Mary Berry’s Eccles Cakes are made with butter, light muscovado sugar, ground mixed spice, chopped candied peel, and currants. This delicious Eccles Cakes recipe creates a tasty dessert that takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to prepare and can serve up to 8 people.
Ingredients Needed
For the filling:
- 40g (3 tbsp) softened butter
- 50g (¼ cup) light muscovado sugar
- ½ tsp ground mixed spice
- 50g (⅓ cup) chopped candied peel
- 100g (¾ cup) currants
- 1 large egg white, beaten (to glaze)
- A little caster sugar (to serve)
For the flaky pastry:
- 320g (1 pack) puff pastry (or)
- 225g (1¾ cups) plain flour
- 175g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) butter
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- 8 tbsp (½ cup) cold water
How To Make Eccles Cakes
- Make the Pastry (if using plain flour): Measure flour into a large bowl. Divide 175g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) of butter into four equal portions. Rub one portion into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Sift flour from a height and lift your hands to incorporate air. Add lemon juice and water; mix to form a dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth. Roll into an oblong shape, three times longer than wide. Spread small pieces of butter over the top two-thirds, fold the bottom third over the middle, and then the top third. Seal edges and chill in cling film for 15 minutes. Re-roll as before with the remaining butter, wrap again and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the Filling: Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/Gas 7. If using pre-made pastry, roll it thinly and cut it into 8 rounds (about 15cm/6 inches in diameter). For the filling, mix 50g (3.5 tbsp) butter, muscovado sugar, mixed spice, candied peel, and currants. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each pastry round.
- Assemble the Cakes: Dampen pastry edges with water, enclose the filling, and flatten gently with a rolling pin. Make three small cuts on the top of each cake. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
- Cool and Serve: Let cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a sprinkle of caster sugar.
Recipe Tips
- Use Cold Ingredients: Keep your butter and water cold to ensure a flaky pastry. Warm ingredients can make the pastry tough.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: Knead the pastry just enough to bring it together. Overworking can lead to a dense texture instead of a light, flaky one.
- Chill Between Rolls: Always chill the pastry after rolling and folding. This helps maintain the butter’s firmness and improves flakiness.
- Seal the Edges Well: When enclosing the filling, ensure the edges are well sealed to prevent the filling from leaking out during baking.
- Adjust Baking Time: Watch the cakes while they bake. If they are not golden after 15 minutes, add a few more minutes, but watch closely to avoid burning.
How To Store Leftovers?
First, let the leftover Eccles Cakes cool until they reach room temperature. Then, put them in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cake (8 servings)
- Calories: 235
- Total Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
- Sodium: 90mg
- Potassium: 80mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 33g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 8g
- Protein: 3g
Try More Mary Berry Recipes:
- Mary Berry Christmas Chutney
- Mary Berry Gluten-Free Christmas Cake
- Mary Berry Christmas Canapes
- Mary Berry Christmas Red Cabbage
Mary Berry Eccles Cakes
Description
Mary Berry’s Eccles Cakes are made with butter, light muscovado sugar, ground mixed spice, chopped candied peel, and currants. This delicious Eccles Cakes recipe creates a tasty dessert that takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to prepare and can serve up to 8 people.
Ingredients
For the filling:
For the flaky pastry:
Instructions
- Make the Pastry (if using plain flour): Measure flour into a large bowl. Divide 175g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) of butter into four equal portions. Rub one portion into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Sift flour from a height and lift your hands to incorporate air. Add lemon juice and water; mix to form a dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth. Roll into an oblong shape, three times longer than wide. Spread small pieces of butter over the top two-thirds, fold the bottom third over the middle, and then the top third. Seal edges and chill in cling film for 15 minutes. Re-roll as before with the remaining butter, wrap again and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the Filling: Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/Gas 7. If using pre-made pastry, roll it thinly and cut it into 8 rounds (about 15cm/6 inches in diameter). For the filling, mix 50g (3.5 tbsp) butter, muscovado sugar, mixed spice, candied peel, and currants. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each pastry round.
- Assemble the Cakes: Dampen pastry edges with water, enclose the filling, and flatten gently with a rolling pin. Make three small cuts on the top of each cake. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
- Cool and Serve: Let cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a sprinkle of caster sugar.
Notes
- Use Cold Ingredients: Keep your butter and water cold to ensure a flaky pastry. Warm ingredients can make the pastry tough.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: Knead the pastry just enough to bring it together. Overworking can lead to a dense texture instead of a light, flaky one.
- Chill Between Rolls: Always chill the pastry after rolling and folding. This helps maintain the butter’s firmness and improves flakiness.
- Seal the Edges Well: When enclosing the filling, ensure the edges are well sealed to prevent the filling from leaking out during baking.
- Adjust Baking Time: Watch the cakes while they bake. If they are not golden after 15 minutes, add a few more minutes, but watch closely to avoid burning.
Mary Berry Eccles Cakes