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Jaffa Cakes
#Pastries and sweets
Simply fabulous

Jaffa Cakes

Jaffa Cake is a beautiful recipe for well-known chocolate-orange cakes that we all adore. Follow a few tricks and tips for the best homemade treats.

Jaffa Cakes
Ever since I can remember, we had Jaffa Cakes at home around Christmas time. I never knew these were British cakes, and I never knew that they don’t like calling them biscuits or cookies, which is funny because we included them in our Cookie week. To us, these Jaffa Cakes are the most beautiful cookies (don’t yell :). A wonderful sponge cake with a generous amount of orange filling and coated in chocolate. We love recreating famous cookies and desserts at home, and it’s such a joy to share this recipe as the fifth and final recipe for our Cookie week. It’s a bit more advanced, but with a few tips and tricks and a video tutorial, you will master it in no time.

Fantastic homemade Jaffa Cakes

Homemade Jaffa Cakes are my (Maja's) favorite Cookie Week cookies. They are perfect and can easily be confused for the store-bought version. The only main difference is in the orange jelly flavor. The store-bought version is more intense, but we are super content with the result since we are not using artificial ingredients. Here are the main reasons why we believe you're going to like this recipe:

  • the taste buds will have a happy dance when you bite into this magnificent Jaffa Cake
  • the orange jelly is intensely orangey, holds the shape beautifully, and immediately reminds us of store-bought Jaffa Cakes
  • the chocolate coats the cakes beautifully
  • the sponge cake is golden and very soft
  • without any artificial flavors and colorings
  • kids and adults love it
  • they keep well in a cookie box and are perfect for Christmas and other special occasions
  • each cake has only 61 calories

Jaffa Cakes

Jaffa Cakes

A simple step-by-step preparation

These Jaffa Cakes are simply divine. The preparation is divided into three parts. First, we make the orange jelly, then we make the sponge cakes, and last but not least, the melted chocolate for the coating. Below you will find the list with all the instructions and ingredients, and here are some tips and tricks to follow. 

  1. Make the orange filling mixture and pour it onto the greased baking sheet.
  2. Make the cake mixture and pipe it onto the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Bake the cakes and cool.
  4. Cut circles from the orange jelly and place them over the cooled cakes.
  5. Melt the chocolate and dip the cakes into the chocolate.
  6. Cool the cookies to room temperature.
  7. Serve and devour.

Making sponge cakes for Jaffa Cakes

Making orange jelly for Jaffa Cakes

Cakes with orange jelly for Jaffa Cakes

Tips and tricks to always make amazing Jaffa Cakes at home

Here are some tips and tricks on making the best Jaffa Cakes at home.

The gelatine should never boil - we always add gelatine when the mixture isn't boiling. Remove from the heat, then stir in the gelatine powder.

Store the jelly on an even surface - When you pour the orange mixture into the greased pan, make sure to place it on an even surface in your fridge. Otherwise, the orange filling won't be even in thickness for all the cookies.

Work quickly with the cake mixture - because we are working with a sponge cake, it is essential to pipe them quickly to prevent the cooking from deflating. Use a clean piping bag because any oily surface will damage the cookie shape too.

Chocolate - use a semi-sweet 45% - 55% cacao chocolate. Add the canola oil, or better, melted cacao butter, to the melted chocolate to make a thinner coating and easier coating. Before coating, make sure the melted chocolate is at room temperature. Leave the chocolate-coated cookies to set at room temperature too.

Use a toothpick - when coating the Jaffa Cakes, use a toothpick that holds both the cake and the orange jelly. This will help keep the shape, and it will be so much easier to coat them in chocolate.

Coating Jaffa Cakes in chocolate

Coating Jaffa Cakes in chocolate

Chocolate-coated Jaffa Cakes

Storing

Feel free to store Jaffa cakes in an airtight container or sealed cookie box for up to 14 days.

Optionally store the orange jelly in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

Jaffa Cakes

Jaffa Cakes

How to make these Jaffa Cakes at home (video)

Check this quick video to master making Jaffa Cakes at home.

 

 

Try these amazing Christmas cookies too

Lets get cooking!

ONLY A FEW MOMENTS SPENT IN THE KITCHEN AND YOU WILL HAVE THIS FANTASTIC DISH IN FRONT OF YOU.
  • makes
    18
    cakes
  • preparation:
    30
    minutes
  • rest:
    40
    minutes
  • bake:
    10
    minutes
  • total time:
    80
    minutes

METHOD

  • gelatine and preparation

    Stir to combine the gelatine powder and cold water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes. Grease a paper towel with a tiny bit of canola oil and grease a 20 cm x 30 cm (8-inch x 12-inch) baking sheet. Line a separate, large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a rack in the middle of the oven, then preheat it to 180 °C / 350 °F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

  • orange filling

    Add sugar, orange peel, and water to a saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until the thermometer inserted at the center of the mixture registers 113 °C - 115 °C or 235 °F - 239 °F. Then add the freshly squeezed orange juice and whisk to combine the sugar and juice. Cook for a minute, remove from the heat, and carefully remove the orange peels. Stir in the gelatine mixture and lemon juice. Stir using a whisk until the gelatine melts into the mix and combines. Pour the orange mixture onto the prepared greased baking sheet. Place in the fridge on an even surface for 30 - 45 minutes.

  • cakes

    Beat the vanilla paste, egg, sugar, and grated orange zest in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix for 3 - 5 minutes to get a pale mixture tripled in size. Then, using a spatula, gently stir in the flour and baking powder until combined. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round 0.5 cm (0.2-inch) tip. Pipe cookies (approx. 3-4 cm or 1.2 - 1.5-inches in diameter) onto the lined baking sheet. You should get 18 cookies.

  • bake

    Place the baking sheet with the cookies into the preheated oven. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes at 180 °C / 350 °F or until golden-brown on top. Remove the baked cakes from the oven and set them aside to cool.

  • jaffa cakes

    Cut eighteen 5 cm (2-inch) circles from the set orange jelly. Transfer each circle to the center of the baked and cooled cake using a knife. Melt the chocolate in a microwave or a bowl over a pot filled with boiling water. Insert a toothpick from behind each cake and through the center of the orange jelly. Dip the front of the cake into melted chocolate and transfer it to a wire rack to cool at room temperature.

    Tip
    Optionally check the melted chocolate before coating. The temperature should be 30 °C - 32 °C or 86 °F - 90 °C.

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