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A delicious and rich milo-chocolate cake you can make without baking in an oven and the recipe is eggless. The cake also has an attractive batik-like pattern.
What is Batik cake (Kek Batik)?
Batik cake is popular in Malaysia and other Asian countries. The origin of this cake may be traced to Europe where in England, they are called biscuit cake or lazy cake. Batik cake is named as such because of its distinctive marbled or “batik-like” appearance. Batik is traditional Indonesian textile art where patterns are created by applying wax to fabric and then dyeing it. The “Batik-like” pattern is created by the contrast in color between the pieces of biscuits and the buttery cocoa mixture when they are pressed into a cake pan. The cake is often finished with a rich chocolate ganache layer on top. It is quite similar to the American version of the icebox cake.
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Digestive biscuits
You can use digestive biscuits like Marie biscuits, which are popular in Asia and needless to say, the one used the most. In the U.S., it’s not easy to find Marie biscuits. You can find them in Asian grocery stores. So I use what I always have at home, the popular Graham crackers or Nilla wafers. The kids like it with Nilla wafers too.
2. Unsalted butter
You can use salted butter and omit the salt in the recipe. To make it vegan, use vegan butter or coconut oil. I use coconut oil
3. Condensed milk
This can be replaced with vegan condensed milk for a vegan-friendly recipe
4. Milo
Milo is popular in Asia Pacific. It’s not so common in the U.S. You can also replace it with other malted drinks like Ovaltine, Horlicks, etc
5. Cocoa powder
I use Dutch cocoa powder, but you can use regular cocoa powder
6. Vanilla extract
A little vanilla always ties everything together in a pleasant way. I usually use real vanilla extract
7. Salt
A small pinch goes a long way. I use fine sea salt. Omit this if you use salted butter in the recipe
How to make milo chocolate batik cake
1. Lightly oil your 7 x 7 square baking pan. You can also use 8-inch round pan. Line with parchment paper by overlapping the paper for easier unmolding later
2. Break the Marie biscuits (I used Graham crackers here) into 4 smaller pieces
3. Put butter in a large skillet or non-stick pan and melt over medium-low heat. Add condensed milk, milo, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir until the mixture combines. Turn off the heat and stir in vanilla extract. 
4. Stir in the biscuits pieces and gently mix to make sure the biscuits are coated with the milo chocolate mixture
5. Transfer the biscuit mixture into the pan and use a spatula to spread evenly corner to corner. Press the top to make sure it has an even surface. Put this in the fridge to let it firm up while you prepare the chocolate ganache
6. I use 1:1 ratio of chocolate to heavy cream because I use dark chocolate. This also depends on the quality and percentage of cocoa in the chocolate you use. Dark chocolate gives a firmer texture. So you may need to adjust the amount of cream if you use milk chocolate as it may be less firm
7. Set up a bain marie. Put about 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Put a heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan. Add the chocolate and let it melt. Don’t let any water come into contact with the chocolate. Stir in the butter to mix
8. Remove the cake from the fridge. Pour the chocolate ganache on the surface of the cake. Tilt the pan if necessary to let the ganache flow and cover the cake layer. Pop any air bubbles. 
9. Decorate with some almond slices if you like
10. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. Lift the cake up from the pan by holding on to the parchment paper. Warm your knife with some hot water. Wipe it clean. Trim the four edges of the cake. Make sure to wipe your knife for each cut so the cake looks “cleaner”
11. Cut into the serving size you like
Did you make this no-bake milo-chocolate batik cake recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag it to show me what you’ve made. Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
No-Bake Eggless Batik Cake/ Kek Batik (Biscuit Cake/Lazy Cake)
Ingredients
- 230 g Marie biscuits
- 200 g unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 80 g condensed milk
- 120 g milo
- 20 g cocoa powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate ganache
- 175 g dark chocolate
- 175 g heavy cream see notes
Topping: (optional)
- Almond slices or other nuts of your choice
Instructions
Prepare the biscuit layer:
- Lightly oil your 7 x 7 square baking pan. You can also use 8-inch round pan. Line with parchment paper by overlapping the paper for easier unmolding later
- Break the Marie biscuits into about 4 smaller pieces . Put butter in a large skillet or non-stick pan and melt over medium-low heat. Add condensed milk, milo, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir until the mixture combines. Turn off the heat and stir in vanilla extract. Stir in the biscuits pieces and gently mix to make sure the biscuits are coated with the milo chocolate mixture
- Pour the biscuit mixture into the pan and use a spatula to spread evenly corner to corner. Press the top to make sure it has an even surface
- Put this in the fridge to let it firm up while you prepare the chocolate ganache
Prepare chocolate ganache:
- I use 1:1 ratio of chocolate to heavy cream because I use dark chocolate. This also depends on the quality and percentage of cocoa in the chocolate you use. Dark chocolate gives a firmer texture. So you may need to adjust the amount of cream if you use milk chocolate as it may be less firm
- Set up a bain marie. Put about 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower the lowest. Put a heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate and let it melt until there are few chocolates still visible, stir in the butter and continue to stir until all butter has melted. Don't let any water come into contact with the chocolate. Remove from the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes
Assembling:
- Remove the cake from the fridge. Pour the chocolate ganache on the surface of the cake. Tilt the pan if necessary to let the ganache flow and cover the cake layer. Pop any air bubbles. Decorate with some almond slices if you like
Chill in the fridge:
- Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight
Serving:
- Lift the cake up from the pan by holding on to the parchment paper. Warm your knife with some hot water. Wipe it clean. Trim the four edges of the cake. Make sure to wipe your knife for each cut so the cake looks "cleaner"
- Cut into the serving size you like
Storing:
- Keep the leftover in the fridge for up to one week. They can also be kept frozen in an air-tight container for up to one month. Simply thaw at room temperature before serving
