And so there it is, the Great British Bake Off is back again for another summer in the tent of dreams. With week one starting as cake week, I thought the title of Star Baker would be an absolute steal.
I was super tempted to make a drizzle cake or something with a super glossy mirror glaze. But, in the name of challenge, I tried my hand at making my own jaffa cakes. Finesse and patience just isn't my way but that's exactly what I love about baking along with the show, you get to try things you wouldn't normally bake.
And do you know what? They aren't as difficult as they look. A super quick sponge bottom that bakes up in just 5 minutes, a homemade orange jelly and a coating of dark chocolate. The only difficulty is getting the perfect topping. Whilst these aren't the most uniform, there's absolutely no comparison to shop bought, sorry McVities!
J A F F A C A K E S
(Recipe adapted from The Guardian, makes 12 jaffa cakes)
For the sponge:
1 large egg, plus one extra yolk
40g caster sugar
40g plain flour
zest of 1 orange
For the orange jelly:
100ml orange juice
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 packet gelatine powder
2 tbsp thin cut marmalade
100g dark chocolate (I love using Lindt Excellence's dark chocolate with orange and almond in)
- Grease a 12 hole muffin tray and line the bases with circles of baking paper. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Beat together the eggs and sugar on a medium-fast speed until the mixture doubles in size and reaches ribbon stage, where a ribbon of the cake mixture sits on top for a few moments before sinking back in to the rest of the mix.
- Add the flour and gently fold until just combined before adding the orange zest.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin tray and bake for 5-6 minutes, until the cakes just start to turn golden and shrink away from the sides. Leave to cool in the tray.
- To make the jelly, add the orange juice, lemon juice and zest to a small saucepan. Add the sugar, marmalade and whisk in the gelatine and bring to a simmer on a low heat. Remove from the heat immediately and divide between the cakes. Leave to set in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.
- Use a small knife to run round the edges to release each cake from the muffin tray.
- Melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water. Leave to cool slightly before spooning over the jaffa cakes gently rounding off the edges as neatly as you can.
- Leave to set once more, in the fridge if you're short on time before serving.
F O L L O W M Y B A K E O F F B A K E A L O N G...
Week 1 - Jaffa Cakes
Week 2 - Iced Doughnut Biscuits
Week 3 - Chocolate Twist Babka
Week 4 - Giant Churros
Week 5 - Cherry Bakewell Tart
Week 6 - Brownie Bottomed Coffee Mousse Cake
Week 8 - Cherry, Marzipan and Cherry Cake
