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If you find yourself without flour or if you simply want to try something a little different, using finely crushed broken biscuits can be a fun and tasty alternative to flour in your cake making.
Here's a step-by-step guide to baking a delicious cake using biscuits instead of flour.
Ingredients
200g broken biscuits (digestives or any plain biscuit)
150g unsalted butter, melted
150g caster sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
100ml milk
50g cocoa powder (optional, if you want to make a chocolate version)
A pinch of salt
Equipment
Food processor or a rolling pin and a ziplock bag for biscuit crushing
Mixing bowls
Electric mixer or whisk
20cm round cake tin
Baking paper
Instructions
Preheat Your Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or gas mark 4. Line the bottom of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides with a bit of butter.
Prepare the Biscuit Crumbs: Place the broken biscuits in a food processor and pulse until you achieve a very fine crumb. If you don’t have a food processor, put the biscuits in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they are finely ground. You should have about 200g of biscuit crumbs.
Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the biscuit crumbs with the baking powder and a pinch of salt. If you are making a chocolate cake, add the cocoa powder to this mixture as well.
Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer or a whisk to cream together the melted butter and caster sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the Eggs and Vanilla: Beat the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the cake dense.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the Cake: Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate and Serve: Once the cake is completely cool, you can decorate it as desired. A simple dusting of icing sugar, a layer of buttercream, or a drizzle of chocolate ganache can all be delicious options.
Tips and Variations
Biscuit Varieties: Different biscuits will yield different flavours and textures. Digestives, rich tea biscuits, malted milk biscuits, custard cream biscuits, bourbon chocolate creams, shortbread or even a combination of different biscuits can be used depending on your preference.
Add-Ins: Consider adding chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit to the batter for extra texture and flavour.
Serving Suggestions: Serve the cake with a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream, or fresh berries for an added treat.
Baking a cake with crushed biscuits instead of flour is a creative and resourceful way to make a delicious dessert. Enjoy experimenting with different biscuit types and flavours, and most importantly, enjoy your homemade cake!