This refrigerator cake is simple to make and absolutely delicious. It was a favourite of mine when I was a kid and I still love it now. It cannot be called healthy in any way shape or form. This is firmly in the ‘treat’ category.

In my recipe folder this refrigerator cake is called Mrs Wells’s Praline but I’ve renamed it refrigerator cake as it’s not like any praline I’ve ever seen anywhere else. When I was growing up the Wells’ were our next door neighbours and now and again they would invite us round for Sunday tea. Just in case that doesn’t translate let me explain what I mean by tea in this context. Here in the UK the names of meals can get a bit complicated. Sometimes it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner and sometimes it’s breakfast, dinner, tea! It depends on several things; what size the meal was, what day it is and where abouts in the country you are! I grew up in the Midlands and here on a Sunday if you have a big roast dinner in the middle of the day then the lighter meal you have in the evening will be tea. Just to make it even more confusing some people even call this evening meal supper but that’s super posh.

I digress! Back to my story, so when we went round for Sunday tea at the Wells’, Mrs Wells would always make us this delicious chocolate treat, oh my goodness, what a treat it was! My mum must have asked Mrs Wells for the recipe at some point because I found it tucked in one of her cook books.

I’m calling this January refrigerator cake as it is perfect to make in January - it uses up some of the treats you can sometime accumulate after Christmas. Biscuits, chocolate and dried fruit.

The recipe calls for digestive biscuits (they are similar to graham crackers apparently) but you can add any left over biscuits (cookies) as long as they are crisp biscuits.
We always have some left over dried fruit from Christmas baking, you can add any that you like to this. I used sultanas but chopped apricots, glace cherries, raisins, mixed peel etc all are perfect for this.
We almost always have some chocolates left hanging around post Christmas, you can melt whatever you have for topping this refrigerator cake.

Mrs Wells always made her Praline in a rectangular tin, one that is 18cm x 26cm (7” x 10”) is ideal, and then cut it into squares. I find it easier to get it out of the tin if I use a loose bottom tin and I only have 2 which are both 20cm (8”) round so I used them and divided the mix into 2. Then I cut my cake into wedges instead of squares.

I’ve learnt that Golden Syrup is not an internationally known product, I’ve had a look online and it seems you could substitute a corn syrup. I’ve not tried this though (we don’t have corn syrup here) so I can’t guarantee results! If you try it do let us know how you get on in the comments below.

You can make it in a smaller tin and it will be thicker, maybe just cut smaller pieces then though - it’s very rich!

January Refrigerator Cake Recipe

makes approx 24 pieces

1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp golden syrup *
1 tbsp brown sugar
4oz / 115g / 1 stick butter
8oz / 225g digestive biscuits (if you are in the US and use Graham crackers instead you might like to add an extra 1/2 tbsp of sugar as Graham crackers are not as sweet as digestive biscuits)
5oz / 150g / .75 cup of dried fruit
8oz / 225g chocolate - I used a mix of milk and white chocolate

You also need: A mixing bowl, a wooden spoon and a tin, ideally one with a loose bottom.

Put the biscuits in a thick bag and bash it with a rolling pin to crush.

Melt the sugar, butter, syrup and cocoa powder in a bowl (I do this gently in the microwave, 10 seconds at a time)

does everyone already know the easy way to measure spoonfuls of golden syrup? You heat a metal spoon in boiling water for a few minutes first and then the syrup just slides off smoothly.

Add the biscuit crumbs and dried fruit to the melted mix and stir well.

Grease the tin and then press the chocolatey mix in firmly.

Melt the chocolate and spread over.