Giant Jaffa Cake
a sponge cake base with orange jelly layer topped with rich chocolate ganache
Servings: 12
Equipment
- 1 12" or 30cm round cake tin
- 1 large mixing bowl diameter of approx 20 cm at the bottom, 30cm at the top
Ingredients
For the orange jelly layer
- 2 blocks orange jelly approx 135 g each
- 225 g shredless orange marmalade or smooth apricot jam
For the sponge base
- 250 g butter
- 250 g caster sugar
- 5 small eggs crack the eggs and weigh them, the total weight should be 250 g; you can add some milk if necessary to get the correct weight
- 250 g self raising flour
For the chocolate covering
- 200 ml double cream
- 160 g plain chocolate
- 160 g milk chocolate
Instructions
To make the orange jelly
- Lightly oil the bowl with a flavourless oil and line with cling film, smooth the cling film out so it rises up the bowl as high as possible, ideally you want very few wrinkles.
- Break both jelly blocks into individual cubes in a jug and pour 570 ml boiling water over them, stir well until completely dissolved. Add the marmalade and stir again until dissolved. Pour into the lined bowl and refrigerate until set.
To make the sponge base
- Grease and line the cake tin - draw around the tin onto baking paper and cut out a circle to fit the base, cut a long strip and wrap around the sides. Preheat the oven to 140C (fan).
- Soften the butter by microwaving on full power for 30 second intervals - it should be very soft but not melted, stir well until smooth.
- Weigh the eggs into a jug and make up to 250 g if required with a little milk.
- Place the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir to break up any lumps. Add the softened butter and eggs and beat until smooth and pale in colour. Level the mixture in the prepared tin - the top should be completely flat and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until the cake is risen with a slight dome in the centre and will spring back when the centre is pressed gently. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.
To make the chocolate ganache
- Place the chocolate and cream in a microwaveable bowl and heat on full power for 30 second intervals, stirring each time until completely melted. Alternatively, you can put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and the cream in a small saucepan, heat the cream until it comes to the boil then pour over the chocolate and stir well until melted.
To assemble
- Remove the cooled sponge cake base from the tin and very gently round the top edge with a sharp knife.
- Remove the set jelly from the bowl using the cling film to help lift it out and set it on a spare cake board or plate.
- Place the bottom of the cake (flat side) on top of the jelly so the domed part of the cake is facing upwards. Place your serving plate upside down on top of the cake. Holding the serving plate with one hand and the bottom board/plate with the other, flip the whole thing over so that the serving plate is at the bottom and your jaffa cake is the correct way up.
- At this stage you can place pieces of baking paper around the sides of the cake to protect the plate from the ganache and make it easier to clean up. Check your ganache is still soft and will spread easily - if not heat it in the microwave for a few seconds (no more than 5 seconds at at time) until it is soft enough to spread. Spread it all over the top of the sponge and jelly - start with the sponge around the outside and work upwards over the jelly. Mark some lines gently with a palette knife across the top - one way and then the other to represent the detail on an actual jaffa cake.
- Allow to set before cutting and serving - if you need it to set in a hurry you can put the whole cake in the fridge but it will generally set in a couple of hours at room temperature.