Lancashire Sad Cake
A classic flat Lancashire pastry round packed with sweet spiced currants, baked until golden, crisp, and deliciously flaky.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 385 kcal
Equipment
- •Mixing bowl
- •Rolling pin
- •Baking tray
- •Greaseproof paper
- •Pastry brush
- •Wire rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 385 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 385 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the fan oven to 190°C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- 2
Rub the plain flour, chilled butter, chilled lard, and salt together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 3
Add the cold water gradually, stirring with a round-bladed knife until a firm dough forms.
- 4
Mix the currants, brown sugar, mixed spice, and lemon zest in a separate bowl.
- 5
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worktop into a round roughly five millimetres thick.
- 6
Scatter the spiced currant filling evenly over one half of the pastry circle.
- 7
Fold the uncovered pastry half over the fruit and press the edges firmly to seal.
- 8
Roll the filled parcel gently with a rolling pin to flatten it and embed the fruit.
- 9
Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with demerara sugar.
- 10
Prick the pastry all over with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
- 11
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and light golden brown.
- 12
Cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing into generous wedges to serve.
Chef's tips
Handle the dough lightly to keep the pastry short and flaky. Take care when rolling over the fruit so the currants do not burst through the outer dough.
Ingredient substitutions
- lard → vegetable shortening
- currants → sultanas or raisins
- ground mixed spice → ground nutmeg or ground cinnamon
Storage
Store cooled sad cake in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to four days.
Reheating
Warm wedges on a baking tray in an oven at 160°C for 5 minutes to refresh.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rolling the pastry too thinly, which causes the currants to tear the crust.
- •Over-baking, which causes the exposed currants to scorch and turn bitter.
- •Forgetting to prick the top pastry layer, causing uneven steam pockets.
Serving suggestions
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