Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Subscribe to Sainsbury’s magazine
Rate this recipe
Print
Ingredients
For the sponge
275g self-raising flour
2 level tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
225g soft unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
For the orange layer
about 5 oranges
30g cornflour
juice of ½ lemon
60g caster sugar
20g unsalted butter, diced
For the topping
40g unsalted butter
20g cocoa powder, sifted
2 tbsp milk, plus extra if needed
175g icing sugar, sifted
50g milk chocolate, melted
Share:
Step by step
Get ahead
These keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm traybake tin.
For the sponge, first grate the zest from 2 of the oranges that you need for the orange layer, adding the zest to a large mixing bowl. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt then add the rest of the sponge ingredients. Using an electric mixer, beat for about 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape into the prepared tin, level the surface and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and slightly springy to the touch.
Meanwhile, make the orange layer. Squeeze the oranges until you have 280ml juice, then strain this through a sieve. Measure 3 tablespoons of the strained juice into a small bowl and mix with the cornflour to make a paste. Put the rest of the measured juice in a pan with the lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cornflour paste and stir until thickened. Mix in the butter, remove from the heat and set aside.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. If the orange layer has started to set in the pan, warm it again briefly then pour over the sponge and spread out with a spatula. Leave to cool completely then remove the cake from the tin using the lining paper to help to lift it out.
For the icing, melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute, stirring, then add 2 tablespoons of milk and mix until smooth. Remove from the heat and gradually mix in the sifted icing sugar. Add a little more milk if it really needs it, but you should have a thick but pourable glossy icing. Pour all over the cake as evenly as possible; don’t worry if some of the orange layer shows through in a couple of places. Drizzle with the melted milk chocolate and leave to set. Cut into fingers to serve.
Tip
Make it gluten-free Use gluten-free flour and baking powder, adding 1⁄2 tsp xanthan gum, and increase the milk in the sponge to 4 tbsp.
In 1991 the sweet treats were subject to what would become a very famous tax dispute with HMRC. HM Customs and Excise had decided that Jaffa Cakes were biscuits, therefore subject to pay VAT, unlike cakes which were classed as a staple food necessity and therefore exempt from the same tax as biscuits.
Jaffa Cakes are also available as bars or in small packs, and in larger and smaller sizes. The original Jaffa Cakes now come in packs of 10, 20, 30, or 40, having been downsized in 2017 from 12 or 24 per pack.
Attention, savvy shoppers and biscuit lovers! In a rather unsettling development for our snack cupboards, McVities has confirmed the discontinuation of the Mini Jaffa Cakes. This news has sent ripples of disbelief across the UK, as these chocolatey treats have been a staple in many households.
Though it takes the size and shape of what the Brits call biscuits and the Americans devour as cookies, the Jacob's Jaffa pastry is, indeed, more of a cake than any other.
The orange bump has gone from 4cm to 3cm and the weight of each cake has been cut from 12.2g to 11g, The Sun reports. Boxes remain their usual size and still hold ten Jaffa Cakes - but the overall weight of the package is no longer shown. The subtle changes to the product have been picked up by fans.
"This carbohydrate is ideal for athletes, especially during training or a game as it will provide a quick and tasty source of fuel. Energy gels and similar are less palatable so less likely to be consumed in adequate amounts. For this reason, I can see why they were encouraged by Sir Alex Ferguson."
(slang) An impotent or infertile male. The term comes from the "seedless" orange. "I've heard he's a jaffa." Wiktionary. (cricket) A ball that is very difficult for the batsman to hit because it moves erratically either through the air or off the pitch.
The Jaffa is a proud British cake with a relatively short history, but what a rocky road its been for this tough little sweetie. Born in 1927, the moreish treats were first baked by McVitie & Price in 1927.
Product information. McVitie's Jaffa Cakes: Chocolate on top, sponge on the bottom, and a juicy raspberry fruity bit in the middle. Product life guaranteed for 3 weeks.
Since VAT was introduced, Customs and Excise had accepted that Jaffa Cakes were zero-rated as cakes. But, following a review in 1991, the department reversed its view of the liability. McVitie's therefore had to defend this categorisation in a VAT tribunal.
McVitie & Price introduced the Jaffa Cake in 1927. It contained a simple combination of sugar and tangerine oil to form the sealed layer of jam. The cakes were named after the Jaffa oranges which flavour the zesty centre of the cake.
If you are fully synning them they are 2.5 syns each, which is actually the same as a bought jaffa cake, but these guys are bigger and more satisfying (and contain much more goodness and less sugar!).
Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
Prep time: 35 mins
