Traditional Lardy Cake
A traditional pastry from the rural countryside of England's West Country, these currant-studded lardy cakes, baked to caramelized perfection, offer a true taste of 19th century baking.
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup pure lard
- 1 cup lukewarm water , plus more as needed
- For the Filling:
- 1 cup pure lard (click link for recipe - it's super easy!)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- homemade mixed spice (click link for recipe)
- 1 1/4 cups dried currants (aka zante raisins)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange/lemon peel , optional (click link for recipe - homemade makes ALL the difference)
- For the Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- homemade golden syrup
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, lard and water. Knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough is soft and no longer sticky. Shape into a ball, lightly spray the bowl with oil, return the dough to the bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Grease a 9x13 inch / 33x23cm baking pan. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a floured work surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle a little larger than the baking pan. Spread lard thickly onto the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle the dried fruit onto about 2/3 of the length of the rectangle followed by the sugar and mixed spice. Taking the short end of the rectangle, fold it into the center. Fold the other side on top of the other fold so the rectangle is folded into thirds like a letter (see blog post pictures for visuals). Fold the top of the rectangle down to the center and then fold the bottom up. Gently flip the dough over so the folds are on the bottom. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, this time a little smaller than the size of the baking pan, being careful not let the dried currants rip through the dough (if this happens, it's okay). Repeat the folding pattern, flip the dough over, and roll into a rectangle the size of the baking pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Transfer the dough into the greased baking pan, pressing it gently to fit. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes or until nice and puffy. Use a dough scraper or knife to cut through the dough down the center lengthwise. Then cut across the dough to make eight equal sized pieces. Pic off any fully exposed currants (otherwise they will burn).
- Bake the lardy cake for about 30-40 minutes or until it is a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with the glaze. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then invert the cake onto a baking sheet so that the bottom of the cake is now on top. Let the cake cool, cut the pieces and serve. Store the lardy cakes in an airtight container at room temp. They are best eaten within a day or two but will keep for a few days. They can also be frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 692kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 8gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 309mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 3gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 3mg
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