A former ‘Great British Bake Off’ winner has created the world’s largest Jaffa Cake, measuring a staggering four feet in diameter.
The monster bake received the Guinness World Record after smashing the previous record of just less than three feet.
It was made by 2013 ‘Bake Off’ champion Frances Quinn, along with Hambleton bakery in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire (whose kitchen was only just about large enough to bake in).
The cake is almost 23 times as large as a normal Jaffa Cake.
In order to bake it, Quinn had to use six kilograms of butter, sugar and flour; three litres of marmalade; nine litres of orange jelly; 120 eggs and 20 kilograms of dark chocolate.
Quinn, of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, said: “I got the idea when there was a whole debate going on about whether Jaffa Cakes are biscuits or cakes.
“It really mattered to me as well, because I make a lot of Jaffa Cakes and if they were classed as biscuits, there would be more tax on them.”
It was at this point that Quinn decided she wanted to make the largest ever Jaffa Cake.
“I really wanted to break the record,” she said.
“It took a lot of planning. We actually had to bake it in six parts and then fit it all together, like a giant jigsaw.
“Anyone who wanted orange jelly that day would have had no luck either, as I think we bought the local stores out of it. We also had to drizzle so much chocolate over the top of it.
“I had worked with Hambleton before and I was really grateful they let me use their kitchen. I wouldn’t have managed it anywhere else.”
After baking the giant Jaffa Cake, Frances had to transport it to London for its unveiling.
She claimed getting it into and out of the van, and then carrying it up a small flight of stairs, was almost more of a challenge than making it.
Quinn said: “We had to carry it on a giant wooden pallet, and with that it weighed about 60 kilograms. We then carefully slid it into a van to get it down to London, covered in plastic wrap.
“After we’d parked we had to carry it across a busy road and into a pub, which was full of people watching rugby at the time. It was a bit of a nightmare.
“It almost didn’t fit up the stairs to the room where we were going to unveil it. We had it measured downstairs just in case it broke on its way up.
“But when we were given the Guinness World Record I was so happy. It was a great achievement.
“Some people like Jaffa Cakes and others not so much, but the crew and everyone else who was there certainly enjoyed eating it.
“I was only able to take a small piece home again!”
Quinn said she is still in touch with her fellow ‘Bake Off’ contestants, although less regularly than they used to be. She received one or two congratulations.
Having enjoyed this record so much, she is contemplating another. She said: “It’s great to get a world record. I think I might try a giant hobnob next. I can see that working.”