Easy, Delicious Eccles Cakes, The Perfect Treat With a Cuppa (2024)

FAQs

Why were Eccles Cakes banned? ›

When Oliver Cromwell gained power in 1650 A.D., both the wakes and the eating of Eccles Cakes were banned due to the Puritan belief that they both had pagan connections. On the other hand, maybe the powers that be in London, did not want their Northern subjects to have too much of a good thing!

A sad cake is essentially a round of unsweetened pastry which has had currants rolled into it and was traditionally made with leftovers as a cheap sweet treat – hence the forlorn moniker.

An Eccles cake is a small, round pie, similar to a turnover, filled with currants and made from flaky pastry with butter, sometimes topped with demerara sugar.

What is a Welsh Cake? It's like a cross between a pancake, cookie, or a scone but they are nothing like it. These are somewhat similar in appearance to Eccles Cakes but Welsh Cakes are a bit flatter than an Eccles Cake and unlike an Eccles Cake, Welsh Cakes are not filled.

And you do want to eat the cakes warm — though you should not microwave the Real Lancashire Eccles Cakes. A microwave can damage the filling. I use my toaster oven for a quick 5-minute warming as the package label suggests. You can read the story behind Real Lancashire Eccles Cakes on the company website.

The Banbury cake, Chorley cake, and Blackburn cake are all pretty similar to the Eccles cake, but don't dare mention that to any locals. Around here, the Eccles Cake is king. Traditionally Eccles Cakes are filled with currants, but in this recipe I've combined currants and golden raisins.

An Elvis Presley cake is a single-layer classic yellow cake that's topped with a pineapple glaze. Much like a poke cake, the syrup and juices of the pineapple will seep into the cake through fork holes, resulting in a decadent, ultra-moist cake.

Bake the Eccles cakes for 15-20 mins until just past golden brown and sticky. Leave to cool on a rack and enjoy while still warm or cold with a cup of tea. If you prefer, Eccles cakes also go really well served with a wedge of hard, tangy British cheese such as Lancashire or cheddar.

kaka, Dan. kage, a cake (O.N. has it in kokukorn (Torp)).]

On the plus side, the average Eccles cake has less than 200 calories and contains half a fruit portion's worth of currants – helping ease you up to your five-a-day. So if you do indulge now and again, don't feel too guilty.

What is a Tom Selleck cake? ›

Tom Selleck – Sometimes Better Than Sex Cake or Robert Redford is a Midwest dessert that is a shortbread crust, chocolate pudding layer, and cream top.

Yes, they are certainly similar, but Banbury cakes seem to have a slightly spicier filling - Eccles cakes always seem to be heavier on the currants and the pastry is also a bit heavier.

The 'currant' title holder is a 50lb cake made in Eccles in 2001.

How to serve your Welsh cakes. I suggest eating these warm, either straightaway or reheated in the toaster. Traditionally I believe these are eaten just as they are, or of course you can add a topping such as butter or jam. I'm thinking now that peanut butter might work on these too, or even chocolate spread!

Welsh cakes can be eaten hot or cold, though the vast majority of Welsh people will tell you how to eat Welsh cakes is eating them while they're still warm. You can heat them up easily in a pan, toaster oven, standard oven, or even your microwave.

“Real-Deal” Gooey Butter Cake

It was a glorious mistake when one baker, intending to make one of his bakery's traditional German yeasted coffeecakes, made a ratio-swapping error. Far too much butter was added to the coffeecake topping in proportion to the sugar and flour.

Bake the Eccles cakes for 15-20 mins until just past golden brown and sticky. Leave to cool on a rack and enjoy while still warm or cold with a cup of tea. If you prefer, Eccles cakes also go really well served with a wedge of hard, tangy British cheese such as Lancashire or cheddar.

An Eccles cake uses flaky puff pastry, which after baking is normally a deeper brown in colour. The other difference is that the currants in the Eccles cake are often concentrated together in the middle while in the Chorley cake the fruit is usually evenly distributed.