Jaffa Cakes are biscuit-sized cakes introduced by McVitie and Price in the UK in 1927 and named after Jaffa oranges. They consist of three layers: a Genoise sponge base, a layer of orange flavoured jam and a coating of chocolate. They are undeniably delicious, but like most other packaged sweets, they have lots of unhealthy sugars and fats, and they aren't vegan.
We wanted to bring the joy of jaffa cakes to everyone. So we set out on the daily mission of turning these lovely biscuits both vegan and gluten-free. Moreover, our recipe is sugar-free, and the fats come predominantly from healthy almonds, making it suitable for people on a weight-loss. By using 90%+ dark chocolate, and stick to sugar-free orange jam, even people with diabetes can safely enjoy this yummy treat!
It can be challenging to get a soft sponge cake that is both dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free. But we got it done with a few handy tricks we learned from our many gluten-free bakes. So you can just follow our easy steps below and rest assured you'll get great results!
Are our homemade jaffa cakes healthier than the originals? You bet! Check this out: weight by weight a single cake has 50% fewer sugars and almost three times fewer calories than the packaged ones. And the flavour? Just as good, promised!
So what are we waiting for? Let's get them on your plate!
Can I shape the jaffa cakes as a pie or bars?
Although the original Jaffa cakes look like biscuits with a 2-inch diameter, it can be fun to give them a different shape. You could make a giant Jaffa cake, the size of a regular pie. Or turn the recipe into bars or even cupcakes.
The ingredients ratios remain the same, except maybe for jam and chocolate depending on the topping area.
One tip we can give you though is to try and keep the thickness of the sponge cake as our recipe above. Doing so will let you use the same baking time we did, without risk of over/undercooking.
If you opt for a thicker base, bake for a little longer and use the "toothpick" test to find the right cooking time.
What gluten-free flour can I use beside almond flour?
You can replace the almond flour we used to make gluten-free jaffa cakes in equal weigh with coconut flour or oat flour.
Alternatively, you can use 50% rice, 50% buckwheat, but know that buckwheat flavour is quite strong, and not always suited for sweets.
How to store/how long will the Jaffa cakes last?
Like many other of our vegan bakes, these jaffa cakes keep quite well both in and out of the fridge, provided you store them in an air-tight container.
Refrigerate for up to 1 week, or store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Are original Jaffa cakes vegan and gluten-free?
Original Jaffa cakes contain both eggs and dairy, as well as wheat flour. So they are neither vegan nor gluten-free. Moreover, they are loaded with preservatives and refined sugars. They make up for all of this with delicious flavour though, which is what lured us in! But with our recipe above, you can retain the yumminess, and enjoy a healthy, vegan and gluten-free treat instead.
How many Jaffa cakes should you eat?
Our jaffa cakes are a bit larger than the original ones, almost three times the amount of ingredients. Even so, they have about the same calories and a better nutritional profile. This is due to the healthy ingredients we have selected.
We think that you can enjoy 2 Jaffa cakes per day as a part of a balanced meal with no issues at all.
Ingredients
| Almond Flour | 110 g |
| Baking Powder | 1 tsp |
| Baking Soda | 1/2 tsp |
| Potato Starch | 50 g |
| Erythritol | 60 g |
| Soy Yogurt | 30 g |
| Oat Milk | 80 mL |
| Sugar-Free Orange Jam | 140 g |
| Dark Chocolate 85% | 100 g |
Step 1
Before you start, make sure the milk and yogurt are at room temperature.
In a mixing bowl, combine almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, potato starch, erythritol, and a pinch of salt.
Give it all a good stir to ensure the baking powder is evenly distributed.
Then, add the soy yogurt and oat milk and whisk until the ingredients are well incorporated.
The mixture should be creamy and runny, similar to a cake batter.
Step 2
To bake the cake bases, you can use a bun tin, a tart tin, or a muffin tin, as we did in this recipe.
Grease and flour the tin holes or line them with parchment paper.
For each cake, pour a heaped tablespoon of almond flour batter (1).
Bake at 195°C (380°F) for static ovens or at 175°C (350F) for fan ovens for 12 minutes or until they are lightly golden.
Leave the sponge bases to cool down for a few minutes before removing them from the tin, and then transfer them onto a wire rack.
Once they've cooled down, slice the cap of each base with a sharp knife to get a flat and level cake top (2).
Step 3
Now, top each sponge cake with sugar-free orange jam.
Try to spread the marmalade flat over the cake bases to prevent the chocolate coating from dripping past the edges.
Step 4
You can melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler.
To set up the double boiler, fill a saucepan with water halfway and bring to a simmer. Then, place a smaller pan or oven-proof bowl on top, making sure the bottom doesn't touch the boiling water. Now, add the dark chocolate broken down into pieces and gently stir while it melts. Avoid any moisture from getting in, or the chocolate will dry up and form lumps.
Once the chocolate is smooth and creamy, remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool and thicken slightly.
Now, spoon the chocolate over the jam-topped Jaffa cakes.
Leave to set completely at room temperature or in the fridge before serving.
Tips
Keep the orange jam in the fridge right up to when you need it. This way the marmalade will stay firm and hold the chocolate coating better.
If the chocolate gets too hard before you have finished coating all the Jaffa cakes, gently reheat it in the microwave or double boiler.
You can garnish the Jaffa biscuits with orange zest or add a teaspoon of orange essence to cake batter for extra flavour.