cake to reveal the surprise zebra print of chocolate and vanilla stripes. All of that, and it never even has to hit the oven!
Using a stand mixer, hand mixer or a whisk and a strong arm, beat the heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip, take them just a step further until a firm peak forms. You want them to be just sturdy enough to fill the cake, but not overwhipped and grainy.
Step 2: Assemble cookies
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Chose a platter that is long enough for the cake and will fit in your fridge.
Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the base of your platter, which will hold the cookies down as you’re building your cake.
Take a cookie and spread a spoon of whipped cream on one side. Add another cookie, then another layer of whipped cream. Continue until you have a stack of six cookies. Place the stack on the plate perpendicularly, so that the edges of the cookies—and not the fronts/backs of the cookies—face the short end of the log.
Continue this with two more stacks of cookies, placing each stack behind the prior one.
Step 3: Cover with whipped cream
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Use an offset spatula to spread the whipped cream over the entire log, forming a smooth layer that covers the cookies fully.
Step 4: Chill overnight
Carefully place your cake into the fridge to chill overnight, or at least 8 hours. This will give it enough time to let the cookies soften.
Step 5: Garnish
To decorate, top with chocolate shavings by running a vegetable peeler firmly over the side of a chocolate bar. Add raspberries for a great pop of color. You can also top with a sprinkle of cocoa powder, crushed Oreos or a different kind of fruit.
Here’s What I Thought
Jamie Thrower for Taste of Home
I was pleasantly surprised by this simple cake! For having such a short ingredient list, it ends up being quite a fun and delicious dessert. Not only do I love a good visual reveal in a cake, I also love how the cookies soften and become like thin layers of chocolate sponge cake.
The most important thing with this cake is not to rush the resting part. Let the cookies take the time they need to absorb enough whipped cream to get that perfect cakey texture.
You can also get creative with the flavors of this cake. Use gingersnaps for a zingy ginger cake or add a dash of mint extract instead of vanilla for a mint-chocolate cake. It would be delightful with a spoonful of espresso powder, too.
However you dress up your chocolate ripple cake, it’s bound to be delicious. And it’ll make its way to your table again and again!
Chocolate Desserts from Around the World
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Jamaica: Chocolate Cookies with Caramel CremeI made these for an office party cookie contest—and not a crumb was left on the platter! Sweet potatoes are the secret ingredient in this Jamaican-inspired dessert. Canned sweet potatoes will work, too, if you're short on time. —Noelle Myers, Grand Forks, North Dakota
France: Sipping ChocolateOne of my fondest memories of Paris was sipping a cup of thick, dark hot chocolate at one of their patisseries. French hot chocolate is velvety smooth, rich, decadent and almost the consistency of a molten chocolate bar. It is meant to be sipped slowly and savored. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
Germany: Black Forest CakeAs far as I know, this cake recipe can be traced back to my German great-grandma. When I got married, my mother gave me a copy and I hope to someday pass it down to my children. —Stephanie Travis, Fallon, Nevada
South America: Chocolate AlfajoresChocolate alfajores, also known as alfajores de chocolate, are a popular South American dessert made of slightly sweetened shortbread cookies filled with a rich and creamy milk caramel called dulce de leche. It's best to chill the dough at least 2 hours so the cookies hold when baking. —Kimberly Scott, Kosciusko, Mississippi
Speaking of South America, these Brazil Nut Cookies belong on your cookie tray.
United States: Buckeye PieEveryone that eats this Ohio pie raves about it! You can cover the whole top with ganache, but leaving part of the filling bare is the traditional way to make it. —Mary Northrup, Alpine, New York
Mexico: ConchasConcha (Mexican sweet bread) is a breakfast or snack pastry found all over Mexico. It has a fluffy brioche-like dough with a crispy streusel topping, scored to resemble a shell. The pastry can come in a variety of colors and other shapes, but I prefer the plain and chocolate streusel. —Johnna Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona
Italy: Almond Chocolate BiscottiMy neighbors look forward to getting my gifts of these Italian cookies. I love that this chocolate biscotti recipe is such a cinch to make. —Ginger Chatfield, Muscatine, Iowa
Germany: Chocolate CakeAccording to my husband, this is the best German chocolate cake recipe in the whole world. Every bite has a light crunch from the pecans, a sweet taste of coconut and a drizzle of chocolate. —Joyce Platfoot, Wapakoneta, Ohio
Poland: Chocolate BabkaI love this chocolate babka from my Polish grandma. It's a rewarding recipe for taking the next step in your bread baking. Even if it's slightly imperfect going into the oven, it turns out gorgeous. Look at those swirls! —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
France: MacaronsEven decorated simply—a sprinkle of sugar, a drizzle of icing—these French beauties are part of our creative Christmas cookies collection. They will be the showstoppers on any cookie tray. —Josh Rink, Photo Stylist Taste of Home
United States: Dr Pepper Sheet CakeWhen we visited the Dr Pepper museum in Dublin, Texas, I bought a Dr Pepper cake mix. It was so delicious that I decided to come up with my own sheet cake version. It's become a family favorite. —Karen Daigle, Burleson, Texas
Germany: Chocolate LebkuchenHaving lived in Germany, I try to keep my German cooking as authentic as possible. This lovely lebkuchen recipe is a culinary Christmas custom. —Cathy Lemmon, Quinlan, Texas
Italy: Chocolate-Hazelnut Cheesecake PieI first prepared an Italian-style cheese pie years ago. When I added a chocolate-hazelnut topping, it proved so popular that I had to give out copies of the recipe.—Steve Meredith, Streamwood, Illinois
Mexico: Chocolate Wedding CakesThese spiced balls are a yummy twist on a traditional Mexican favorite. Sometimes I add mini chocolate chips to the dough and, after baking, dip the cooled cookies in melted almond bark. —Joanne Valkema, Freeport, Illinois
Austria: Sacher TorteGuests will be surprised to hear that this Austrian Sacher torte recipe starts with a convenient cake mix. Each bite features chocolate, almonds and apricots. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
France: Chocolate SouffleA friend invited me to go to a cooking demo at her church years ago, and one of the recipes prepared was this French chocolate souffle. It was so easy—and absolutely delicious. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas
United States: Boston Cream PieThis elegant-looking Boston cream pie is so easy to prepare. Our dinner guests always seem to enjoy it. —Jane Uphoff, Cunningham, Kansas
Italy: Chocolate AmarettiThese classic almond paste cookies are like ones you'd find in an Italian bakery. My husband and children are always excited when I include these goodies in my holiday baking lineup. —Kathy Long, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Mexico: Mexican Hot ChocolateThis delicious, not-too-sweet Mexican hot chocolate is richly flavored with cocoa and delicately seasoned with spices. The whole-stick cinnamon stirrers come in handy, as the old-fashioned chocolate mixture settles if not stirred before drinking. The blend of cinnamon and chocolate flavors is wonderful! —Kathy Young, Weatherford, Texas
Risa Lichtman is a chef and writer living in Portland, Oregon. She is the owner/chef of Lepage Food & Drinks, a small food company featuring Jewish seasonal foods, providing takeaway all around Portland. She has previously published poems in Poetica Magazine, the anthology The Art of Bicycling, Maggid: A Journal of Jewish Literature, and The Dos Passos Review. She lives with her wife Jamie, their dog Isaac, and their cat Sylvia. Follow her at @risaexpizza, or find her delicious food offerings on @lepagefoodanddrinks.
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Updated: Apr. 15, 2022
