This Chocolate Ripple Fridge Cake is a classic Australian dessert for a reason. Made famous with Arnott’s Choc Ripple biscuits, it’s a simple no-bake cake where chocolate cookies are layered with cream and chilled until soft, sliceable, and irresistibly fudgy.

In this version, Yotam Ottolenghi shares a recipe from his longtime collaborator, pastry chef Helen Goh. After a family trip to Melbourne, Goh’s children fell in love with the nostalgic dessert, inspiring her to recreate it back in London – complete with homemade cocoa biscuits when the originals weren’t available.

To assemble, each cookie is lightly dipped in a milky espresso mixture (with optional Grand Marnier), then layered with softly whipped cream into a log shape. After a few hours in the fridge, the biscuits soften into delicate, cake-like layers. Finished with macerated strawberries, chocolate shavings or cookie crumbles, it’s an elegant yet effortless dessert – perfect for spring and summer entertaining.

As Ottolenghi notes in Ottolenghi Comfort, the original recipe is so simple it’s printed on the back of the Arnott’s biscuit packet – but this version adds just enough richness and depth to make it truly special.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Ripple Cake

No-bake and make-ahead friendly
Perfect for warm-weather entertaining
A nostalgic Australian dessert with an Ottolenghi twist
Simple ingredients, impressive results

Slices of Ottolenghi's chocolate ripple cake with strawberries on colourful plates.

Chocolate Ripple Fridge Cake (No-Bake Australian Dessert)

Yotam Ottolenghi

This no-bake chocolate ripple fridge cake layers cocoa biscuits and cream into a soft, sliceable dessert. A classic Australian favourite, reworked by Helen Goh for Yotam Ottolenghi.

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Ingredients

3 tbsp milk or 7 tbsp if not using Grand Marnier
¼ cup Grand Marnier if using
2 tbsp espresso regular or decaf
2¾ cups heavy cream
1⅓ cups crème fraîche
6 tbsp powdered sugar
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cookies

1¾ cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
7 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2½ tbsp golden syrup or light corn syrup
1 egg

Macerated strawberries

1 lb strawberries hulled and quartered
1½ tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp finely shaved orange zest
2 tbsp Grand Marnier or orange juice
2 strips of orange zest julienned

Instructions

Cookies

First make the cookies. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
Place the butter, sugar, oil, and golden syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and beat again until combined. Decrease the speed to low, add the dry ingredients, and mix until the dough comes together. Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Pinch off 1-oz/30g pieces of dough and roll them into balls, then place them, spaced about 2 inches/5cm apart, on two parchment- lined rimmed baking sheets. You should make about 23 balls.
Flatten them with your hand—they should be about 2 inches/5cm wide—then bake for 12-15 minutes, until firm and the tops are cracked or “rippled.” Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cake

When ready to assemble the cake, combine the milk, Grand Marnier (if using), and espresso and set aside.
Place the cream, crème fraîche, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment in place. Whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks form—be careful not to over-whip, as the cream will thicken as you spread it.
Transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a small bowl and refrigerate—this will be used to finish the cake. Pipe or dollop a roughly 12-inch/30cm-long line (about ¾ inch/2cm wide) of the remaining cream mixture down the center of a long cake plate or board—this is to help position the cookies for assembly.
Take 20 of the cookies and, working with one cookie at a time, lightly brush both sides with the milk mixture—you want to just moisten the entire cookie without drenching it. Then, using a small spatula or knife, spread 2 tablespoons of the cream on one side of the cookie. Standing the cookie upright, press it down onto one end of the strip of cream.
Repeat with another cookie, then place alongside the first cookie, pressing to sandwich them together. Continue with the remaining cookies to form a long log cake. Spread the remaining cream mixture over the top and sides of the log—don’t worry if it only barely covers the cake, as it will be topped up with the reserved cream the following day. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, combine the strawberries in a bowl with the sugar, finely shaved orange zest, and Grand Marnier. Allow to macerate for 10–15 minutes.
Meanwhile, spread the reserved cream over the top and sides of the log.
When ready to serve, tumble about half the strawberries along the top of the cake, pressing them on slightly to help them stick. Drizzle any syrup over and around the plate. Finish with the orange zest strips on top. When serving, slice on the diagonal—warming the blade of the knife with hot water helps with the cleanness of the slice—to reveal the stripes.

Notes

Make-Ahead: The cookies can be made and baked up to 7 days in advance, kept in an airtight container. The cake needs to be made up to 6 hours before serving, to allow it to soften and meld together, but can be made up to 2 days in advance, left to sit and wait in the fridge.

Options: The strawberries work really well here, but as an alternative, just crumble another cookie or a chocolate flake over the top.

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Make ahead:

Cookies can be baked up to 7 days in advance.
The assembled cake can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

Serving Tip:
Warm your knife in hot water before slicing for clean, defined layers.

Variations:

Top with chocolate shavings or crushed cookies instead of fruit
Add orange zest or liqueur for a citrus twist

Timing is everything:

The chocolate ripple cake needs a minimum of six hours to set. This is important so that the cookies soften and absorb some of the cream, which creates a rich cake-like texture.