Bake of the Week: Jaffa Cakes

JAFFA CAKES are a top treat – but these home-made versions take our old favourite to a new level of loveliness!

The sponges are made by heating sugar in the oven and then adding it to beaten eggs. It’s unusual but it works.

Kids will love cutting out the jelly shapes. Completely cover your cakes with chocolate for a professional-looking finish.

Recipe courtesy of Lakeland.

You’ll need

For the jelly:

250ml orange juice

2 tbsp orange marmalade

85g packet orange jelly crystals

For the sponge:

110g caster sugar

2 eggs

150g plain flour

2 tbsp caster sugar, to sprinkle

400g good quality dark chocolate

3 slices of glace orange, cut into 25 wedges

Method

Combine the orange juice and marmalade in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Add the jelly crystals, stir until dissolved and allow to cool.

Line a 23cm square deep cake pan with baking parchment, taking it above the edges. Pour in jelly and set.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4/350F. Fit a large piping bag with a plain 1cm nozzle. Grease two oven trays, then line with baking parchment.

Evenly spread 110g of sugar in a shallow oven tray and heat in the oven until hot to touch.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl for about one minute, add the hot sugar and continue to beat for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape.

Sift the flour three times. Fold it into the egg mixture. Pipe 25 4cm rounds on to the oven trays.

Sprinkle each round evenly with the leftover sugar and bake, one tray at a time, for four minutes. Cool.

Cut out 25 4cm rounds from the jelly. Top each sponge.

Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Cover cakes, including sides and decorate with glace orange.

Bake of the Week: Sicilian cannoli by Ursula Ferrigno