Traditional Eccles Cakes

One of the things I loved most about England are the tasty traditional cakes and bakes that you find over here.  Cakes such as this Traditional Eccles Cakes recipe which I am sharing with you today.

I don't know why they are called cakes because really, they resemble a traditional cake in no way at all. These are more like little round puff pastry turnovers.  But what is in a name really. Delicious is delicious no matter what you call it! 

 

 

I confess that I fell in love with Eccles Cakes many, many years ago. Back in the early 1980's. I was a young mum living on a British Army base in Suffield, Alberta, in Canada.

 

 There was a lovely girl named Sheena that used to bring them in every so often to the Ceramics Club I belonged to as a treat for us all. They were gorgeous.  She invited me to her house one time so that I could watch her make them. 

 

She was such a nice girl, and that was so kind of her. It meant that I could then make these delicious cakes for myself as I have done so on multiple occasions through the years.

So just what is an Eccles Cake?  Not a cake, it is a small, round pie, quite similar to a turnover, which is filled with a buttery sweet dried fruit filling. Usually this filling will consist of butter, brown sugar, dried currants, raisins/sultanas, chopped candied peel and a few spices.

 

Generally speaking this lush sweet buttery filling will be encased in Flaky Pastry.  But you will sometimes also see the filling surrounded by buttery puff pastry. Both options are quite acceptable and incredibly moreish!

They are named after the English town of Eccles, which is a town in the historic county of Lancashire and in the ceremonial county of Greater Manchester. They are a Lancashire food tradition and are actually traditionally enjoyed along with a wedge of Lancashire Cheese!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TRADITIONAL ECCLES CAKES

Simple store cupboard and baking ingredients. I always keep all butter puff pastry in the freeze so that I have some on hand for tasty bakes such as these cakes!

You will need:

• 1 sheet of ready rolled good quality bought or homemade "all butter" puff or flakey pastry (3/4 pound)
• 1 egg, beaten lightly with a fork
• 2 TBS demerara (turbinado) sugar to sprinkle

You will also need:

• 45g butter, melted (3 TBS)
• 45g dried currents (1/3 cup)
• 45g raisins (1/3 cup)
• 6 TBS soft light or dark brown sugar
• 5 TBS mixed peel, chopped
• the finely grated zest of one orange
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

 

Dried currants are not always easy to find in North America. I usually buy mine on Amazon.  Likewise mixed candied peel can also be somewhat difficult to procure.  This is something I also buy on Amazon. 

I use frozen already rolled all-butter puff pastry which I keep in the freezer. You can buy it in two roll packs. Just make sure you take the pastry out about 2 hours ahead of time and leave it the refrigerator to thaw out completely.

 

If you don't have any orange zest, you can substitute this with 1/2 tsp of pure Orange extract. That is what I had to do today. 

 

You can make up the filling a few hours ahead of time if you wish, even the night before.  It really isn't that hard to put together.

People often confuse Banbury Cakes with Eccles Cakes. They are very similar but Banbury Cakes are generally oval in shape instead of being round. They frequently contain rosewater or rum and were said to be a favorite of Queen Victoria.

Some other cakes in the UK which are very similar are Chorley Cakes and Coventry God Cakes. 

  

Banbury Cakes come from Banbury, Chorley Cakes from Chorley and the God Cakes from Coventry, so they are all very regional in origin and whilst the fillings are similar, there are subtle differences between the three, in the main being the type of pastry used and the shape of the cakes.

 

Chorley Cakes are not quite as sweet as Eccles Cakes,  and use short crust pastry instead of flaky or puff pastry. They are enjoyed in much the same way, however,  with a light scraping of butter and some cheese.

God Cakes are triangular in shape which is said to represent the Holy Trinity.  They are traditionally eaten at New Year and are gifted from God Parents to their God children.

All have a very similar, dried fruit and peel filling. Of course you can enjoy all of these cakes anywhere, any time.

 

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL ECCLES CAKES

These are really not difficult to make at all.  If you have all of your ingredients ready they go together in a flash. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool down long enough so that you can eat them without burning your mouth!

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix all the filling ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Thaw your pastry if frozen. Unroll on a lightly floured surface. Lightly roll to 1/8 of an inch in thickness. I usually pop mine into the refrigerator the night before I want to make them and then take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before I start making them.)

Cut the pastry into 9 even squares with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.  Brush all of the cut edges with some of the beaten egg.

Divide the filling evenly between each of the 9 squares. Bring the edges of the pastry together over the filling into the center. Press them firmly together, completely enclosing the filling.

Turn over and flatten the disc ever so slightly between the palms of your hand until it is about 2 inches in diameter. You should just barely be able to see the fruit through the pastry.

Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.  Brush the top with some more of the beaten egg, and then sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Cut several small slits in the top of each with a sharp knife. (I used a pizza cutter.)

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 to 17 minutes until golden brown. The currants and sugar will caramelize through the holes and they will be scrumptiously delicious.

Remove to a wire rack to cool and try NOT to eat them all at once!! (I know it's quite difficult!)

What is not to love about something that is flakey and crumbly and stuffed full of currents, raisins and butter. For me it was love at first bite.

Not cakes but buttery, flaky, sweet little hand pies.  A four bite piece of heaven on earth . . . with sugar on top . . . oozing little bits of juicy, sweet and sticky goodness.  Most enjoyable with a hot cup of tea.

Some other deliciously moreish Teatime Treats here in the English Kitchen that you might want to also bake and enjoy are:

GINGER CRUNCHIES - Crisp shortbread based ginger biscuit/cookie/squares! They are crisp and buttery, very short textured.  They are also topped with a lush ginger glaze and some sweet chunks of preserved ginger.  Don't worry if you can't get the preserved ginger. You can make your own or you can use candied ginger in it's place. You can also leave it off altogether and still have a very delicious cookie!

LEMON SPLITS -  Small griddle cakes, very similar to Welsh Cakes. Buttery, flaky, almost pastry-like,  and sandwiched together with lush tart and sweet lemon curd.  Incredibly moreish! Oh so tasty with a nice hot cuppa!

I don't know why they call them cakes. They're not a cake. They're like a little hand held piece of heaven on earth.

 . . .

*

Eccles Cakes

Yield: 9

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 17 MinTotal time: 32 Min

There is no doubt about it, these are a deliciously crumbly fruit stuffed mouthful of traditional British goodness. Buttery puff pastry, wrapped around a lush, buttery and sweet raisin, currant and peel filling. What's not to love?

Ingredients

You will need:

• 1 sheet of ready rolled good quality bought or homemade "all butter" puff or flakey pastry (3/4 pound)
• 1 egg, beaten lightly with a fork
• 2 TBS demerara (turbinado) sugar to sprinkle

You will also need:

• 45g butter, melted (3 TBS)
• 45g dried currents (1/3 cup)
• 45g raisins (1/3 cup)
• 6 TBS soft light or dark brown sugar
• 5 TBS mixed peel, chopped
• the finely grated zest of one orange
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix all the filling ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Thaw your pastry if frozen. Unroll on a lightly floured surface. Lightly roll to 1/8 of an inch in thickness.
4. Cut into 9 even squares with a pizza cutter. Brush all of the cut edges with some of the beaten egg.
5. Divide the filling evenly between each of the 9 squares. Bring the edges of the pastry together over the filling into the center. Press them firmly together, completely enclosing the filling.
6. Turn over and flatten the disc ever so slightly between the palms of your hand until it is about 2 inches in diameter. You should just barely be able to see the fruit through the pastry.
7. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.  Brush the top with some more of the beaten egg, and then sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Cut several small slits in the top of each with a sharp knife. (I used a pizza cutter.)
8. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 to 17 minutes until golden brown. The currants and sugar will caramelize through the holes and they will be scrumptiously delicious.
9. Remove to a wire rack to cool and try NOT to eat them all at once!! (I know it's quite difficult!)

Did you make this recipe?

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I thought it was about time I updated this old post with some new photography and information (Updated August 23/23). I have also added a printable recipe card which it did not have before.

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