jaffa cakes

[nick3188]

are jaffa cakes cakes or biscuits

[answerbok]

impossible to say, Nick, without causing a cacophony between the two camps.But Jaffa say cake, are they lying? - surely not. [this is the correct answer ABed so you don't need to pull it.]

[debstar]

I heard they only call them cakes to avoid some sort of tax, but can't remember the details. I read it online somewhere but can't find it again. If anyone else knows about this please remind me.....

[debstar]

ok, I found it again: "These small circular sponges topped with chocolate and squidgy orange stuff have been the subject of much debate over the years. Even the British government has become embroiled in this web of snack-related intrigue. At present the Jaffa Cake is classified as a cake but the British government is attempting to get it reclassified as a biscuit. This would mean it would come under a higher tax bracket as biscuits aren't as perishable as cakes, or something technical like that." Not that that helps much.... (that is actually a quote from the bbc)

[anthomson]

According to my dictionary, a biscuit IS a cake. I think the term 'biscuit' is roman and originally meant a cake that had been baked twice - hence the name ( bi-scuit ). So I would say its safe to say a jaffa cake is a cake.

[anthomson]

...so what about oatcakes....

[anthomson]

...and when does a cake become a bun ?

[sft42]

Ok then here's the definitive answer...a Jaffa is a cake as defined by the Uk Government for taxation purposes....Biscuits with chocolate on are subject to VAT but cakes are not (apparently!!!) so in a test case McVities challenged a ruling that the product was a biscuit and won by showing that when exposed to air all cakes go hard and biscuits go soggy...Jaffa Cakes do indeed go hard...so they were and still are classified as cakes!

[boognish76]

They are biscuits because that's where you find them in the supermarket - in the biscuit aisle. If they were cakes they'd be shelved with the other cakes.

[PaulB]

Ok, Read all these answers and agree BUT, I would say cake cos, when (like me) you have put these things in the fridge for a few days, you then realise the difference between cake (soft n fluffy) and biscuit (hard n crumbly). I prefer them cakey tho ;o) yum

[Cetti]

This has to be the definitive site for every biscuit under the sun - link to Jaffa Cakes.

http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/biscuits/se
arch.php3

[StevieBoy]

I remember a few years ago when McVities went to court about this and presented evidence in the form of a Jaffa Cake ...Only something like 16" across and cut everyone a slice, then went on to prove that the original Jaffa cakes were just mini versions of this "Jaffa Cake" they produced in court. They won.