The traditonal Jaffa Cakes and “Pim’s” are iconic small biscuits from two well-known industrial brands. The brand McVitie’s produces Jaffa Cakes, and the French brand LU makes Pim’s.
These cookies are based on a soft sponge cake, filled with orange jelly and topped with a crackly layer of chocolate. Jaffa Cakes or Pim’s are among the biscuits that children love to have for snacks. They are much better than store-bought ones and very easy to make.
The perfect homemade Jaffa cakes recipe is so simple that you will certainly enjoy preparing it with your children. You must absolutely try this recipe.
Homemade jaffa cakes cookies
Today, I’m sharing with you my recipe for homemade Jaffa cakes (British cookies), those soft, fruity, and chocolatey biscuits we’ve loved since childhood and that have always been a favorite snack. They’re so easy to make and truly delicious. Beyond the taste of store-bought Jaffa cakes (or Pim’s biscuits), making them at home brings an extra touch of pleasure.
Back to school, a picnic, a walk in the park with your children, or simply snack time, any occasion is perfect to prepare this recipe and enjoy these little delights. I’ve always wondered how to recreate these cookies at home to make them just as good as the store-bought version. After a few tries, I finally found the method that delivers the best and most foolproof results.
Jaffa cakes”pim’s” cookies.
Table of Contents
Tips for Perfect Homemade Jaffa Cakes
I use a sponge cake as the base, but you can also make your homemade Jaffa Cakes with ladyfinger batter.
Feel free to use the jam of your choice: raspberry, strawberry, orange, apricot… Personally, I have a soft spot for orange Jaffa Cakes, as the slight bitterness of the orange pairs wonderfully with the chocolate.
To get a shiny and snappy chocolate coating, the ideal method is to temper the chocolate by following the proper temperature curve. But if you don’t have a thermometer, don’t worry, just use the simple method I share below. It works really well and gives excellent results.
This recipe is also perfect for a fun baking activity with your kids. They’ll love helping out, and even more, enjoying their homemade snack afterwards!
Recipe on video
Ingredients
Note: You’ll find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
For the sponge cake
- 4 eggs
- 120 g (4.2 oz) flour
- 120 g (4.2 oz) sugar
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar
For the filling
- 480 g (17 oz) of very thick jam of your choice (I used orange jam)
- 1 sheet of gelatin
- 250 g (8.8 oz) dark couverture chocolate (I used Cacao Barry). You need to temper it as shown in the video to achieve a glossy finish and a nice snap.
How to make Perfect homemade Jaffa cakes ?
The silicone mould is a Silikomart reference D045 or this.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar over a bain-marie, off the heat (see note at the end of the article), until the mixture triples in volume, about 10 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the bain-marie and gently fold in the flour with a spatula or a whisk, lifting the batter from bottom to top (see the whisking technique in the video or in the sponge cake article).
Transfer the batter into a piping bag (or a freezer bag) and fill the greased silicone molds, adjusting the thickness depending on how tall you want the sponge cakes.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until the sponges are lightly golden.
Meanwhile, soak the gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
Heat the jam for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the well-drained gelatin. Mix thoroughly.
Take the sponges out of the oven as soon as they are lightly golden. Press the center with the bottom of a glass to create a small cavity.
Unmold them. If they are not golden enough, return them to the oven for 1–2 more minutes (without letting them dry out). Let cool.
Fill the cavities with jam.
Let the jam set before adding the chocolate. It should no longer be sticky to the touch or runny.
Chocolate shell
You can follow this temperature curve if you have a thermometer, or simply use the method below.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, removing it from the heat regularly and stirring well. It should not get too hot: the more you manage to melt it without overheating, the better the result will be.
Once melted, remove it from the double boiler and stir it frequently to let it cool. The chocolate should gradually thicken without hardening.
When it becomes thick and falls heavily back into the bowl, place it back over the double boiler for a few seconds.
Reheat it very slightly, just enough to achieve a fluid texture, without letting it get too hot.
Spoon some chocolate into each cavity, then tap the mold on the countertop to spread the chocolate evenly and smooth the surface.
Finally, place the sponge cakes on top, jam side down against the chocolate.
Let it set before unmolding and enjoying.
Note:
About the double boiler
A double boiler is when you place a bowl with your ingredients over a saucepan filled with hot water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Normally, the double boiler is placed over direct heat on the stove, but in this recipe, I use it off the heat.
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Perfect homemade Jaffa Cakes (Pim's)
INGREDIENTS
For the sponge cake
- 4 eggs
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar
For the filling
- 480 g very thick jam of your choice (I used orange jam)
- 1 sheet of gelatin
- 250 g dark couverture chocolate (I used Cacao Barry). You need to temper it as shown in the video to achieve a glossy finish and a nice snap.
PREPARATION
- The silicone mould is a Silikomart reference D045.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar over a bain-marie, off the heat (see note at the end of the article), until the mixture triples in volume, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the bain-marie and gently fold in the flour with a spatula or a whisk, lifting the batter from bottom to top (see the whisking technique in the video or in the sponge cake article).
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag (or a freezer bag) and fill the greased silicone molds, adjusting the thickness depending on how tall you want the sponge cakes.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until the sponges are lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, soak the gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
- Heat the jam for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the well-drained gelatin. Mix thoroughly.
- Take the sponges out of the oven as soon as they are lightly golden. Press the center with the bottom of a glass to create a small cavity.
- Unmold them. If they are not golden enough, return them to the oven for 1–2 more minutes (without letting them dry out). Let cool.
- Fill the cavities with jam.
- Let the jam set before adding the chocolate. It should no longer be sticky to the touch or runny.
Chocolate shell
- You can follow this temperature curve if you have a thermometer, or simply use the method below.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, removing it from the heat regularly and stirring well. It should not get too hot: the more you manage to melt it without overheating, the better the result will be.
- Once melted, remove it from the double boiler and stir it frequently to let it cool. The chocolate should gradually thicken without hardening.
- When it becomes thick and falls heavily back into the bowl, place it back over the double boiler for a few seconds.
- Reheat it very slightly, just enough to achieve a fluid texture, without letting it get too hot.
- Spoon some chocolate into each cavity, then tap the mold on the countertop to spread the chocolate evenly and smooth the surface.
- Finally, place the sponge cakes on top, jam side down against the chocolate.
- Let it set before unmolding and enjoying.
Notes
Thank you for visiting my blog and your comments.
2 comments
Hi there I had a question. You say you prepare the mixture in the double boiler but off the heat. What may I ask is the purpose of the double boiler then? If there’s no flame underneath?
Great recipe, thanks!
Hi,
The bowl is placed over the double boiler off the heat to use only the residual warmth. This gentle heat is enough to warm the eggs and sugar so they whip better, without any risk of cooking the eggs. Using the double boiler off the heat gives better control and helps achieve a light, airy texture safely.
Thanks so much for your kind word about the recipe!