Non-VegetarianSouth East English cuisine Baking

Oxfordshire Lardy Cake

Name: Oxfordshire Lardy Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: South East English
Ingredients: 450 g strong white bread flour; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 25 g caster sugar; 275 ml lukewarm water; 225 g block lard; 150 g soft dark brown sugar; 175 g mixed dried fruit; 1 tsp ground mixed spice

A rich, sticky spiced yeast bread layered with lard, brown sugar, and plump dried fruit that bakes to a dark caramel crust.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· South East England

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

450 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
7 g fast-action dried yeast — one standard sachet
1 tsp Fine sea salt
25 g caster sugar — for activating dough
275 ml lukewarm water
225 g block lard — chilled and cut into small dice
150 g soft dark brown sugar — for deep caramelisation
175 g mixed dried fruit — sultanas and currants
1 tsp ground mixed spice

Equipment

•large mixing bowl
•rolling pin
•20cm square baking tin
•greaseproof paper
•wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 64 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 6 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Mix the flour, yeast, salt, and caster sugar in a large bowl.
2
Add the lukewarm water and bring the mixture together into a soft dough.
3
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4
Place in a bowl, cover, and leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
5
Roll the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle about 1cm thick.
6
Dot one-third of the diced lard, brown sugar, mixed fruit, and spice over the dough.
7
Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter, turn ninety degrees, and roll out again.
8
Repeat the dotting, sprinkling, and folding process twice more until all fillings are used.
9
Transfer the folded dough into a greased and lined 20cm square tin and prove for 30 minutes.
10
Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 35 minutes until deep golden brown and bubbling.
11
Invert the tin immediately onto a plate so the caramelised lard syrup coats the top.

Chef's tips

Turn the cake out immediately upon removing it from the oven to prevent the caramelised sugar from sticking firmly to the tin. Use chilled lard diced finely so it creates distinct flaky pockets rather than smearing completely into the dough.

Ingredient substitutions

block lard → vegetable shortening or unsalted butter (traditional flavour and flakiness will change slightly)
soft dark brown sugar → soft light brown sugar or demerara sugar

Storage

Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to three days.

Reheating

Warm slices in a moderate fan oven at 160°C for 5 minutes to restore the sticky glaze.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Leaving the cake to cool in the tin, which causes the syrupy caramel base to set like concrete.
•Using warm lard that smears into the dough instead of creating laminated, flaky layers.
•Underbaking, which leaves the centre doughy beneath the rich fruit layers.