Jaffa Cakes

A Jaffa Cake cut in half

Jaffa Cakes are a popular type of cake in the United Kingdom and Ireland. They are sold under a number of different brands, the market leader being McVitie's (United Biscuits).

History

McVitie and Price first introduced the Jaffa Cake in 1927 following the success of the chocolate digestive biscuit. Its creation is largely credited to John Langlands, a director of McVitie and Price at the time. The cakes were named after Jaffa oranges, sweet oranges native to Jaffa, Palestine which is now found in Israel.^[1]

Description

Jaffa Cakes are circular, approximately 54 mm (2⅛ inches) in diameter and consist of three layers: a sponge cake base, a layer of orange flavoured jelly and a coating of dark chocolate. Despite claims that the orange jelly in Jaffa Cakes is actually apricot flavoured with tangerine essence,^[2][3] the list of ingredients on a 2008 label show the cakes are made with orange juice and does not list apricot as an ingredient.^[4]

Cake or biscuit?

Under UK law, no Value Added Tax (VAT) is charged on biscuits and cakes — they are "zero rated". Chocolate covered biscuits, however, are subject to VAT, currently 15%. McVities classed its Jaffa Cakes as cakes, but in 1991, this was challenged by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and the case ended up before the courts.^[5] This may have been because Jaffa Cakes are about the same size and shape as some types of biscuit, and particularly because they are commonly eaten alongside, or instead of, traditional biscuits. A question that the court asked itself was "what criteria should be used to class something as a cake?"

McVities defended its classification of Jaffa Cakes as cakes, producing a 12" (30 cm) Jaffa Cake to illustrate that its Jaffa Cakes were simply miniature cakes.^[6]

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.^[7]

Consumption

Jaffa Cakes were used by the England national football team in Japan for the 2002 FIFA World Cup as part of their training diet.^[8]

Worldwide use

Kraft Foods sell a range of biscuits in France under the brand name "LU". Among these are a range called "PiMs". PiMs "L'Originale" are almost indistinguishable from Jaffa Cakes. Other varieties of PiMs have the same base and chocolate but different flavor jelly (pear, lemon, for example) and some have different top layers instead of chocolate. Several French supermarkets also or alternatively carry store brand cakes of this type generally referred to as "genoise fourrés".^{[citation needed]} PiMs are also available in many supermarkets in the United States and Canada.

References

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