Mary Berry Eccles Cakes Recipe

This traditional Mary Berry Eccles Cakes Recipe is a crisp and buttery recipe, which features a homemade flaky pastry and a dense, sticky spiced currant filling. It’s a Lancashire classic, ready to bake in about 45 minutes (plus chilling time).

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Mary Berry Eccles Cakes Ingredients

The Flaky Pastry:

• 225g (8 oz) Plain Flour: The foundation of the pastry.
• 175g (6 oz) Butter: It must be hard (cold) or frozen. Mary often recommends wrapping the butter in foil and freezing it for 45 minutes to grate it easily for a quick flaky texture.
• Cold Water: Approx 6-8 tablespoons, to bind.

The Spiced Filling:

• 25g (1 oz) Butter: Melted.
• 225g (8 oz) Currants: The traditional fruit for Eccles cakes (not raisins).
• 50g (2 oz) Soft Light Brown Sugar: Creates a caramel-like sauce inside with the butter.
• 25g (1 oz) Candied Mixed Peel: Finely chopped. This adds the essential citrus note.
• 1 teaspoon Ground Allspice (or Mixed Spice): Provides the warm, aromatic flavor.

The Topping:

• 1 Egg White: Beaten lightly. Using egg white ensures a crisp, crunchy glaze.
• Granulated Sugar: For sprinkling on top to create the signature sugary crust.

How To Make Mary Berry Eccles Cakes

1. Make the Pastry: Sift the flour into a bowl. Grate the cold/frozen butter directly into the flour (dip the butter in flour occasionally to stop it sticking). Using a round-bladed knife, stir the butter into the flour so perfectly coated shards are distributed. Add enough cold water to form a soft dough. Wrap and chill for 15-20 minutes.
2. Prepare the Filling: While the pastry chills, melt the 25g of butter in a small saucepan or microwave. Stir in the currants, sugar, chopped mixed peel, and allspice until thoroughly combined. Let it cool slightly.
3. Roll and Cut: Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C Fan / 425°F). Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 5mm thickness. Using a large round cutter or a saucer (approx 10-12cm / 4-5 inches diameter), cut out 8 circles. You may need to re-roll trimmings.
4. Fill and Seal: Divide the currant mixture evenly among the centers of the pastry circles. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little water.
5. Shape: Gather the edges of the pastry over the filling and pinch them tightly together to seal, creating a parcel.
6. Flatten: Turn the parcels over so the seam is underneath. Using a rolling pin, gently flatten each cake until it is a wider circle (be careful not to burst the fruit through the skin).
7. Glaze and Score: Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush each cake generously with beaten egg white and sprinkle heavily with granulated sugar. Use a sharp knife to make three parallel diagonal cuts across the top of each cake.
8. Bake: Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is puffed, golden brown, and the sugar has caramelized.
9. Cool: Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Tips

• The “Three Cuts” Tradition: The three slashes on top aren’t just for decoration; they are historically significant to identifying an Eccles cake and, practically, they allow steam to escape so the pastry doesn’t explode.
• Sealing is Vital: When pinching the dough over the currants, ensure there are no gaps. If the sugary butter filling leaks out during baking, it will burn on the baking tray and stick the cake to the paper.
• Pastry Temperature: The secret to Mary’s flaky pastry is keeping the butter solid until it hits the hot oven. If the butter melts while you are working, chill the assembled cakes in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
• Currant Quality: Since currants are the main flavor, use high-quality dried fruit. If they seem very dry and hard, you can plump them in a little hot water (then drain and dry thoroughly) before mixing with the butter.

What To Serve With Mary Berry Eccles Cakes

• Lancashire Cheese: It is a Northern English tradition to eat warm Eccles cakes with a slice of crumbly, salty Lancashire cheese. The sweet/salty combo is unbeatable.
• Hot Tea: A mug of English Breakfast tea is the standard accompaniment.
• Clotted Cream: For a dessert vibe, serve warm with a dollop of cream.

How To Store Mary Berry Eccles Cakes

• Room Temperature: Store in an airtight tin for up to 3-4 days. They will lose some crispness over time.
• Reheating: To restore the flaky texture, warm them in a 150°C oven for 5 minutes before eating.
• Freezing: Freeze the unbaked, assembled cakes. Bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes to the cooking time.

Mary Berry Eccles Cakes Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 360 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Fat: 18g
• Protein: 4g
• Sugar: 22g

Nutrition information is estimated per cake.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Pineapple Fruit Cake Recipe
• Mary Berry Spiced Orange Cake Recipe
• Mary Berry Stem Ginger Cake Recipe