Kelkin Gluten Free Jaffa Cakes

The other night I was with a group of friends eating Jaffa cakes and we decided to try out a gluten free kind by a brand called Kelkin. These are a great alternative if you are gluten intolerant and although the sponge isn't as bouncy as say a McVities or Sainsbury's Jaffa cake, the orange has an exquisite tangy taste capped with a layer of silky smooth chocolate. We have given this Jaffa cake a rating of 5/10.

Jaffa Cake Shaker

I recently witnessed my friend Josh using a shaker for part of the percussion piece to his drum set the other day. I was inspired by this shaker, as it was no ordinary shaker, but a shaker that had been formed using rice grains and a cylindrical Jaffa Cake container. To raise just a couple of points about its amazingly brilliant design, firstly the space within this container is more than adequate for the grains of rice needed to make a great shaker and secondly, the container is securely sealed at each end to ensure no grains of rice escape, therefore deeming this unsuitable as a shaker. The harder Josh worked this shaker, the better it sounded and I am excited about the crowds of people who will hear this shaker and admire its excellent quality in sound, texture and appearance at future gigs.

Jaffa Cheesecake

I recently sampled a slice of Jaffa cheesecake at a local coffee shop. This was a combination of orangey sponge, orange zest and a coating of icing that also contained orange zest. Overall this was a great eating experience and I will be sure to have this again.

Cake Guest of The Month: Victoria Sponge by Phil

Hello readers! As it is a new month, I thought I would try a new idea. A new cake idea. The only thing is, this is not going to involve Jaffa cakes! My friend Phil recently baked a Victoria sponge. This was his first ever cake apparently and I loved it the second I tasted it. Succulent, sweet, sensational moist texture with smooth strawberry jam in the middle. A lot of thought went into this cake and The fact that Phil had decided not to include cream made this a simple yet substantial after dinner sweet, that goes down well with a mug of English tea. The only minor downside to this creation is the icing sugar was placed on the top of the cake before, not after being baked, therefore it did not have that 'frosty' coating. I rate this cake 7/10 and look forward to eating a cake baked by Phil again!

Budget Jaffa Cake

This is the first of my Jaffa cake blogs to portray something negative about the best cake in the world. Today I am going to shine the spotlight on the 'budget' Jaffa cake. In many supermarkets and stores around the UK and Europe you will find a packet of Jaffa cakes that are appealing because of their price, low fat and convenience, encased only in a plastic wrapping, not presented professionally in a cardboard box. Do not let these selling points steal your precious pennies, you are worthy of better than that. Don't take me wrong, I'm not dissing these types of Jaffa cakes as such, only pointing out that if you buy them, you will find they have a crunchy texture, a cheaper chocolate coating and a smaller amount of tangy orange centre. Take my advice, buy the Jaffa cakes that appeal to you, but more importantly, you could have a happier experience buying the boxed types. Also a word to the wise, if you look after your pennies, your pounds will take care of themselves.

Aldi Jaffa Cake

After tasting the Aldi Jaffa Cake, I have rated this 8/10. This is a well put together Jaffa Cake that includes a flavoursome orange centre, a soft cake base and dark, nicely spread chocolate coating. The jelly is rich, not only in flavour, but it has more substance to it than most other Jaffa Cakes I have eaten and reviewed. On a personal note, I liked them so much, I ate a whole packet of 12 in a total of 5 minutes. It was a great experience and I look forward to my next packet of Aldi Jaffa Cakes.

Cake or Biscuit?

Taken from Wikipedia...

In the UK, value added tax is payable on chocolate-covered biscuits, but not on chocolate-covered cakes. McVities defended its classification of Jaffa Cakes as cakes in court, producing a 12" (30 cm) Jaffa Cake to illustrate that its Jaffa Cakes were simply miniature cakes. McVities argued that a distinction between cakes and biscuits is, among other things, that biscuits would normally be expected to go soft when stale, whereas cakes would normally be expected to go hard. It was demonstrated to the Tribunal that Jaffa Cakes become hard when stale. Other factors taken into account by the Chairman, Potter QC, included the name, ingredients, texture, size, packaging, marketing, presentation, appeal to children, and manufacturing process. Potter ruled that the Jaffa Cake is a cake. McVities therefore won the case and VAT is not paid on Jaffa Cakes in the UK.