A classic British bake with flaky pastry, spiced currants and a crisp sugar top
Traditional Eccles cakes made with all butter puff pastry and a spiced currant filling. Golden, flaky and finished with a crunchy sugar topping and soft, sticky centre.
Traditional Eccles Cakes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
Eccles cakes feel like one of those bakes that should be far more complicated than they actually are.
They have that proper bakery look about them. Golden, flaky, slightly sticky in the middle and finished with that light sugar crust when you bite into them. The sort of thing you would happily pick up alongside a cup of tea and assume someone else had gone to quite a bit of effort.
In reality, they are wonderfully simple! Although as a child I found them rather odd, until I actually tried them, and havent stopped my love for them since!
There is also something quite satisfying about making them. Folding the pastry, sealing them up and then turning them over to hide all the hard work underneath. Then that moment when they come out of the oven, golden and puffed, looking far more impressive than they have any right to.
You will often see three small slashes across the top of each cake, and there is a lovely tradition that says these represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Whether you follow that meaning or simply use them to let the steam escape, they are part of what gives Eccles cakes their familiar look.
One thing I will say from making these more than once is that the pastry really does matter. I tried one (I was not wasting precious filling on a whole batch) with a cheaper puff pastry that did not contain butter, and the difference was quite noticeable. If you watch the video tutorial I have done, you will see the very visible difference. Cheap puff pastry were flatter, with very little lift and none of those flaky layers. Using an all butter puff pastry gave a much better result, with a proper rise, crisp layers and that light texture you expect.
If you are looking for a great zester that collects, I have tried this one and it is great! Sadly my older one seems to no longer be made at present. The link is an affiliate link, which will not cost you anything more, but they may pay me a small commission, which helps towards my channel costs.
Dreamfarm Zester:-
Ingredients
For the filling
- 150 g currants
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 50 g light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
For the pastry
- 2 sheets ready rolled all butter puff pastry (approximately 640 g total). Please see notes below about the pastry and how important it is to get the right one.
For finishing
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 to 5 tablespoons granulated or Demerara sugar
Instructions
Makes 12 large Eccles cakes or around 20 smaller ones for afternoon tea
Make the filling
Place the butter, light brown sugar, currants, mixed spice, cinnamon, orange zest and orange juice into a saucepan.
Heat gently until the butter has melted and everything is coated and glossy.
Remove from the heat and leave the mixture to cool completely. As it cools it will thicken and become sticky. Keep the texture slightly chunky rather than turning it into a paste. If you don’t let it cool, it could make your Eccles cakes go flat.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Prepare the pastry
Unroll the puff pastry and keep it fairly thick. Do not roll it out too thin as you want a good rise and flaky layers.
Cut into circles roughly 10 cm wide for larger cakes, or slightly smaller if making afternoon tea sized versions.
Place a heaped spoonful of the cooled filling into the centre of each circle. Do not overfill.
Bring the edges up and over the filling and pinch firmly to seal.
Turn each one over so the seam is underneath, then gently shape into a rounded mound.
Lightly press down just enough to flatten slightly while keeping a full, rounded shape.
Finish and bake
Place the cakes onto the prepared baking trays, leaving space between each one.
Score three small parallel lines across the top of each cake.
Brush generously with beaten egg.
Sprinkle over a good amount of granulated sugar and press it lightly so it sticks.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden, puffed and crisp, with a lightly caramelised sugar top.
Notes
All butter puff pastry will give the best rise and flakiest texture. Inferior quality puff pastry will NOT give you the best results. See my video for the evidence.
Do not roll the pastry too thin or the cakes will lose their shape.
Let the filling cool fully before using so it stays thick and does not leak.
They are best eaten slightly warm but still lovely once cooled
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cooling Time Of Filling: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: British
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