Little pastries filled with spiced currants are a unique, sweet treat. Eccles Cakes are wonderful for breakfast or with a hot cup of tea.
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The consensus in our house is that Eccles Cakes taste like... Christmas. They're little pastry pockets filled with dried currants and a rich blend of sweet, warming spices.
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Eccles Cakes Fun Facts
- Eccles rhymes with 'freckles'.
- These cakes date back to at least 1793 and are named for the town of Eccles in Northwest England, in the Greater Manchester county.
- In 2008 in England, the Salford Food and Drink Festival saw the world's largest Eccles Cake ever made. It weighed in at 123 pounds 14 ounces!
- The 9th Doctor from Doctor Who is played by Christopher Eccleston. Technically, this has nothing to do with Eccles Cakes. However, I wonder how often he's asked whether he likes Eccles Cakes.
Why you'll love this recipe
Though Eccles Cakes are traditionally made with puff pastry, in this recipe they're made with my All-Butter Pie Crust recipe, a really nice accompaniment to that spiced filling.
The mixed spice blend infused with the dried currants includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and coriander, which is where that Christmas-y scent and taste come from. They're a unique, sweet treat to enjoy as an afternoon snack or any old time.
🔪 How to make Eccles Cakes
Ingredients
- Butter: Cook the fruit in butter to soften it.
- Dried Currants: Look for them in the same aisle as raisins and other dried fruit.
- Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the filling.
- Mixed Spice: Look for Mixed Spice at the store or make your own. (Directions are in the recipe below.)
- Pie Crust Dough: Use my Best-Loved Flaky Pie Crust Recipe.
- Egg White: This will be the wash on the crust before baking.
- Decorating Sugar: To add to the crust, or use granulated sugar.
Make the filling
Heat in a saucepan the dried currants, butter, sugar, and Mixed Spice blend. Cook the filling for a short time until the currants are soft.
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Roll and cut dough circles
Roll out the Best-Loved Flaky Pie Crust Dough and slice out some 5-inch circles.
Fill and slash the cakes
Put a small mound of filling in the center of the dough circles. Pull up the edges all around and fold them under to enclose the filling in a pastry pocket. Cut two slits on the top of each cake.
Add egg wash and sugar
Brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle on some decorating or granulated sugar.
Bake them!
Bake the cakes for around 15 minutes until they're lightly browned over the tops. Serve them warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Tips:
- Puff pastry can be substituted for the Best-Loved Flaky Pie Crust dough in this recipe. Follow the directions on the package to thaw the dough.
The recipe for the Eccles Cakes is below. Here are more tasty treats to have with a cup of tea or coffee:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Eccles Cakes
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1½ cup dried currants
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon mixed spice (to make your own, see below)
- 1 All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe, chilled (full recipe)
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup decorating sugar (or granulated can be used instead)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the filling:
- Heat the 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted stir in the 1½ cup dried currants, the ¾ cup granulated sugar and ¾ teaspoon mixed spice Add two tablespoons of water and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the fruits are coated.
- Cook the mixture until the fruit is softened, about 5 minutes. If the mixture gets too thick stir in a little more water. Remove the pan from heat and set aside, allowing the filling to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the dough:
- On a lightly floured surface roll out half of 1 All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe, chilled to a thickness of ¼-inch. Cut out 5-inch circles from the dough using a cookie cutter, small bowl, or whatever you have on hand as a guide.
- Continue with the second half of the dough, re-rolling the scraps as necessary until all the dough is used.
Fill the cakes:
- Place a heaping tablespoon of currant filling into the middle of a dough circle. With floured hands pull up the edges of the circle to the center to make a little pouch. Pinch the dough at the top to seal it, and tuck the seam down.
- Carefully turn the cake over in your hand and gently push it down to flatten it. Place the cake on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough circles, placing them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Use a very sharp paring knife to cut two or three parallel slits in the top of each cake.
- Beat the 1 egg white in a small dish with a whisk. Brush each cake with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle the ¼ cup decorating sugar over the tops.
- Bake the cakes for 13 to 15 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. Transfer the finished cakes to a cooling rack.
- The cooled Eccles Cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Makes 15 Eccles Cakes.
To make your own Mixed Spice:
- Whisk together the following: 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Pour the Mixed Spice into a small container or spice jar and cover it tightly. This makes about three tablespoons in total; use ¾ of a teaspoon in the Eccles Cakes recipe and store the rest with your spices for future recipes.
Notes
- Puff pastry can be substituted for the All Butter Pie Crust dough in this recipe. Follow the directions on the package to thaw the dough.
T_Kt"s Daughter says
I love you Nancy, you are very helpful! I made them with my mom. They were yummy. Thank You!
Nancy Mock says
How sweet you are! Thank YOU for making my little Eccles Cakes! I'm glad you had fun baking with your mom - baking with moms is the BEST! <3
T_Kt says
Good morning!
These look delicious! I am teaching my 7 yr old how to bake and I believe she would have so much fun learning this recipe. The link for the pastry does not work and I cannot find it elsewhere on your blog. Do you have another recommended pastry recipe? Do I need a recipe equivalent to a single or double crust pie? Thank you so much!
Nancy Mock says
Ack! I'm sorry that the link wasn't working. I just fixed it in my recipe, and I'll post the link here too: https://hungryenoughtoeatsix.com/buttery-flaky-pastry-dough/. This is a pie crust dough, so if you aren't able to make mine you could use a store-bought pie crust dough instead. For this recipe I use the equivalent of a double crust pie (and that is how much dough my All-Butter Pie Crust Dough makes, too.) I love that you're baking with your little one - baking with kids is so much fun! I hope you like making these pastries together, they're very tasty filled with the tiny currants. Please let me know if you have more questions, and how the Eccles Cakes turn out! -Nancy
T_Kt says
Hi Nancy!
Thank you for your quick fix for the link to the pastry!
Your pie dough recipe is a winner...my family has listened to me complain about pastry for YEARS. This recipe was well written, easy to follow, and worked up a dream.
And as for the eccles cakes: my daughter and I had a lot of fun making it all up, and they smelled just amazing baking! Second helpings have been had, and I expect that when my husband and older kids get back home, the remaining cakes will start disappearing in a hurry.
Thank you again, for sharing your recipes and for your quick assistance!
Nancy Mock says
🙌 Ah, this made my day!! I’m so happy to hear you like the Eccles Cakes and the All-Butter Pie Crust Dough, and now that you’ve made it you can use it for so many treats like pies, hand pies, and tarts. Thank you!!
lookingforaview says
I love eccles cakes. Thank you.
TaMara Sloan says
These look delicious! Thanks for sharing at Food on Friday!
Nan says
thanks to you!
Astrid says
Those look fabulous!
Nan says
Thanks for checking out my post, Astrid!
Astrid says
Those look fabulous!
Andrea says
What an incredibly fun and tasty adventure!
Nan says
It is fun, indeed! Thank you for your comment!
Susan Scott says
O these look wonderful! I reckon doing and adding bits and pieces of raisins maybe and as you say other dried fruit would make a delicious cake/s. Imagine with some thick cream!
Nan says
I too thought raisins would be good, or figs. And with cream sounds great! Thank you for checking it out!