Jaffa Cakes are a type of biscuit-sized cake introduced by McVitie and Price in the UK in 1927 and named after Jaffa oranges. They consist of a sponge cake base topped with a layer of orange-flavored jelly and coated in a thin layer of chocolate. Despite their name, Jaffa Cakes are considered cakes rather than biscuits for tax purposes in the UK, leading to a famous legal case in 1991 where McVitie’s successfully argued that they should be exempt from value-added tax (VAT).
Jaffa Cake
4
servings30
minutes10
minutesJaffa Cakes are popular in the UK and have become somewhat of a cultural icon.
Ingredients
3 large eggs
85g (3 oz) caster sugar
85g (3 oz) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon orange extract or finely grated zest of 1 orange
6 tablespoons orange marmalade
150g (5 oz) dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 12-hole shallow bun tin or line it with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and thick. This usually takes about 5 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Sift the flour into the egg mixture and gently fold it in using a spatula until well combined. Be careful not to overmix as this can deflate the mixture.
- Add the orange extract or zest to the batter and gently fold it in.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared bun tin, filling each hole about two-thirds full. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon if needed.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cakes are golden and springy to the touch.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cakes are cool, spread a thin layer of orange marmalade over the top of each cake.
- Melt the dark chocolate either in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave, stirring frequently until smooth.
- Spoon the melted chocolate over the top of each cake, covering the marmalade completely.
- Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
