Vegan Soft Cakes (Jaffa Cakes)

These homemade vegan soft cakes are the perfect plant-based alternative to classic Jaffa cakes. They consist of fluffy sponge cake, fruity orange jelly, and crisp dark chocolate. Ideal as a snack, dessert, or small homemade gift – completely free of animal products, but packed with flavor.

Ingredients

for 24 pieces

For the dough

• 150 g flour

• 100 g sugar

• 150 ml plant-based milk (e.g. oat, soy or almond milk)

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (e.g. rapeseed or sunflower oil)

• 0.5 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp vanilla sugar

  
  

For the jelly filling

• 100 ml orange juice

• 4 tablespoons of sugar

• 1 packet of agar agar (approx. 10g)

• 200g orange marmalade

  
  

For glazing & decoration

• 150 g dark chocolate

• optional: grated orange zest

  
  

Preparation - Jelly Filling

1. Line a shallow casserole dish or loaf pan with cling film.

2. Mix orange juice, sugar and agar-agar thoroughly in a pot.

3. Bring everything to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.

4. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the orange marmalade until a smooth mixture is formed.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold and allow it to set completely in the refrigerator.

   
   

   Tip: If you want to save time next time, simply prepare double the amount of jelly. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator – ideally cut into pieces and stacked with baking paper in between. (see photo)

   
   

   This way, you've already prepared the fruity filling and can easily whip up fresh Jaffa Cakes anytime. They were so popular with us that the first tray was devoured in no time – which made the second batch even more convenient, thanks to the pre-prepared jelly layer.

   
   
   

   

Preparation - Dough

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (top/bottom heat).

2. Lightly grease two muffin tins (each with 12 cups).

3. Mix flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and baking powder in a bowl.

4. Add plant-based milk and oil and mix everything into a smooth dough.

5. Fill each muffin tin cavity with about 1 tablespoon of batter and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.

6. Then allow to cool completely and carefully remove from the mold.

   
   

Composition & Decoration

1. Take the orange jelly out of the refrigerator and cut out 24 circles using a round cutter.

2. Then place the jelly circles onto the pastry bases.

3. Then roughly chop the dark chocolate and melt it slowly over a water bath.

4. Place the sponge cake bases with the jelly layer upside down on a fork and dip them in the melted chocolate until the bottom edge of the dough is covered.

5. Drain off any excess chocolate and place the soft cakes on a drying rack with the chocolate side facing up.

6. Optional: Sprinkle grated orange zest over the top.

7. Once the chocolate has hardened, the Jaffa Cakes can be served and enjoyed.

Be sure to try this recipe yourself – it's easier than it looks, and the result is worth it! If you bake these vegan soft cakes, I'd love it if you sent me a photo of your creation (preferably via Instagram message to @annikashurafa ) or tagged me in your recipe photos. I hope you have lots of fun baking, and of course:

Bon appetit!

Tip: If you have any leftover jelly after cutting out the circles, simply add it to the remaining, still-warm chocolate and spread the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper. After it hardens in the refrigerator, you'll have a fruity-chocolatey snack that looks like broken chocolate, tastes similar to those familiar refreshing ice pops, and also helps prevent food waste.

Ingredient tip: Not sure which products to use for the jelly? Here's a little behind-the-scenes look: For this recipe, I used vegan orange marmalade, organic orange zest from a bag, and regular orange juice from Kaufland. You can also find these ingredients in other common supermarkets like Edeka and Rewe.