Eccles Cakes - the Classic British Tea Cake!
There are a lot of eccles cake recipes out there. This one is a modification of the recipe in Delia Smith’s “Delia Smith’s Cookery Course” – an age old cook book by “the English Martha Stewart”. Well, they are a spiced current mix which is surrounded in puff pastry, brushed with egg and topped with a little sugar. These get baked, and fluff up. They are a lovely light bite, with a little kick of cinnamon and nutmeg, balanced out by some orange zest. They pair absolutely perfectly with a nice cup of tea. Preferably a light Darjeeling. My personal preference is for a 2nd flush – picked later in the year, the tea has a more robust flavor. NOTE: Serving size is estimated!! I use a pre-made (not by me..) puff pastry here. My pastry skills aren’t great, and this does save quite a bit of time. Recipe found at http://mattikaarts.com/blog/baking-recipes/eccles-cakes-the-classic-british-tea-cake/ and posted for ZWT6 - GREAT BRITAIN!
INGREDIENTS
Nutrition- 1
FILLING
- 3ounces butter
- 5ounces light brown sugar
- 5ounces mix of sultana's and currants
- 1teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄2teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1grated orange, rind of
TO FINISH
- 1
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DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- To make the filling, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Mix into this the other filling ingredients. Set aside.
- Roll the pastry out to about 1/8 inch thick onto a floured surface. Use a 4” pastry cutter to cut discs of pastry.
- Put a teaspoon of the filling into the middle of one disc.
- Brush half of the edge of this disc with water. Bring up all the sides of the disc to the middle (above the filling), and press tightly to seal.
- Turn the cake over on the work surface, and gently roll it to about 1/4” to 1/2” thick. Pat into a rough round shape.
- Repeat for the remaining pastry discs.
- Place disks on a non-stick baking sheet (a greased sheet, or one with parchment paper). Using a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal cuts through the top of each cake. Brush the top of each cake with the egg, and sprinkle a little white sugar over.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cake has risen. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Serve with your afternoon tea!