My Jaffa Cake Trifle Cake is actually an oldish recipe. I came up with it early in 2020 as part of my Bake Off challenge as a Signature bake. I do think trifles get a hard time, done well they can really hit the spot. The problem is it's so easy to end up with something that's sloppy rather than the layers and layers of flavour. I had seen a recipe years ago in Delicious Magazine for a trifle cake and it had always been in the back of my mind as something I'd have to try. Having played with flavoured custards I wanted to avoid making a vanilla one and so thought of chocolate. Chocolate then made me think of orange which reminded me of my Jaffa cake Tray Bake and then got me thinking about adapting it into a Trifle Cake, and here we are! Now it's a bit of a lengthy recipe but there are two things you need to take into account. Firstly, you're only making 3 components, so it may seem like a lot but to put it another way you're making a jelly, a sponge, and a custard. Secondly, you don't have to make it all in one go. The jelly can made ahead of time and the sponge will be good for day before you slice it open given you'll be soaking it. I have to admit I'm not sure on the serving size. I have said 16 as I think you could feed a lot with this. At the same time it's actually very moreish.
If you have trouble getting the jelly out of the bowl you could hold it in warm water but don't let it sit, you don't want it to melt.
Serves 16 (up to)
Hands-on Time 45 minutes
Chilling Time +12 hours
Baking Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
Flavourless oil for greasing
4 Oranges, large
2 Lemons
320g plus 1 tbsp Caster sugar
8 tsp Gelatine, powdered (2 Dr. Oetker Gelatine Sachets)
100g Unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
4 Eggs, medium
150g Self raising flour
4 Egg yolks, medium
30g Cornflour
30g Cocoa powder
300ml Full-fat milk
500ml Double cream
75g Chocolate (minimum 54%)
1 tsp Vanilla essence
2 tbsp Icing sugar
100ml Water, recently boiled
1/4 tsp Orange flavouring or Orange blossom water
Equipment
15-17cm bowl
Fine grater
Large saucepan
Knife
Juicer
Measuring jug
Spatula
Scissors
Baking parchment
20cm Loose-bottom cake tin
Microwaveable bowl
Microwave
Mixing bowl
Electric whisk
Sieve
Wire rack
Whisk
Small bowl
Teaspoon
Palette knife
Grease the bowl with a little oil.
Grate the oranges and lemons over the large saucepan.
Halve and juice the oranges and lemons over the measuring jug. You need 400ml. If you are a little shy, top up with water.
Pour the juice into the saucepan along with 100 grams of sugar and the gelatine.
Put the pan over a medium heat and continuously stir using a spatula until the sugar and gelatine have dissolved. Ensure the mixture doesn’t boil. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan thoroughly as the gelatine sticks to the pan.
Once they have dissolved pour the mixture into the greased bowl and leave the mixture to cool before popping it in the fridge to set. This will take at least 6 hours. You can leave the jelly overnight and pick things up the next day if that’s easier.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C (Fan)/350°F/Gas mark 4.
Cut a circle of parchment to fit the cake tin. Grease the tin with butter before lining.
Add 100 grams of butter to a microwaveable bowl. Pop into the microwave for 10 second blasts until melted. Don’t be tempted to leave it in there for any longer in one go, otherwise you will have a greased microwave.
Add 150 grams of caster sugar to the mixing bowl along with 4 whole eggs.
Whisk on a high speed for 5 minutes until you have a light voluminous mixture.
Sieve the flour over the mixture and carefully fold in using a clean spatula. Gently scrape the bottom of the bowl now and then to ensure you incorporate all of the flour.
Pour the melted butter into the mixture and give one final fold.
Pour the mixture into the tin and level using the spatula. Tap the bottom of the tin onto the worktop a couple of times to remove trapped air.
Pop the tin into the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 30 minutes.
Once baked, remove and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to the wire rack. Flip the sponge over and remove the baking parchment.
In a clean mixing bowl add the egg yolks, 70 grams of caster sugar, cornflour, and cocoa. Whisk until you have a thick paste.
In a clean saucepan add the milk, 200 millilitres of double cream, 50 grams of broken up chocolate, and vanilla essence.
Put the pan over a medium heat and stir using a spatula until the chocolate has melted and the liquid starts to steam but not boil.
Slowly pour the creamy chocolate liquid over the cocoa paste whilst whisking.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place back over a medium heat. Continually stir until the liquid has thickened into a very gloopy custard.
Take the pan off the heat and transfer the chocolate custard back into the bowl to completely cool.
In a small bowl add the recently boiled water, tablespoon of sugar, and orange flavouring/orange blossom water and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Now onto assembly. It’s best to do this on a serving plate.
Place the sponge, right way up.
You’re now going to make a nest for the orange jelly to sit in.
Using a bowl the same size as the one you’ve got the jelly in, place it upside down on top of the sponge and press it down so you can see an outline.
Using a clean sharp knife cut around the outline. You only want to cut down to half of the depth of the cake. Once you’ve completed a full circle angle the blade so you can cut into the centre and allow you to remove the top off the cake. Once the top pops off you might want to trim away more of the cake so it’s even. Eat all the trimmings.
Using a teaspoon sprinkle the orange flavoured water over the exposed sponge. Do this slowly. It make seem like a lot but it will soak it all up, like a sponge…
Take the jelly out of the fridge and run a clean knife around the edge. You should find it will now release, otherwise you might need to pry it away using the tip of the knife. Pop it out onto your hand, take it over to the cake, and place it into its nest. It should fit in nice and snug.
Give the custard a stir. Using a palette knife spread the chocolate custard over the orange jelly, You want to smooth it out so it has a level top and sides.
In a clean bowl whisk together the remaining 300 millilitres of cream and icing sugar until thick and stiff.
Spread the cream over the chocolate custard again so you have a nice and level top and sides.
Take the remaining chocolate and grate it over the cream.
Enjoy!
