Jaffa Cake, Baking temp v Time

[Jackamus]

When baking a sponge is there a definite relationship between baking temperature and baking time? Can you bake at a higher temp for less time and vice verse?

 

[retired baker]

baking sponge flat on a tray can be a lot quicker, deep molds require moderate temps for longer to allow the heat to penetrate.

 

[Jackamus]

Thanks. I'm making my own Jaffa Cakes in a jam tart tray and so the sponge is quite thin. I'm using 180ºC at 12 min butb the sponge is too soft at the top. I can either increase the temp or the time. What would you advise?

 

[retired baker]

Thanks. I'm making my own Jaffa Cakes in a jam tart tray and so the sponge is quite thin. I'm using 180ºC at 12 min butb the sponge is too soft at the top. I can either increase the temp or the time. What would you advise?

ahh ok, I see, you need to dry them out a bit so you can handle them.
You can always throw them back in the oven to dry them out more.
Commercial jaffa cakes are baked dry, its the filling that softens them.

For fun I used almond macaroon for the base, orange turkish delight filling and dipped in callebaut. Watch on the video when I cut one at the end, its very dry and crunchy but 2 days later the cookie was soft from the filling.

 

[Jackamus]

Thank you for your response. When you say it's the filing that makes them soft - that could only be the orange jelly on top. Is that what you mean?
I like your way of removing them from the backing paper by damping them.

 

[retired baker]

Thank you for your response. When you say it's the filing that makes them soft - that could only be the orange jelly on top. Is that what you mean?
I like your way of removing them from the backing paper by damping them.

yes, the moisture from the jelly seeps into the sponge 'cookie' base.
dipping is easier if the jelly sets slightly,
you can just boil it in the microwave in a bowl and spoon it on.
do a test first to see how it sets.
The idea is to make it less watery otherwise the sponge base will turn into mush.

 

[Jackamus]

I use orange jelly with half the amount of normal liquid as orange juice plus a small amount of orange flavoring. I then pour it into a round baking tray that will give me the correct thickness when it sets. I then use a small round cookie cutter to cut-out the jelly and sticj them to the sponge using a slightly softer jelly to act like a glue. This way the jelly wont fall off the sponge when I invert them to dip into chocolate.