Old Fashioned Pink Jelly Cakes (Printable Version)
Light sponge squares filled with raspberry jelly and cream, coated in coconut - perfect for a nostalgic afternoon tea.
# What You'll Need:
→ Sponge Cake
01 - 1/2 cup (125 g) unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup (125 g) caster sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1½ cups (180 g) self-raising flour, sifted
06 - 1/3 cup plus 1½ tablespoons (100 ml) whole milk
→ Jelly
07 - 1 packet (3 oz / 85 g) raspberry or strawberry flavored jelly crystals
08 - 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
09 - 2/3 cup (150 ml) cold water
→ Filling
10 - 3/4 cup plus 1½ tablespoons (200 ml) heavy cream
11 - 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Coating
13 - 3.5 oz (100 g) desiccated coconut
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8 x 12 inch (20 x 30 cm) baking tin with parchment paper.
02 - Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.
03 - Alternately fold in the sifted self-raising flour and milk in three additions, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
04 - Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking tin. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
05 - Dissolve the jelly crystals in boiling water, stirring until fully dissolved. Stir in the cold water, then pour the mixture into a shallow dish. Refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes, until the jelly is just beginning to set but still has a syrupy consistency.
06 - Once the sponge has cooled completely, trim the edges if needed and cut into 24 equal-sized squares.
07 - Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until firm peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip.
08 - Place a spoonful of whipped cream between two sponge squares, pressing gently to sandwich them together. Repeat with remaining squares to make 12 filled cakes.
09 - Working quickly, dip each sandwiched cake into the semi-set jelly, turning to coat all sides evenly. Allow excess jelly to drip off before proceeding.
10 - Immediately roll each jelly-coated cake in desiccated coconut, covering all surfaces. Place on a wire rack and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set before serving.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The contrast of tender sponge, wobbly jelly, and pillowy cream is a texture experience nothing else really matches.
- They look impressively fussy but the process is surprisingly forgiving once you get the jelly timing right.
- Coating them in coconut makes you feel like you are making something genuinely old world and charming.
02 -
- The jelly stage is where everything can go wrong, if it is too liquid the cakes turn soggy and fall apart, if it is too set it will not coat evenly so check it every ten minutes after the forty five minute mark.
- Sandwich the cakes together before dipping or the jelly will make the surfaces too slippery for the cream to hold them together.
03 -
- Chill the bowl and beaters before whipping the cream and it will whip faster and hold its shape longer, especially on warm days.
- Work with slightly damp hands when handling the jelly dipped cakes, the jelly slides off less and you get a more even coconut coating.