Bars · Cakes · Sheet cake

Flourless Double Chocolate Jaffa Cakes

Flourless Double Chocolate Jaffa Cakes are a more chocolaty twist on an old favorite- moist chocolate sponge cake topped with orange curd and dark chocolate. Perfect for an afternoon snack!

A flourless double chocolate jaffa cake viewed from the side. The bottom layer is a moist, light chocolate sponge. The chocolate sponge is topped with orange curd stabilized with gelatin. There are flecks of orange zest in the orange curd. The orange curd is topped with dark chocolate.

I recently read an article on Jaffa Cakes on the BBC. There’s a huge debate in England about whether these treats are cakes or cookies (biscuits in the British vernacular).

Since Brits tax cakes and cookies differently, this is a very big deal. I’ve never had a Jaffa cake. They sounded so good I had to try making one.

Traditional Jaffa cakes are a vanilla sponge topped with orange jelly and dark chocolate. I’m not much of a jelly fan but I love citrus curds. I decided to make an orange curd instead.

This reduces the sugar in the recipe but increases the fat. You can always substitute orange marmalade or jelly instead of the curd if you want to reduce the fat.

Substituting a chocolate sponge for the vanilla made these flourless. If you want the traditional vanilla sponge, substitute cake flour for the cocoa in the sponge recipe. Personally, I think you can never have too much chocolate.

Traditional Jaffa cakes are round. I made it easier on myself by making these Flourless Double Chocolate Jaffa Cakes into bars. They taste just as good and there’s no waste. You could use muffin cups to make the round version.

About a month ago Deiss sent me this wonderful zester. I love using it. You can see how cleanly it zested the orange for this recipe. The blade is really sharp and it cleans up so easily. Just run some water over it to remove peel. The handle is also really comfortable to hold.

These flourless double chocolate Jaffa cakes are a little more healthy because I used Santa Barbara Chocolate Cocoa Blossom Dark Chocolate.

This chocolate is sweetened with coconut palm sugar so it’s even better for you than regular dark chocolate. It also has a tangier flavor that goes really well with citrus. You can use any dark chocolate or semi-sweet chips.

Yield: 2 dozen bars

Flourless Double Chocolate Jaffa Cakes

A flourless double chocolate jaffa cake viewed from the side. The bottom layer is a moist, light chocolate sponge. The chocolate sponge is topped with orange curd stabilized with gelatin. There are flecks of orange zest in the orange curd. The orange curd is topped with dark chocolate.

Ingredients

Flourless sponge cake

  • 4 large eggs separated, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (divided)
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • powdered sugar for dusting
  • pinch of cream of tartar

Orange Curd

  • 1½ cup orange juice
  • zest from one orange
  • 6 egg yolks
  • ¼ cup butter cut into small pieces
  • 2 teaspoons gelatin
  • 2 teaspoons orange extract or grapefruit liquor

Topping

Instructions

Orange Curd

  1. Put orange juice, orange zest, and egg yolks in a large saucepan. Cook on medium high until the temperature reaches 171°F. Stir constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat and add butter one piece at a time.
  2. Sprinkle in gelatin and stir to mix. Add orange extract or grapefruit liquor. Cover with plastic wrap so the wrap is directly on top of the curd (no air in between). Refrigerate while you make the sponge cake.

Sponge Cake

  1. Grease a 9 x 13" jelly roll pan (I use cooking oil and a paper towel). Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the top of the parchment paper.
  2. Place egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl. Beat on high until the yolks are pale and thick.
  3. Stir in cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.
  4. Place egg whites in a separate bowl and beat on high with a whisk attachment for a minute. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
  5. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture one third at a time. Spread in prepared pan. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Top should feel springy when it's done.
  6. Let cool in pan until warm to the touch but not hot. Loosen the sides with a sharp knife. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar and invert onto parchment paper. Let cool completely.

Assembly

Spread orange curd evenly on top of cake. Spread melted chocolate on top of orange curd. Cut into bars.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 45mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is provided as a guide only. Please consult a dietician for specific dietary needs.

Looking for more chocolate orange goodies?

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *