Wiltshire Lardy Cake
A sticky, spiced West Country bread cake layered with rendered pork lard, dried fruit, and rich caramelised brown sugar.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •20cm square baking tin
- •Mixing bowl
- •Rolling pin
- •Greaseproof paper
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 23 g
- carbs
- 65 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl, then stir in lukewarm water to form a soft dough.
- 2
Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 3
Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- 4
Knock back the risen dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle roughly 5mm thick.
- 5
Dot one-third of the lard over two-thirds of the dough, then sprinkle over one-third of the sugar, fruit, and spices.
- 6
Fold (laminate by folding into thirds like a business letter) the unbuttered third over the middle, then fold over the remaining third.
- 7
Turn the dough 90 degrees, roll out again, and repeat the filling and folding process twice more to use all ingredients.
- 8
Place the folded dough seam-side down into a lined 20cm square baking tin, cover, and prove for 30 minutes.
- 9
Bake in a fan oven at 200°C for 30 to 35 minutes until deep golden brown and bubbling with syrup.
- 10
Invert the tin immediately onto a heatproof serving plate so the sticky caramelised bottom becomes the top, then leave to cool slightly.
Chef's tips
Invert the cake immediately after it leaves the oven, otherwise the cooling sugar syrup will set like cement and stick to the tin. Ensure your lard is pliable so it folds cleanly into the dough without puncturing the layers.
Ingredient substitutions
- pork lard → vegetable shortening or unsalted butter
- currants → raisins
Storage
Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm individual slices in a low oven at 150°C for 5 minutes or pop briefly under a hot grill until sticky.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Waiting for the cake to cool before turning it out, which traps the sticky caramel in the tin.
- •Rolling the dough too forcefully and tearing the laminated pockets of fruit and fat.
Serving suggestions
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