Jazz Cake Recipe | Cooking with Nana Ling

A jazz cake? You don’t usually associate jazz with cake. In fact, you might not even know what a Jatz is… so let’s take a step back.

A Jatz is a popular malt cracker biscuit made by Arnott’s here in Australia. It’s very similar to a savoy biscuit and you probably have your own version in your part of the world.

It’s usually enjoyed with cheese, cabanossi, or even Nana Ling’s mock chicken. But here it’s a key ingredient in a deliciously sweet cake.

The main ingredient: jazz

The Jatz cracker has been around since 1952 and is still a big favorite today.

It is a crispy malt cracker with a diameter of almost 5 cm.

We enjoy Jatz with a dip, cheese… and in the 1970s we even got pretty fancy with the toppings.

Here, however, we’re going to do something a little less traditional with our Jatz.

This Jatz cake recipe was shared with my mom by one of our dear neighbors – a few decades ago.

Ingredients for the Jatz cake

To prepare this cake you will need:

• Jatz (or any salty biscuit)
• pecans
• protein
• Salt
• powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
• thickened (heavy) cream
• powdered sugar
• chocolate shavings
• cherries.

For quantities, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

Bake Jatzkuchen

Start by preheating the oven to 170 degrees Celsius, convection oven (or equivalent) and grease a small round cake tin (about 20cm diameter). Bonus points if the can is a springform pan.

Process Jatz and pecans in a food processor or food processor (or finely chop with a knife).

Beat egg white and salt until fluffy.

Gradually add sugar to the egg whites and continue beating until the mixture is stiff and glossy.

Using a spatula, fold in the vanilla extract and your Jatz nut mixture until fully combined.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 minutes.

Your cake should be crisp on top when you remove it from the oven.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan and letting cool completely.

Decorate your jazz cake

Beat the cream together with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.

dollop of whipped cream on top of the cake.

Place cherries on top and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Did!

Sit down and enjoy a slice.

It’s sweet, nutty, and a delightful blend of crunchy and chewy.

Jazz Cake Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How does it taste?

It’s a sweet, nutty cake that’s a delightful mix of crunchy and chewy.

Q. What is jazz?

See above.

Q. Can I use something else instead of Jatz?

Yes, just use other salted crackers.

Q. Can I make it?

Yes, make up to 5 days ahead and store (undecorated) in the fridge.

Q. Isn’t it a bit weird to put Jatz in a cake?

Yes, but that’s what makes it fun and wonderful. Like assembling sour cream and marshmallows for Heavenly Hash, or adding chocolate to chili con carne, or adding 100s and 1000s to white bread to create the best kids’ party food ever!