Eccles Cakes
Golden, flaky puff pastry rounds generously packed with spiced currants and candied peel, baked with a crisp, crunchy sugar crust.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking tray
- •Greaseproof paper
- •10 cm round pastry cutter
- •Rolling pin
- •Pastry brush
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 46 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 4 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- 2
Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over a low heat on the hob.
- 3
Stir the brown sugar, currants, mixed peel, mixed spice, nutmeg, and orange zest into the melted butter.
- 4
Unroll the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut out eight 10 cm rounds using a pastry cutter.
- 5
Divide the spiced fruit filling equally between the centres of the pastry rounds.
- 6
Dampen the pastry edges with cold water, draw the edges together over the fruit, and pinch firmly to seal.
- 7
Flip each pastry seam-side down and gently roll flat with a rolling pin until the currants show through slightly.
- 8
Place the cakes onto the prepared baking tray, leaving space between them.
- 9
Cut three small slashes across the top of each cake with a sharp knife.
- 10
Brush the tops with egg white and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.
- 11
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until crisp, puffed, and rich golden brown.
- 12
Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool slightly before serving.
Chef's tips
Do not roll the cakes too thin or the fruit filling will burst through the pastry. Chilling the assembled cakes for 10 minutes before baking ensures the pastry puffs up into distinct, crisp layers. Always seal the seams tightly with damp fingertips to keep the spiced butter syrup from leaking out.
Ingredient substitutions
- candied mixed peel → finely chopped dried apricots or extra currants
- egg white → whole milk for brushing
Storage
Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to four days.
Reheating
Warm in a preheated oven at 160°C (140°C fan) for 5 minutes to restore the pastry crispness.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overfilling the rounds, causing them to burst open in the oven.
- •Rolling the pastry too thin when flattening, which tears the dough.
- •Skipping the surface slashes, which traps steam and distorts the shape.
Serving suggestions
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