Jelly Cakes Recipe

Jelly cakes is a soft vanilla cake coated in instant jello liquid and then rolled generously in desiccated coconut. It is a classic cake recipe popular in Australia. The jelly adds sweetness and colour to the cake, while the coconut gives it a delicious coconut flavour. The combination of cake, jelly and coconut makes this cake really delicious.

Jelly Cakes

This jelly cakes is one of the recipe which I wanted to bake for a very long time. Actually these are similar to my Jelly Lamingtons. This is Kylie Kwong's recipe, I remembered this suddenly and luckily I had all the ingredients on hand. So tried it immediately.

Jump to:

• About Australian Jelly Cakes
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Pictures
• Expert Tips
• Storage and Serving
• FAQ
• 📖 Get Recipe

I love how pretty these little cakes look once they are coated in coconut. They are perfect for kids parties, special occasions or even as a simple evening snack. 

About Australian Jelly Cakes

This is a classic mini Australian sponge cakes dipped in an instant jello and coated in desiccated coconut.

Jelly cakes are such pretty and delicious little treats made with soft vanilla cake, sweet fruity jelly and desiccated coconut. The soft cake is dipped in the jelly mixture and then rolled generously in coconut.

The jelly soaks into the cake, making it soft and moist, while the coconut adds a lovely flavour in every bite. 

The idea for these jelly cakes came from the classic Australian Lamington. I wanted to try something different from the usual chocolate coating, so I decided to dip soft vanilla cakes in a sweet jelly mixture and it turned out absolutely delicious. 

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For this recipe, I baked the cake batter directly in a muffin tray to make small individual cakes. Once the cakes were cooled, I dipped each one in the prepared jelly mixture and rolled them in desiccated coconut. 

These jelly cakes are quite versatile and you can use an eggless sponge cake, coconut sponge cake instead of regular vanilla cake. You can also try different jelly flavours like strawberry, raspberry, orange or mango for a different colour and taste.

I have also shared a similar recipe on my blog called jelly lamingtons. You can also check them out. If you love coconut and jelly desserts, this recipe is definitely worth trying. It is simple, delicious and a fun twist on the usual vanilla cake. 

Similar Recipes

• Homemade Desiccated Coconut Recipe
• Whole Wheat Coconut Cookies Recipe - Eggless Recipe
• Eggless Lamington Recipe
• Eggless Vegan Coconut Cookies Recipe
• Lemon Jelly Recipe - Fresh Lemon Jelly Recipe

Ingredients

• All purpose flour : I used all purpose flour to make the soft, fluffy and spongy cake. You can also use wheat flour instead of maida, but the texture may slightly vary. 
• Baking powder : Baking powder helps the cake rise while baking and gives a light, fluffy texture. 
• Salt : A small amount of salt added to balance the sweetness of the cake.
• Sugar : I used regular granulated sugar to sweeten the cake. Caster sugar can be used but brown sugar won't work.
• Unsalted butter : Use softened unsalted butter so it creams easily with the sugar. It makes the cake so soft, moist and buttery. 
• Vanilla extract : Vanilla extract gives the cake a lovely aroma and flavour. 
• Milk : Milk added to adjust the consistency of the batter.
• Egg : Egg helps bind the ingredients together and gives the sponge cake a light and soft texture. 
• Jelly packet : You can use any flavour jelly crystals of your choice. It gives the cake a beautiful color and fruity flavour. 
• Desiccated coconut : Use unsweetened desiccated coconut for coating the jelly cakes. It sticks nicely to the cake and adds a lovely coconut flavour and taste. 

Step by Step Pictures

1)Preheat oven to 180 degree C (356 degree F). Grease a 12 cup nonstick muffin tray with oil and set aside. You will get around 20 mini cakes in this recipe.

Dry Ingredients

2)Mix dry ingredients together. Take flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

3)Mix it really well or you can sift this if you want. Set aside.

Creaming Butter sugar

4)Now in a large mixing bowl. Take softened butter, vanilla and sugar in a bowl.

5)Cream this using an electric beater till fluffy and pale.

6) Add in one egg and cream again till light and fluffy. This will take around 5 minutes.

Make Cake Batter

7)Now add in ½ of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter sugar mixture.

8)Fold it gently, now pour in the ½ cup of milk and fold gently.

9)Now add in the remaining ½ of the flour into the batter and give a final fold.

10)The batter should be light, creamy and thick.

Baking Cakes

11)Now use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into each muffin mould.

12)don't fill too much just a tablespoon of batter is enough.

13)Now place this into the preheated oven and bake this for 10 mins.

14)Remove it from oven and cool it for 5 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from muffin tray and set aside in a wire rack to cool completely.

Make Jello

15)While the cakes are cooling, you can start making the jelly as per package directions.

16)Bring 450 ml water to a full boil.

17)Take jello packet in a bowl.

18) I used one jello packet and 450 ml hot water. This is what mentioned in my jello packets.

19)mix well until jello is melted.

20)Now put the prepared jello in fridge to set for just 15 minutes. The jelly shouldn't set completely it should be still little liquidy so we can dip the cakes in this.

Coating Cakes with Jello

21)Now take the jelly from fridge and give a quick mix. The jelly will be half set now and liquidy.

22)Take your ingredients for coating, and dunking.

23)Now take your mini cakes and dip the cakes in the jelly.

24)Let it coat on all sides.

25)Place it on the coconut, roll it in coconut so it is completely coated in the desiccated coconut.

26)Roll the cakes in coconut.

27)Now place this in a plate and put it in fridge for 1 hour to set.

28) Now remove from fridge and serve.

29)The cakes are so fluffy and moist.

Expert Tips

• Make sure the jelly mixture is slightly thick but not fully set. If it is too thin or too firm, it may not coat the cake properly. 
• Roll the cake in dessicated coconut as soon as it is coated with jelly.
• Try different jelly flavours like strawberry, raspberry, orange or mango to make the cakes more colorful and flavourful. 
• If making ahead, store the plain sponge separately and coat the cakes with jelly and coconut just before serving. 
• you can use an eggless sponge cake, coconut sponge cake instead of regular vanilla cake.

Storage and Serving

Jelly cakes taste best when served fresh. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy this with a cup of hot black tea.

These jelly cakes are perfect for kids parties, special occasions, or as a simple evening tea time snack.  You can also pair the jelly cakes with whipped cream, buttercream or ganache while serving. 

FAQ

Q. Can I make these jelly cakes with an eggless cake ? 

Absolutely ! You can use a soft eggless vanilla sponge instead of regular vanilla cake. Make sure the sponge is soft and moist. 

Q. Why did my jelly cakes become soggy ? 

This usually happens if the cake is soaked in the jelly mixture for too long. You only need to dip and turn the cake quickly so that it gets a good coating without absorbing too much jelly. 

Q. Why is my jelly not sticking to the cake ? 

The jelly may be too thin or watery, or it may have set fully. Let the jelly cool and thicken slightly in the refrigerator before dipping the cakes. 

Q. Can I use different flavours of jelly ? 

Yes, you can use any jelly flavours of your choice like strawberry, orange, mango or raspberry to make colorful jelly cakes for parties and special occasions.

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