Jaffa Cake Cake

5 from 1 vote

A Jaffa cake, the UK's beloved biscuit (or cake?!), turned into a full chocolate and orange cake. It's so delicious and simple too, as far as cakes go.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Baking

Cuisine: British

Servings: servings

Author: Margie Nomura

Ingredients

For the sponge:

7 oz butter about 1 3/4 sticks; softened
7 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar) about 1 cup
Zest of 1 orange
3 large eggs
7 oz self-rising flour (self-raising flour) about generous 1 1/2 cups
1 tsp baking powder

For the marmalade buttercream:

14 oz confectioners' sugar (icing sugar) about 3 generous cups
7 oz butter about 1 3/4 sticks; softened
3 tbsp marmalade

For the dark chocolate ganache:

7 oz good-quality dark chocolate roughly chopped
10 fl oz heavy cream (double cream) about generous 1 1/4 cups
4 tbsp confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)

To decorate:

Curls of orange zest

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 374°F (190°C/170°C fan). Grease and line the base and sides of three 6-inch (15 cm) loose-bottomed cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

For the sponge:

Using an electric mixer, whisk together the butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, flour, and baking powder until you have a smooth batter.
Divide the mix equally between the prepared pans and smooth over the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for around 20 minutes or until well risen, golden, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pans and placing on wire racks to finish cooling completely.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream and ganache:

Beat the softened butter until smooth, then gradually beat in the confectioners' (icing) sugar (if you add it all at once, it will spray everywhere, covering you in a sweet cloud of sugar). Add the marmalade and continue beating until smooth. Set aside.
Make the chocolate ganache: put the chopped chocolate into a large heatproof bowl and set aside. Pour the cream into a saucepan, add the sugar, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth and glossy. Leave to stand until thickened slightly, but still runny enough that you can pour and spread it over the cake.

To assemble:

Place the first cake on a flat serving plate and spread evenly with a layer of the marmalade buttercream. Add the second cake and another layer of buttercream. Top with the final cake, then pour over the chocolate ganache and use a palette knife to spread it down the sides in a smooth and even layer. Decorate with curls of orange zest.

Notes

Make-ahead and storage

To store: Keep the cake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before eating, as it's better at room temp.

To freeze: You can freeze the baked sponge cakes, buttercream, and ganache separately - just not assembled together. For the sponges, let them cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight. The buttercream can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months - thaw for a few hours until soft and spreadable. You could also freeze the ganache for up to a month and reheat it gently until pourable, but it's not really the best option (see below).

Make-ahead: You can make the full assembled cake up to 1 day in advance. Cover it and keep it in the fridge, removing it 30 minutes before serving so it gets to room temp. The sponge cake alone can be made up to 3 days ahead when cooled, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated. You can also make the buttercream up to 5 days ahead; again, keep it refrigerated in an airtight container and bring it to room temp. It really is best to make the ganache right before serving. Plus, it's quick, so save that step until you're ready to assemble the cake.

More quick tips

Measure accurately: For the most accurate results, weigh your ingredients rather than using cup measurements where possible.

If your ganache splits: Don't panic, it's fixable! Chocolate can be temperamental to work with, and the chocolate ganache might split if it gets too hot. To prevent this, make sure you bring the cream just to a simmer, and stir constantly as you pour it over the chocolate. It is also best to avoid using the microwave, as this can cause the chocolate to overheat and split too. If it has already split (and looks grainy or oily), there are several things you can try, including whisking or blending with a handheld mixer on high-speed to re-emulsify. Or gradually whisk in a little more steaming cream (1-2 tbsp) until you have a smooth and glossy ganache.

Nutrition