Full moon! Half-moon! Total eclipse! – The most iconic phrase we could ever associate with McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes, spoken by none other than Dawn French.

And rightly so, because the chocolatey-cake goodness should always be celebrated for its traditional orange flavours.

Whether it’s a cake or a biscuit has been a serious discussion amongst the general public for years and with that in mind, I thought I would get to the bottom of another one.

A new raspberry flavour of Jaffa Cakes recently launched in the UK which set a light bulb idea off in my head – how do all the most recent new flavours compare to the original?

This is a task I was more than happy to do, so I spent days travelling to supermarkets and corner shops to find as many flavours as possible.

The raspberry-filled Jaffa Cakes have only been available in Asda since the end of August but will be launching in Tesco and Co-op from September, and Sainsbury’s from October.

Luckily it was a success and my local Asda had them in stock.

After further research and hunting for the newest creations such as lemon and lime and blackcurrant, I gave in and settled on trying raspberry and cherry Jaffa Cakes against the original orange filling.

The Northern Echo: McVities have been making Jaffa Cakes since 1927McVities have been making Jaffa Cakes since 1927 (Image: Newsquest)

How do raspberry and cherry Jaffa Cakes compare to the original orange flavour?

I taste-tested the raspberry Jaffa Cakes first and I was delighted to notice a tangy, fruity flavour.

It also reminded me of a raspberry yoghurt which I wasn’t mad about as I eat copious amounts every week.

I then moved on to the cherry flavour and it blew my mind a little as it had the flavour of a Jammie Dodger with the texture of a Jaffa Cake (I hope it’s here to stay).

Finishing with the signature orange sweet treat, as soon as I took a bite I was instantly hit with why no other flavour can compare to the McVitie’s legend.


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The citrus-jelly middle mixed with chocolate and a soft sponge base could never be replaced, all the elements were meant to be together for a reason.

Although I will be partial to a raspberry or cherry alternative in the future, nothing can truly compare.

Are Jaffa Cakes a biscuit or a cake?

McVities have been making Jaffa Cakes since 1927 but they were challenged for labelling the product as "cakes" in 1991 by Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise, reports Kerseys Solicitors.

The legal experts added: “During the court battle between Mcvitie’s and Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise, Mcvitie’s baked a giant Jaffa Cake to prove that Jaffa cakes were really cakes and not biscuits.

“It was a long and costly dispute, but McVities finally tasted sweet success and Jaffa Cakes were finally recognised as chocolate covered cakes.

“Now the £1.19billion Jaffa Cakes made every year are free of the consumer tax.”