Jaffa Cakes are a popular British snack consisting of a sponge cake, orange jelly, and dark chocolate. They are named after Jaffa oranges and have been the subject of debate over whether they are cakes or biscuits.
Jaffa Cakes are small cakes that were originally introduced to the British public in the 1920s by McVitie’s Biscuit Company. The cakes have a sponge cake on the bottom, a piece of orange in the middle and dark chocolate on top. Many people from the UK have become quite fond of Jaffa Cakes, and a number of companies have tried to capitalize on the phenomenon by making their own versions.
Jaffa cake is divided into three parts: a sponge-like layer, an orange jelly layer, and a dark chocolate coating. These cakes are designed to be circular and bite-sized, and the light sponge cake can be deceiving; consumers often find themselves eating more jaffa cakes than they intended. McVitie’s makes pies in different sizes and has offered a range of limited-edition variations with fillings such as lime and berry. The classic orange jaffa remains a consistent seller, however, and the brand is the fourth best seller in the market.
These cakes are named after Jaffa oranges, which are sweet oranges native to Israel. The exact composition of the “orange smash” in the middle of Jaffa Cakes is a bit of a mystery, although it was originally a combination of apricot pulp, tangerine oil and sugar. Jaffa cakes are a marriage of flavors, combining slightly bitter dark chocolate with complementary sweet orange flavor and a neutral sponge base.
The precise identity of Jaffa Cake as a cake or biscuit, also known as a biscuit in the UK, has been hotly debated. In fact, McVitie once found herself in court defending Jaffa Cake’s identity as a cake, not a cookie. While this debate might seem irrelevant, tax rates for cakes and biscuits are different in the UK, so for McVitie this was a very serious matter.
Jaffa cakes are classified as cakes as they are soft when fresh and become stiff when old. McVitie actually brought a giant Jaffa cake to the courthouse for trial as a demonstration piece to defend the honor of the Jaffa cake. Despite the eventual court ruling on the matter, the debate still continues, with many people arguing that Jaffa cake is indeed a cookie, based on its size and composition.
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