Homemade Jaffa cakes mixed with the storebought Jaffa cakes from Target.

Easy Jaffa Cake Recipe- You Will Smile When You Taste!

2 Comments / Recipes / By
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Happy Friday everyone- and a very Happy New Year to you all! We have now officially entered the part of the year where it takes me about six months to stop writing 2025 on all my dates. 

I hope your Christmas was filled with joy and hope- and that the new year, is filled with blessings and love. 

As I was planning what topic to write this blog post on, a fun new idea popped into my mind. Why not go to a few thrift stores, that were a bit further afield? After the thought was in my mind, I could not shake the idea. Therefore, we loaded our family into the car and went on a mini thrifting adventure. How exciting!

The only rule in this thrifting game was that we had to stop at any thrift store we saw. If I was able to locate a treasure, I would then use that treasure as the basis for my new post. 

So here we are at the start of another new post. Of course, I will further explain how my thrifted find led us to a new purchase, which then led me to my newest recipe- Jaffa Cakes. 

But before I get ahead of myself, let me invite you all to join me (and my family) as we make a homemade Jaffa cake recipe. Let’s get into the kitchen, shall we?

~The Idea~

Inspiration and creativity can come from many places and experiences. Therefore, I will attempt to bring you all along on my inspirational journey.

Right, picture this: A joyous Christmas had passed, my husband still had a few days off of work, quietly we were discussing our after Christmas plans. When out of the blue- an idea occurred to me. Why not load all the children into the car for a little thrifting adventure? 

This is exactly what we did: “Buckle one, buckle two, buckle three, buckle four- oh, these car seats what a chore. How thankful I am, for they keep our babies safe, but secretly I sing a little hallelujah when the seats are all clicked into place.”

Just like that, we were on our way.

~The Inspiration~

Being a new idea, I wanted to change up my thrifting game, so I suggested we go outside of our hometown to see what treasures may surface. 

As it would be, we only drove past two “thrifties”, but both stops proved fruitful. The first thrift store we bought a few personal items that were fun for our children. Again, back into the car we went- buckle-click, buckle-click. At this point in the journey, I was feeling hopeful, but not positive we would find a treasure suitable for a blog post.

I slowly entered the second thrift store- filled with observant eyes and a bit of hope. When all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted it- my treasure! To the right of the front door, on a wooden side table, was a lovely blue and cream vintage dessert serving platter.

I excitedly drew nearer to inspect the find. There were no cracks or chips- and the plate was in very good condition. Maker’s marks were on the bottom of the platter to give a little historic authenticity. Perfect!

So there it was, my treasure fit to inspire. Perhaps the only thing that could have made it better, would be if the plate had a handwritten note taped to the bottom of it. Sadly, it didn’t… but hey, a girl can dream.

~The Treasure That Was Found~

I adore dessert serving platters! Especially if they have a silver handle in the middle. The silver handle adds so much charm as well as function. I am proud to report that I now own four (similar) thrifted platters. If interested, you can see two more “handle” serving platters filled with my lovely English Scones and my Wimbledon themed strawberry cakes on the highlighted links.

A thrifted, vintage blue and white dessert platter.
A thrifted platter with a new biscuit tin clock behind.
*Capturing mini-moments with a camera brings me great joy. I love crouching down low, closing one eye, and peering through the "eye" of the plate handle. It feels as if, the little soldier may even begin to climb."
A vintage platter with the Target biscuit tin clock in the background.

~Our Next Stop Led to a New Purchase~

As we were in the car, and a Target was nearby, we decided we would pop into the shop to have a wee browse.  After some time of walking the isles, my husband showed me a biscuit tin that had a clock front on it. It was a lovely blue color and had the words M&S written on the front. The biscuit tin was on sale for 50 percent off. Plus, the charming tin was filled with delicious orange Jaffa cakes. (Win, win!)

Naturally, we added the biscuit tin to our cart for that was a no-brainer. We also added a package of Percy Pig gummies…for good measure. Percy Pig gummies are also a product of M&S.

~The Backstory~

M&S was a department store that we often frequented in England. My husband, daughter, and I would often go into M&S to have a coffee and a walk about. At the time, M&S sold sweet baby clothes and charming homewares- among other things.

Notably, the M&S cafe had some of the best cappuccinos I had ever tasted. Going into an M&S was always a fun family outing that I genuinely looked forward to.

Therefore, when we found the biscuit tin and the Percy Pig gummies, it brought a smile to our faces.

It is my understanding that Target always carries the Percy Pig gummies. So, if you come across these lovely little treats, you should sample a pack and let me know what you think.

An English biscuit tin purchased from Target.
*Our antique soldier, with our new biscuit tin, and Jaffa cakes from Target. A collected combination.
Percy the Pic candies made in England but bought at Target in AMerica.
Percy Pig Gummies on a kitchen countertop.
*How cute are those little piggy faces?!

~The New Biscuit Tin Inspired My Recipe: Jaffa Cakes~

Now the inspiration for my Jaffa cake recipe came from both the biscuit tin and my recent thrift purchase. I thought it was lovely how the blue accents of the thrifted platter- complimented the blue accents on the biscuit tin.  

Initially, I knew I would make a recipe of sorts (based on my thrifted dessert plate), but the English biscuit tin “told” me exactly what the recipe would be…Jaffa cakes of course.

~My Personal Experiences with Jaffa Cakes~

I tasted my first Jaffa cake when I was living in England with my husband. I can still remember the first taste. Honestly, I was not sure what to expect when my husband described a Jaffa cake to me. He described it as a sponge cake, with a layer of orange squishy jelly, and then topped with chocolate. Orange squishy jelly? Hmm, how interesting.

One bite was all it took- I was hooked. Jaffa cakes were/are delicious! They were/are different to anything I had/have ever tasted, but they certainly were/are delightful. 

We are fortunate that… even though we are back in America, Jaffa Cakes are often in stock at our local Aldi. The Jaffa cakes come in two flavors: the traditional orange and a decadent raspberry flavor- both tasty treats!

It is my understanding that the orange flavor is the more standard flavor as it is named after Jaffa oranges.

~My Jaffa Cake Take (Jaffa Cake Recipe)~

A homemade orange Jaffa cake with milk chcolate.
Elizabeth

Easy English Jaffa Cakes

Jaffa cakes are a delicious take on storebought Jaffa cakes. Each cake is filled with a bit of orange Jello and a dark chocolate topping. Jaffa cakes are the perfect mini cake.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 7 minutes
Servings: 12 Jaffa cakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: English
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box (3 oz) Orange Jello
  • 1/2 cup Orange Juice (warmed) Plain boiling water can be used in place of the orange juice for a less vibrant flavor.
  • 1/2 cup Boiling Water
  • 1 zest Orange You can use as little- or as much orange zest- as you prefer.
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp Orange Zest (A few grates of the orange peel will make the sponge more vibrant.)
  • 1 1/2 cup Good Quality Dark Chocolate Semi-sweet chocolate can also be used.

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour a muffin pan.
  2. Warm the orange juice in a glass measuring cup. Once the juice is warm, add 1/2 cup of boiling water into the measuring cup. Mix the Jello packet and the liquid together. Sir until well combined. Add 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest.
  3. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Pour the hot Jello mixture onto the cookie sheet so that the Jello can set in a thin layer. Alternately, you can line the sheet with a piece of plastic wrap to make removing the Jello easier. Place Jello in the refrigerator to firmly set.
  4. Add the egg to a mixing bowl. Begin to beat as you add the granulated sugar to the egg. Beat until light and well combined. Slowly add the flour, baking powder, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until light and airy.
  5. Add approximately one tablespoon of the cake mixture to each muffin cavity. The mixture will slightly fill all 12 cavities. Bake the cake layer for 7-8 minutes- or until a light golden color has been achieved. The tiny cake layers will spring back when you press them. Allow the cake layer to cool.
  6. While the cake layer is cooling, remove your set Jello from the refrigerator. Using a small biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut 12 rounds of Jello.
  7. In a microwave proof bowl, melt the dark chocolate (being careful not to burn in the microwave.) The chocolate should cool a little bit before adding to the Jello layer. Otherwise, the chocolate will slide off the Jello as it begins to melt the Jello layer.
  8. Now it is time to assemble your Jaffa cakes. The cake layer is on the bottom. Then carefully add the orange Jello layer. Lastly, spoon about 1 Tablespoon of melted chocolate onto the Jello layer of the Jaffa cakes. (Enough to cover the tops.)
  9. Allow the cakes to harden. This step can be sped up by placing the cakes in the refrigerator. Once the chocolate is hardened the Jaffa cakes are ready to be eaten.

Notes

*Use organic oranges, if possible, as the peel will be used for the orange zest.
*Store Jaffa cakes in a cool area to avoid the Jello becoming too soft.

 

~How Jaffa Cakes Are Made in Our Kitchen~

Jaffa cakes are a bit fiddly to make- but overall, they are relatively easy and inexpensive. This is a layered recipe, so I made my Jaffa cakes in different stages.

First, I made the Jello layer. (Jelly is what they call Jello or gelatine in England). After the Jello is set, the sponge layer is made, and after this- the chocolate topping is added.

In hindsight, I did make a few adjustments to my recipe. The biggest change was the ratio of Jello to sponge (the ratio is important in this recipe). After sampling the Jaffa cakes, I felt the Jello layer was a little too thick. I remedied this in my recipe by instructing the reader to pour the Jello onto a baking sheet instead of a casserole dish.

I also made some of the Jaffa cakes with milk chocolate (as I am a big fan of milk chocolate). However, I can now say from my experience that the chocolate really needs to be dark chocolate. The dark chocolate enhances the orange flavor more than the milk chocolate.

~The Orange Jello Layer~

Orange zest is added to orange Jello to give a citrus kick.
*The Orange Jello with added orange juice and orange zest.
Orange Jello is being cut into rounds for the Jaffa cake filling.
*I would recommend using a round cookie cutter that is slightly smaller than the muffin pan cavities.
Jello rounds ready to be added to the homemade Jaffa Cakes.
*These Jello circles can be a bit finicky to remove. It is absolutely fine if these circles are not perfect, as they will be covered with chocolate in the end.

~The Sponge Layer~

The Jaffa cake sponge is being made in a stand mixer with orange zest added in.
*The fresh orange zest adds a bright pop of citrus flavor to the sponge layer.
The sponge layer of the Jaffa cake is about to go into the oven to be baked.
*Please excuse my messy muffin pan. I buttered and floured my muffin cavities- just to make sure the Jaffa sponge was easy to remove.

~Now to Assemble the Jaffa Cakes Recipe~

Homemade Jaffa cake sponge is cooling after being baked.
*Again, these Jaffa sponges do not have to be identical- for that is the beauty of homemade.
Jaffa Cake sponge and orange Jello rounds on a countertop.
*Keep the Jello rounds in the refrigerator until just before assembling the Jaffa cakes.
Orange Jello rounds added to the Jaffa Cake sponge.
*In hindsight, I would have made my Jello rounds a bit smaller than my sponge. I would have also made them a bit thinner as the ratio is important to these little treats. I am always learning as I bake.
Orange Jello is set and cut into rounds-ready to be used inside the Jaffa Cake.

~The Chocolate Layer~

A homemade orange Jaffa cake with milk chcolate.
*My homemade Jaffa cakes are topped with milk chocolate. However, in hindsight, I would recommend using a good quality dark chocolate to better complement the citrus flavor.
Orange Jaffa cakes are displayed on a vintage platter bought from a thrift store.
*The store-bought Jaffa cakes from Target are rectangular. I have never seen Jaffa cakes like this before... as generally the cakes are round.
Orange Jaffa cakes served on a vintage dessert platter.
A close-up photo of a homemade Jaffa cake. The layers are sponge, Jello, and chocolate.
*A triple layer of flavor.

~One Thrift, One New- Combine to Create an Inspiration~

In the end, I was overjoyed with our fun family thrift store game. I love how one idea can build on another- and before you know it, a new concept can be created.

Truly, I had no idea what I would find on my family’s thrifting adventure. Equally, I had no idea how I would turn that “find” into a blog post. And I certainly did not anticipate the new Target purchase to further inspire me to make a fun, English recipe.

That is the joy of thrifting, baking, and creating. The sky is the limit- and inspiration can be found in many unexpected places.

The Jaffa cakes, thrifted platter, and a biscuit tin from Target.

~Until Next Time~

In conclusion, I hope my simple inspirations will motivate you to have a look in your local thrift store. Afterall, there may be some amazing treasure waiting for you to find it. If you don’t find it…I may! 

I would love to hear about some of your favorite thrifted treasures. Let me know in the comments if you have any special, thrifted finds!

Please don’t forget to subscribe to my page- so you don’t miss a post. Also, have a look at my Facebook and Pinterest pages for more lovely, ordinary things.

I hope to see you all next Friday for my upcoming post. Who knows what inspirations I will find next. I cannot wait to share those inspirations with you all. Until next time.

~Elizabeth~

2 thoughts on “Easy Jaffa Cake Recipe- You Will Smile When You Taste!”

Comments are closed.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy