RE: that famous chocolat confection Queen Elizabeth used to eaT every day...
These are the ingredients the Royal Chef specified (from a US adaptation):
Equipment
8 inch cake pan (the original recipe uses a 6 inch cake ring.)
Ingredients
US Customary
Metric
for the cake
8 ounces British tea biscuits , (I used McVities Digestive Biscuits.)
6 ounces butter, at room temperature
6 ounces white sugar, (caster sugar in the UK)
6 ounces dark chocolate, melted
chocolate topping
8 ounces dark chocolate, melted
garnish, optional
mini chocolate chips. You could also use chocolate sprinkles, or chocolate curls.
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Copilot:
Food; are raw eggs dangerous to put in a gâteau froid recipe? Queen Elizabeth's much appreciated chocolate confection calls for one...
Raw eggs can carry a food‑safety risk in a gâteau froid, but the risk can be reduced or avoided by using pasteurized eggs or safe substitutes. In Canada, including Quebec, public‑health agencies still consider raw or lightly cooked eggs a potential source of Salmonella, even when shells look clean.
Why raw eggs are considered risky
Salmonella can be present inside an egg, not just on the shell.
No‑bake desserts (like tiramisu, mousse, or a classic gâteau froid) keep the egg raw, so the bacteria—if present—are not killed.
Traditional recipes, including Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved chocolate biscuit cake, were created before modern food‑safety standards and often assume extremely fresh, high‑quality eggs.
What food‑safety authorities recommend
Egg mixtures are considered safe only when heated to 71.1 °C (160 °F)—which a gâteau froid does not reach.
For recipes calling for raw eggs, they recommend:
Pasteurized in‑shell eggs
Pasteurized liquid eggs
Pasteurized dried egg whites (if only whites are needed)
These products have been heat‑treated to kill Salmonella while keeping the egg usable in uncooked desserts.
Practical options for your gâteau froid
Use pasteurized eggs (widely available in Quebec grocery stores).
If the recipe uses only yolks or only whites, consider pasteurized substitutes.
If you want to keep the traditional texture but avoid raw egg entirely, some bakers replace the raw egg with:
A sabayon‑style base heated to 71 °C
Whipped cream or stabilized whipped cream (for lightness)
A small amount of buttercream folded in (for richness)
Bottom line
You can make the classic version, but using a raw, unpasteurized egg carries a real—though statistically small—risk of Salmonella. Using pasteurized eggs gives you the same texture with far less risk.
If you want, I can help you adapt your specific gâteau froid recipe so it stays faithful to the original while being safer.
Above, the ingredients (minus the egg). How much whipped cream should I add?
For a gâteau froid or a chocolate biscuit cake like the one you’re making, replacing the raw egg with whipped cream is very doable — you just need enough to restore the mousse‑like texture without making the mixture loose.
A reliable substitution ratio
For a recipe built on:
6 oz butter
6 oz sugar
6 oz melted dark chocolate
8 oz biscuits
…the single raw egg normally contributes about ¼ cup (60 ml) of volume and lightness once beaten in.
When substituting with whipped cream, you want more volume because whipped cream is mostly air.
Use ½ cup to ¾ cup of whipped cream
That’s 120–180 ml, measured after whipping.
How to choose the exact amount
½ cup (120 ml) → firmer, richer, closer to the original dense royal chocolate biscuit cake.
¾ cup (180 ml) → lighter, more mousse‑like, closer to a classic gâteau froid texture.
Both versions set well in the fridge.
Technique tip
Fold the whipped cream in gently once the chocolate–butter–sugar mixture has cooled to lukewarm. If it starts to loosen too much, stop folding — the biscuits will help firm it up as it chills.
If you want, I can help you tune the texture (denser vs. lighter) based on how you prefer your gâteau froid.
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In point of fact, my late mother was found of this kind of cake. I vaguely remember how it tastes...
Perhaps it was fashionable Post War, and the British Royals kept it going forward!
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le Monde, on those 'poisonous' Epstein documents (in French):
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