PavĂȘ de Chocolate – No Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe
Oi Gente!
This no bake chocolate biscuit cake recipe is the perfect dessert for any occasion. It’s made with tea biscuits, and an easy to make chocolate cream, all topped with a chocolate ganache and loads of sprinkles. Decorate it with your favorite berries, and this unique chocolate treat becomes a beautiful dessert to bring to any dinner party. Plus, it’s FUN and easy to make with just a bowl and a spoon!
Why I love this Brazilian Biscuit Cake Recipe
PavĂȘ de chocolate, how we call this type of chocolate biscuit cake in Brazil, is a fun, unique and delicious chocolaty dessert. It gets this name from the French word pavĂ©, which literally refers to stone pavement, due to its layers resembling stone work.
My mom has been making this recipe since I was a kid, and it was always a major hit! This is our go-to dessert for just about any event, especially a good barbecue churrasco and potlucks. It’s perfect because you can make ahead, it’s super easy to make, and fun to get the kids involved.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Bom Apetite!
Beijinhos xx
Chocolate biscuit cake ingredients
Brazilian Kitchen Abroad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
For the cake:
- butter
- 100% cocoa powder
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- digestive biscuits, such as:
- Biscoito de maizena – This one is my favorite! They are a Brazilian brand that we’ve been using most of our lives, and you can get’em at Brazilian supermarkets, or on Amazon.
- Galletas Maria – this brand can be found in regular grocery stores here in the US. If you can’t find them, Amazon has them them as well.
- Goya Maria cookies – this brand is also easy to find in grocery stores, as well as Target, Walmart, and sometimes even at the Dollar Tree!
- table cream – also super easy to find in American grocery stores in the Latin food aisle, or you can also buy it at Amazon.
For the topping
- bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
- butter
- heavy cream
- Chocolate Sprinkles
- Your favorite berries!
You’ll also need:
How to make chocolate biscuit cake
This Brazilian chocolate biscuit cake recipe is so easy to make, even the kids can help out – check out the easy step-by-step below!
Step 1: Add the cans of table cream to the freezer (in this recipe, we only want to use the thick cream that sits on top, and when the can is really cold, it’s way easier to separate the thin part out – all it needs is a few minutes in there). Then, start to break the biscuits with your hands into a large bowl.
Step 2: mix in the cocoa powder and the sugar and set aside.
Step 3: Remove the cans of table cream from the freezer, then scoop out the thick cream and discard the thin liquid. If any of the thin liquid ends up in the mix it’s fine. We just don’t want the cream to be too runny.
Step 4: Add the table cream, the butter, and the vanilla to the sugar-chocolate mixture. Then, whisk well until creamy.
Step 5: pour the cream into the bowl with the broken biscuits. Stir well until combined.
Step 6: Line the inside of your pan with plastic wrap. Then, pour the chocolate-biscuit mixture into the pan.
Step 7: Pack it there nicely, pressing down with a spatula. Then, wrap the top with plastic and into the fridge it goes for at least an hour or two.
Step 8: After the biscuit cake has firmed up in the fridge, make the ganache, and pour it over. Then, spread a thin layer of ganache on top of the biscuit cake to coat. At this point I take it back to the fridge for just a few minutes – enough for the ganache to set, but not harden.
Step 9: Unmold, then cover with chocolate sprinkles, or chocolate shavings, and decorate with your favorite berries!
Brazilian Chocolate Biscuit Cake FAQ
PavĂȘ is a very popular Brazilian cold dessert, made with layers of cream and biscuits, primarily lady finger or digestive/tea type biscuits that are soaked in liquor, or a sauce. A typical Brazilian pavĂȘ can also be made with layers of light fluffy cake in place of the biscuits, and can be topped with a ganache, fruits or both! It’s seriously sooooo good!!
Marie, or Maria biscuits, are a type of vanilla flavored semi-sweet cookies, similar to rich tea and digestive biscuits. These types of biscuits are popular all over the world, primarily in Europe. They have a pretty mild, plain flavor which makes them perfect for dunking in tea, coffee or milk, and are a great light snack in between meals.
You can read more about digestive cookies in this Cooking Light article.
More Brazilian chocolate desserts:
Brigadeiro – Brazilian Chocolate Fudge Balls
Nega Maluca – Brazilian Chocolate Cake
Other Brazilian desserts:
Pudim de Tapioca – Brazilian Tapioca Pudding
BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, AND INSTAGRAM FOR MORE BRAZILIAN RECIPES, TIPS AND INSPIRATION!
No Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2x 7oz package of digestive biscuits, such as biscoito de maizena, Galletas Maria or Goya Maria cookies
- 2 can of table cream
- 6 Tbsp butter soft/room temp
- 2/3 cup 100% cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Ganache (optional):
- 4 oz of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate cut up in chunks
- 1 Tbsp butter soft/room temp
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream
Garnish (optional):
- Chocolate Sprinkles
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Place the cans of table cream in the freezer, then, add the biscuits to a large bowl, and break them with your hands.
- On a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and the cocoa powder. Then, remove the cans of table cream from the freezer, and scoop the thick cream into the cocoa powder mixture (discard the thin liquid). To that, add the vanilla and the butter, and whisk well until creamy.
- Pour the cream onto the bowl with the biscuits and mix until well combined.
- Pour mixture into a 7-inch removable bottom pan (or a a pie dish), and put in the refrigerator to set for about an hour or two. If using a removable bottom pan, line pan with plastic warp – see note in the post above.
For the Ganache:
- After the biscuit cake has been setting for at least two hours, start to make the ganache by putting the chocolate chunks in a microwavable bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds.
- Add the cream to the bowl, stir, and microwave in increments of no more than 30 seconds until the chocolate has completely melted.
- When the chocolate is melted, add the butter and stir.
- If using a removable bottom pan, remove it, and place your chocolate biscuit cake on a serving dish. Gently pour the ganache on top of the biscuit cake and return to the refrigerator for setting, another 10 minutes.
- After about 10 mins and the ganache is beginning to set, add the sprinkles and return to the fridge. Keep refrigerated until serving time and decorate with your favorite berries!
Another hit, Aline! As a proud Black-Puerto Rican I always keep Goya’s Maria cookies in my pantry, so I’m definitely giving this a go!
Yes!! You’re gonna love it!!
I love a good no-bake recipe! This one looks amazing!
Such a delicious treat youâve shared with us! I love that you donât have to fuss with baking and mixing a whole bunch of ingredients. It turns out beautifully too!
I’ve never had a Biscuit Cake, but this looks so good! I’m loving it!
This cake looks so good and I love that it is a no-bake dessert!
This looks positively exquisite! So beautiful and perfect for holiday parties.
So good it was gone before the end of game night! Loved that it was no-bake, made it so much easier!
Makes me so happy to hear, Eden!! Glad everyone love it!
I love no bake desserts!!!
Oh. Em. Gee! This looks so good. I want this today!
This tasted amazing! I’m already looking forward to making it again. It was simple and delicious! Thanks for the great recipe.
Awesome!!! So glad you enjoyed it đ It’s one of our faves, too!