Banbury Cakes
Crisp, flaky puff pastry parcels packed with spiced currants, candied citrus peel, and brown sugar. Flatter and more aromatic than traditional Eccles cakes.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 290 kcal
Equipment
- •baking tray
- •greaseproof paper
- •rolling pin
- •pastry brush
- •mixing bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- fat
- 15 g
- carbs
- 36 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 3 g
- calories
- 290 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- 2
Mix the currants, melted butter, brown sugar, candied peel, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and rum in a bowl.
- 3
Unroll the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface.
- 4
Cut the pastry sheet into 8 equal rectangular pieces.
- 5
Roll each pastry piece gently into an oval shape roughly 3 mm thick.
- 6
Spoon equal portions of the spiced currant mixture into the centre of each pastry oval.
- 7
Dampen the pastry edges with water, fold the sides over the filling, and pinch firmly to seal.
- 8
Turn each pastry seam-side down and flatten gently with a rolling pin into an elongated oval.
- 9
Cut three shallow diagonal slits across the top of each cake with a sharp knife.
- 10
Brush the pastry tops with beaten egg white and dust generously with caster sugar.
- 11
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until crisp, puffed, and golden brown.
- 12
Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and cool completely before serving.
Chef's tips
Keep the pastry thoroughly chilled until ready to assemble so it puffs properly in the oven. Do not cut too deeply through the pastry when scoring, or the spiced fruit filling may leak out during baking.
Ingredient substitutions
- dark rum → 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
- mixed candied peel → finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
Storage
Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Warm in an oven preheated to 160°C (140°C fan) for 5 minutes to restore pastry crispness.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overfilling the pastry, which causes the edges to burst open while baking.
- •Cutting completely through the dough when scoring the top surface.
- •Baking at too low an oven temperature, resulting in greasy rather than flaky pastry.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Banbury Cakes?
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