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You’re probably asking yourself right now – who in their right mind makes their own Jaffa Cakes? Well, the answer is… me! Jaffa Cakes are actually a lot easier to make than you might think but yes, it is probably easier to just buy them! However, if you like to give yourself a bit of a challenge and actually try making things yourself, then this is the right place for you!
Coincidentally, these have also been the Technical Challenge on Bake Off many moons ago when it was still on BBC1. So yet another bake for me to score off my “Complete all Bake Off Technical Challenges Bucket List”!
Jaffa Cakes – Is it a Cake or is it a Biscuit?
Jaffa Cakes are an absolute classic here in the UK! They are produced by McVitie’s and the originals are made with orange jelly. But now you can also find a lot of other flavours, often sold as special editions, such as strawberry, lemon & lime, cherry or pineapple.
Despite their name, there is actually a lot of debate around whether a Jaffa Cake is a cake or in fact a biscuit! Only in the UK, eh? There are a few arguments supporting the cake side. One, is that the main component of a Jaffa Cake is sponge, and that they go hard once stale, whereas biscuits tend to go soft. The company itself also says they are cakes, because you have to pay fewer taxes on chocolate-covered cakes than biscuits… BUT everything else about Jaffa Cakes just screams biscuit! Their size, shape, you’d pick it up with your fingers and eat it alongside a cup of tea, like you would a biscuit, and the fact that they are found in the same aisle of the supermarket as all the other biscuits! So despite some good arguments on the cake front, I am definitely still team biscuit! Sorry!
Oh, and one final fact for you that just seems completely wrong! Apparently, the “right way up” for a Jaffa Cake is with the sponge side facing upwards and the chocolate down… WHAT??? That’s just not right… So we’ve all been eating them upside down?
The Three Components of Jaffa Cakes
Regardless of whether they are biscuits or a cake, Jaffa Cakes are made from three main components: Sponge, jelly and chocolate.
The Jelly Layer
The classic version is made with an orange-flavoured jelly, but you could also opt for any other flavour of your liking (that’s the beauty of making them yourself!). You can either make the jelly from a packet (135g, I’d recommend Hartley’s) or give yourself the additional challenge of making your own (see recipe below). If you are making it from a packet, prepare according to packet instructions, but add only 150ml of boiling water and add some additional orange zest to intensify the flavour! The jelly is poured onto a large baking tray and left to set in a thin layer, which you can then cut small disks of jelly from.
The Sponge Layer
The base for Jaffa Cakes is a Genoise sponge, i.e. a sponge using the whisked method. One large egg is whisked together with the sugar for about 5 minutes until doubled-tripled in volume, before carefully folding in the self-raising flour. Make sure you do this gently so that you don’t knock out any of the air in the sponge! For a more intense orange flavour, you could fold in some extra orange zest here, too.
The Chocolate Layer
The Jaffa Cake is then topped with a layer of chocolate to finish. Or more officially, this should say that the bottom is dipped in chocolate if we go with what McVitie’s says the “right way up is”…
Depending on how sweet you want the chocolate layer to be, you can use either milk or dark chocolate. You will have to melt the chocolate over a water bath, and you can find more tips for working with chocolate here. Finally, to achieve the final “Jaffa Cake look”, draw a toothpick or fork across the chocolate to create a criss-cross pattern. You’ll have to work quite quickly at this stage, as it won’t take long for the chocolate to set once it’s on top of the cold jelly.
More Classic British Baking Recipes
Like I said, Jaffa Cakes are an absolute classic here in the UK! I really like making some of the classics that no one else would ever think of making at home, some examples include homemade Dark Chocolate Digestives, Ginger Nut Biscuits and Wagon Wheels. For the country of biscuit lovers, we really do rely a lot on shop-bought versions, but I like giving things a go at home! I have listed some of my favourite classic British baking recipes below, so why not go check them out?
- Homemade Dark Chocolate Digestives
- Paul Hollywood’s Wagon Wheels | Bake Off Technical Challenge
- Ginger Nut Biscuits
- Classic Fruit Scones with Orange Zest
- Millionaire’s Shortbread
- Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle Cake Traybake
- Viennese Whirls
- Classic Victoria Sponge Cake (filled with cream and jam)
- Easy Carrot Cake Traybake
- Classic British Trifle | No-bake Dessert
- Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart with Feathered Icing
Jaffa Cakes | British Baking Classic
Recipe
Ingredients (makes 12):
FOR THE ORANGE JELLY:
- 55g granulated sugar
- 100ml water
- 4g powdered gelatine (or veggie gel)
- 150ml orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 large egg
- 25g caster sugar
- 25g self-raising flour
TO FINISH:
- 150g chocolate (melt 100g and then stir in 50g)
YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
- 30x20cm (roughly) shallow baking tray (e.g. a swiss roll tray)
- Electric hand whisk
- Shallow jam tart tin (or use a 12-hole muffin tin)
- 4cm round biscuit cutter (I’d recommend buying a set like this)
Method:
- Start by preparing the jelly for the Jaffa Cakes. Prepare the baking tray (roughly 30x20cm) by lining it with a piece of clingfilm. Mix together water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Then add in the powdered gelatine (or veggie gel for a vegetarian option) and stir until fully dissolved.
- Remove from the heat, then stir in the orange juice and zest. Pour the jelly mixture onto the prepared tray and tilt the tray to spread the jelly out in an even layer, about 2-3mm in thickness. Put in the fridge for 1-2 hours until set.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Generously grease a 12-hole shallow jam tart tin (or muffin tray) with melted butter.
- Crack the egg into a mixing bowl and whisk together with the sugar for about 5 minutes until pale, frothy, and doubled in volume. Then gently fold in the flour using a spatula or large metal spoon.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 holes, filling them about ¾ of the way (if you are using a muffin tray, only fill it half-way). Bake the cakes in the oven for 7-10 minutes until risen and a pale golden-brown colour.
- Leave the sponge to cool in the tray for a few minutes, then carefully remove (this should be easy if you greased your tins properly) and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- In the meantime, break 100g of the dark chocolate into a glass bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water (the bowl should not be touching the water). Carefully melt the chocolate and finely chop the remaining 50g of chocolate whilst you are waiting. Once fully melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the finely chopped chocolate until that has melted in the remaining heat. This will help cool the chocolate and bring it down to the right temperature.
- To assemble the Jaffa Cakes, use a 4cm round biscuit cutter to cut out disks from the set orange jelly. Use a small palette knife to carefully lift the disk of jelly onto each of the 12 mini sponges.
- Spoon a teaspoonful of melted dark chocolate on top of each cake and spread it out evenly using the back of a metal spoon. Use a fork or toothpick to create a criss-cross pattern in the chocolate. You will have to work quickly as the chocolate will quickly set once it is on top of the cold jelly.
- Wait until the chocolate ahs set completely before serving (if you can wait that long!).
A very good recipe and, most importantly, delicious. I did these to my nephews. They liked it very much. I have recipes in infographics on my website https://kitchenbackground.com/category/recipes-ifographics/ . I invite you. Thank you