My kids love watching Junior British Bake-off and after seeing a few Jaffa cakes being made they want to try one when we go to London. Are these common in a store or bakery? Any place specializing in this or anything we need to know? For reference we are staying in the Kensington area in late-July.
Thank you.
Jaffa Cakes are mostly shop-bought and you will find them in every single supermarket and corner shop.
I think a lot of us Brits were taken aback at the thought of actually baking something that’s such a common shop-bought product.
I’m trying to think of a US equivalent - maybe if a TV baking show were to bake Oreos or Hostess Twinkies? (I have no idea what Hostess Twinkies are but I’ve heard the name).
Life is too short to make your own Jaffa cakes. This is what shops are for.
I’m trying to think of a US equivalent - maybe if a TV baking show were to bake Oreos or Hostess Twinkies? (I have no idea what Hostess Twinkies are but I’ve heard the name).``
Twinkie is a sponge cake filled with a cream filling, looks kinda like a Minion, lol. I had a few Twinkies as a kid, pretty horrible. I heard they have a shelf life of 10+ years.
I have occasionally seen Jaffa cakes at ALDI.
Twinkie is a sponge cake filled with a cream filling,
That's being quite generous!
This is what Twinkies are made from:
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour [Flour, Reduced Iron, B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid)], Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable and/or Animal Shortening (Soybean, Cottonseed and/or Canola Oil, Beef Fat), Whole Eggs, Dextrose. Contains 2% or Less of: Modified Corn Starch, Glucose, Leavenings (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Sweet Dairy Whey, Soy Protein Isolate, Calcium and Sodium Caseinate, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60, Soy Lecithin, Soy Flour, Cornstarch, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sorbic Acid (to Retain Freshness), Yellow 5, Red 40.
And yes....they taste as bad as they sound! I have no idea why they're so popular in the US.
I’m trying to think of a US equivalent
I don't think there is one.
For those unfamiliar with Jaffa Cakes they are a small firm sponge discs topped with an orange flavoured gel and covered with dark chocolate. They're sold in packets similar to biscuits (cookies) and for a while there was an argument whether they were biscuits or cakes however a legal case confirmed them as cakes.
I will definitely try to find some the next time I'm in London. They sound yummy.
I will definitely try to find some the next time I'm in London. They sound yummy.
Seriously, you won’t have to try to find them. They are UBIQUITOUS.
Go to Dollar Tree and buy their version of moon pies. That is the US equivalent to a Jaffa cake. Not to say that either is bad or good, but the OP seemed to think it was perhaps something more than a boxed grocery treat.
I buy them at Aldi quite often. Orange or strawberry.
M&S does the best ones in my humble opinion. Their’s are a rectangle rather than round.
Thanks everyone. I won’t get high hopes. We’ve watched two seasons of Jr. Bake Off and each one had Jaffa cakes as a technical challenge, made it seem like like it was something great.
Before Aldi, we just bought them in the UK. Now we get them at Aldi when it has its German days. As far as UK brands, I like McVities.
If they like the Jr British Bake-off maybe they’d like to try this baking experience? We’ve done cooking experiences in Italy and France with kids but not any in the UK.
https://www.thebiglondonbake.com/the-big-london-bake-south
They get good Google reviews from past participants.
Far more delicious is a dessert I'm preparing right now, Strawberry Shortcake.
Homemade light version of a pound cake, cut a slice, put it on a plate, add sliced strawberries and small amount of whipped cream on top. The huge serving of strawberries makes it somewhat healthy.
Suzann, I noticed you said:
"For reference we are staying in the Kensington area in late-July."
I have a dessert/cake suggestion for you. Go to the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum in South Kensington for afternoon tea. They have all kinds of wonderful cakes. Sometimes they have a pianist there on a baby grand piano playing lovely music, or a harpist, during afternoon tea.
The V&A cafe is in a lovely room with a gold domed ceiling. Quite an experience.
Lots to see at the V&A.
Wonderful medieval jewelry collection, tapestries, paintings, decorative objects, and more.
I highly recommend the lunch room at the V&A. Great food; plate lunches, salads, sandwiches, cakes and more.
You can take a break from the museum, have lunch, and then go back to seeing more.
I think you and your children will enjoy the V&A!
For those unfamiliar with Jaffa Cakes they are a small firm sponge discs topped with an orange flavoured gel and covered with dark chocolate.
Anything like these?
https://www.littledebbie.com/www/snackproducts/view/45/jelly-creme-pies
That is a geo limited website, believe it or not, so us Brits can't see it
For shame, Rebecca. A true southerner would never use pound cake (even homemade) in strawberry shortcake. The base is supposed to be something much closer to a scone!
Take that Little Debbie cake, leave out the creme, make the jelly unnaturally firm, and chocolate on only one side, and you're pretty close. I dont think it's something one would want to try and make at home.
I first heard about them in a Brit mystery novel, and had to check them out when there. And of course now I opened my ALDI package and ate half a sleeve.
@Rebecca, I love your suggestion of the V&A. Originally not high on my priority list but the cafe sounds amazing, kids will do practically anything for sweets.
@Mona, that looks fun. We are also going to Paris and you mentioned cooking classes in France, if you care to share.
The granddaughters took 2 classes with Cook’n With Class. They were very easy to work with and usually offered two different classes at a time so if each of your children wanted to take a different class they could at the same time. LOTS of dessert and pastry classes from which to choose.
acraven, amazing! I have never had a strawberry shortcake on a scone-like piece of cake!
Sounds delicious!!
Many people in the Nashville area use those little cup-like cakes you buy in the store as a base.
I am more than ready to switch to the scone-like pieces of cake!
Do you have a recipe to share, please?
Sounds wonderful!
Suzann, you and the kids may enjoy Gail's Bakery in London for sweets; several locations.
https://gailsbread.co.uk/
I highly recommend her chocolate and almond croissant.
The chocolate babka is delicious. Blueberry and custard brioche is excellent.
https://gailsbread.co.uk/our-bakery-menu/
Several locations.
Gail's Bakery Soho; 128 Wardour St.
Gail's Bakery Bloomsbury; 11-13 Bayley St.
Gail's Bakery Southbank; 28 York Rd · Near the London Dungeon.
Gail's Bakery High Street Kensington, 240 - 242 Kensington High St.
Gail's 22-24 Buckingham Palace Rd.
Gail's St. John's Wood (5 Circus Rd.) location is close to the Abbey Road studios/zebra crosswalk and the home of Sir Paul McCartney.
Many other locations.
Another vote for the V & A cafe.
The V & A has a great gift shop as well. Especially fun during the Christmas Holiday season. Stocking gifts, ornaments and boxed Christmas cards.
You need to eat at the V&A cafe just to see it-it's beautiful.
Rebecca, acraven was correct. The name says it all- shortcake, not cake. Your recipe is for a strawberry cake. A shortcake has the firmer and coarser texture of a good scone. Recipes for shortcake abound on Google or YouTube. I won't give you my Granny's recipe. Bless her heart, the boys could have used hers for hockey pucks.
Suzann:
Grocery stores in Paris have a very similar boxed cookie/biscuit with either raspberry or cherry jelly inside.
I just can’t remember the brand name.
It looks like a Jaffacake.
Mcvitties Jaffa cakes are found everywhere.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRc83tCkTT_7JEKd4CGhD2YB17dYOgRLqWOiQ&usqp=CAU
You all are amazing and why I adore this forum. I originally wanted to know about what I thought was difficult to find prized dessert. Now I know jaffa cakes are generally mass produced snacks, front and center everything that is in a Twinkie (eww), high recommendations to visit V&A museum and cafe, a cooking class in London and Paris, and a few great bakeries.
Also, @Rebecca I’ve used the strawberry shortcakes cups too but making the ‘cake’ is pretty easy. I always thought of it as a sweet biscuit but scone would be a similar description. I think my grandma’s old Betty Crocker cookbook had a recipie for it.
Not to change the topic, but Nigella Lawson's clementine cake (made in the food processor, peel and all) is a more worthy Limey specialty. It has some elements of the term "pudding".
I just ate a McVities Jaffa cake a couple of hours ago. I had checked into the Premier Inn in Elgin, Scotland, and the woman behind the desk gave me a pack of them. She said I looked like I needed a snack. 🤣
Suzann, I just thought of another great "don't miss" place in London for you and your kids. I believe you would enjoy
The Hummingbird Bakery; several locations. Famous for their cakes, cupcakes, brownies and cookies. My favorites: the Key Lime pie, Nutella cupcakes, raspberry & lemon cake. Red Velvet cake is delicious also.
https://www.hummingbirdbakery.com/
https://www.hummingbirdbakery.com/en/all/store
https://www.facebook.com/HummingbirdBakery/
South Kensington; 47 Old Brompton Road, London.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-hummingbird-bakery-london?start=60
133 Portobello Road, Notting Hill.
11 Frying Pan Alley, Near Old Spitalfields Market.
Victoria Station area, 40 Buckingham Palace Road.
https://www.hummingbirdbakery.com/en/store/victoria
39 St John's Wood High Street.
https://www.hummingbirdbakery.com/en/store/st-johns-wood
Suzann, acraven, CJean, I have found many good recipes for the shortcakes online.
Thank you! This will be so much better than the way I've been doing it.
Having no idea what a "Jaffa cake' is I did some research. Learned it is named for the oranges that produce the jam used in its construction.
That lead to what is a 'Jaffa' orange.
Found this an interesting article-- https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/food/articles/rise-and-fall-of-israels-oranges
a Jaffa Cake is also famous for its court case - well reported - about its cake vs. biscuit tax status
A couple of extras:
If you want a "luxury" version of a Jaffa cake go to the William Curley shop at Smiths Court (small alley off Brewer Street in Soho leading to a square inside a residential building group). One of London's top chocolate creators.
IIRC the thing that led to Jaffa cakes being classified as cakes is that they go hard when they're stale, whereas biscuits go soft when they're stale.
Rebecca, here is the best recipe I know for a true shortcake for real Strawberry Shortcake.
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/basically-strawberry-shortcakes
Half our family comes from a different tradition and thinks Strawberry Shortcake involves poundcake or even angelfood cake. But shortcake is shortcake and requires lots of butter and special layering technique. It is just not the same with regular cake.
Sasha, thank you!!
I can't believe it now, but I used to eat Twinkies with frightening regularity--also Ding Dongs and Snowballs. Yikes. I don't think I have ever had a Moon Pie, though. I particularly liked the Twinkies frozen.
