Hertfordshire Pope Lady Cakes
Historic, spiced sweet yeast buns shaped into traditional figures with currant eyes and a glossy glaze, hailing from Hertfordshire.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •large mixing bowl
- •baking tray
- •greaseproof paper
- •pastry brush
- •wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 10 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 8 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Mix the flour, yeast, fifty grams of sugar, nutmeg, mixed spice, and salt together in a large bowl.
- 2
Rub the diced butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 3
Pour in the lukewarm milk and beaten egg, stirring well to form a soft dough.
- 4
Knead the dough on a lightly floured worktop for ten minutes until smooth and springy.
- 5
Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave to rise for one hour.
- 6
Knock back the dough gently and divide it into six equal pieces.
- 7
Shape each piece into an elongated figure with a rounded head, tapered waist, and pinched side arms.
- 8
Press currants firmly deep into the dough to form eyes and decorative buttons down the body.
- 9
Arrange the figures on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, cover loosely, and prove for twenty minutes.
- 10
Bake at 180°C fan for fifteen minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- 11
Dissolve the remaining sugar in two tablespoons of warm milk and brush generously over the hot buns.
- 12
Transfer the glazed buns onto a wire cooling rack to cool slightly before serving.
Chef's tips
Press the currant features deeply into the dough so they do not dislodge as the buns rise in the oven. Keep the proving time moderate to prevent the figures from losing their defined shape.
Ingredient substitutions
- currants → small dark raisins
- whole milk → unsweetened soya milk
Storage
Store in an airtight cake tin at room temperature for up to three days.
Reheating
Warm in a fan oven at 160°C for four minutes to refresh the crumb.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Allowing the shaped dough to over-prove, which makes the human figure shape spread out and blur.
- •Not pressing the currants deeply enough into the dough before baking.
Serving suggestions
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