Jaffa Cake Sponge (Chocolate Orange Cake)

This is my take on the British classic Jaffa Cakes. Light, sponge topped with homemade orange jam and dark chocolate ganache. The cake can be made with gluten free, all-purpose or spelt flour.

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This Jaffa Cake sponge pays homage to the legend that is all things chocolate and orange: Jaffa Cakes.

What are Jaffa Cakes?

To be perfectly honest, I have absolutely zero idea why Jaffa Cakes are so legendary. I hate the things. However, I am aware my views are not shared by most of the my fellow country-mates.

I am not sure how well known Jaffa Cakes are outside the UK. For those of you oblivious to their existence, they have a dry Genoise sponge base. They are topped with orange jam, which is way too sweet, and covered with chocolate that is rather nondescript. Ah, okay. I think I’ve clearly shown where my bias lies, and as I don’t want to alienate a whole nation, I will stop right there.

Seriously, though, Jaffa Cakes have been a favourite in the UK for a long time. They were first introduced in 1927, and got their name from their Jaffa orange filling.

There is much talk about the saintly Jaffa Cake, with the biggest conundrum this century being: is it a cake or a biscuit? Seriously, there’s more debate about this than global warming. Closely followed by: how do you eat yours? Well, I’d rather not eat mine at all, actually.

Making a Jaffa Cake inspired Cake

Yes, a bit of a mouthful to call this recipe a Jaffa Cake cake. But that’s what it is. Even though I hotly despise them, but kids love them. So, I decided to make my own. I used a simple pound cake recipe for the base. I then made my own orange “jam”, finishing off with a thick, luscious dolloping of dark chocolate ganache. It already sounds better than the real thing.

I was really pleased at how it turned out. It tasted pretty authentic. Despite not liking the real thing, I have eaten them on occasion. My ten year old said it was exactly like eating a Jaffa Cake. High praise, indeed.

The sponge was soft with just the right amount of sweetness and the orange jam provided a delicious tang. The chocolate had a little honey added, allowing the richness to shine through without the bitter edge that can sometimes happen with dark chocolate. All the flavour sensations came together just perfectly.

Alternatives to using gluten free flour

I made this cake using gluten free flour. However, as it was a ready blended flour, and not several naturally gluten free flours mixed together for the recipe, it is very easy to use plain (all purpose) flour or my personal favourite, spelt flour. Just do a straight swap using the same measurements that I’ve included.

Other recipes using oranges

If you like orange cakes, check out the following recipes that feature the fabulous citrus fruit:

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Jaffa Cake Sponge (Chocolate Orange Cake)

Ingredients

Cake:

75g (⅓ cup) butter
150g (¾ cup) sugar
1 egg (medium)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) gluten free flour blend (see note 1)
½ teaspoon baking powder
100ml (½ cup less 1 tbsp) milk

Orange Filling:

1 large orange
2 tbs sugar

Ganache:

100g (¾ cup) dark chocolate
2 tbs honey

Instructions

Orange Filling:

Remove the peel from the orange along with any pips or stringy bits/pith.
Place in a pan with its juice, along with the sugar. Heat on medium until the orange has reduced down and softened (about 30-40 minutes).
Using a food processor or hand blender, work the orange until it is fairly smooth (it will still have larger bits, but this is okay).
Set to one side and allow to cool completely. Please note: if you like orange, you can double the ingredients to make more - my measurements are just enough to give the cake a thin covering.

Cake:

Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC (320ºF). Prepare an 18cm (7") springform tin.
Using a stand mixer (or by hand) beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix for a minute or two.
Mix the flour and baking powder together.
Add to the wet ingredients along with the milk. Gently work in the ingredients until everything is combined.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until the top feels slightly bouncy and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Let the cake sit for around ten minutes and then remove from the tin. Allow to cool completely.

Ganache:

Melt the chocolate and honey together in a Bain Marie (double boiler).

Assembly:

Spread the jam over the top of the cake, then carefully spread the ganache over the top of the jam.
Allow the chocolate to set before slicing (a knife run under hot water helps for a cleaner slice). Enjoy!

Notes

I have converted grams to cups/ounces/tablespoons using online converters. Although I have no reason to believe they are inaccurate, please be aware that I have not made this recipe with imperial measurements.