An easy lardy cake recipe (also known as lardy bread). A popular British bake traditionally eaten as a mid-afternoon snack by farm labourers with a cup of tea.
Originating in the West Country, it's made with enriched dough, dried fruit, and cinnamon, which gives the bake a distinct spiced fruity taste, without being overly sweet!
First of all, don't freak out that this bread-based bake is made with lard! You can't taste the lard (not that it really has a taste), and it actually helps to keep the lardy cake really moist, soft, and light!
I've simplified the traditional lardy cake recipe to make the cake in pull-apart style lardy buns, much like cinnamon buns, making it perfect as an after-school snack or mid-afternoon pick-me-up!
👩🍳 Love cake? Try my easy marzipan loaf cake too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best lardy cake recipe!
- Traditional recipe for yeasted fruit bread.
- Delicately spiced and fruity.
- Perfect with a cup of tea.
- Freezer-friendly.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Lard - the lard needs to be melted for the dough (I do this in the microwave). Extra lard will be needed to brush the cake before it is baked for that golden brown colour.
- Strong White Bread Flour - use white bread flour. Wholemeal doesn't work so well in this recipe.
- Yeast - one 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast.
- Salt
- Milk - whole milk is best for this recipe and it needs to be lukewarm.
- Eggs - two large free-range eggs at room temperature.
- Caster Sugar - half added to the dough and half sprinkled over the dried fruit.
- Cinnamon - or use mixed spice.
- Demerara Sugar - to sprinkle on top.
- Icing Sugar - for dusting once baked (optional).
🔪 How to make lardy cake
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer.
Two: Whisk together the lukewarm milk and melted lard (which has cooled a little) in a jug, then beat in the eggs and half of the caster sugar. Pour into the flour and knead with a dough hook for eight minutes.
Three: Place the soft dough in a clean bowl and cover it with clingfilm.
Four: Put the bowl in a warm place and leave it to prove for two hours.
Five: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a size of 40cm x 20cm.
Six: Brush the top of the dough with melted lard then sprinkle over the dried fruit, cinnamon, and the remaining caster sugar.
Seven: Roll the dough up tightly so you form a long sausage roll and cut it into 9 equal slices. Place the slices in a greased 23cm round cake tin (I use a springform tin).
Eight: Cover the tin with clingfilm and prove for a further hour.
Nine: Preheat the oven to 200c (180 fan) and brush the top of the dough rolls with more melted lard and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Ten: Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Allow the cake to cool slightly before running a palette knife around the edge of the tin. Turn (or release if using a springform tin) the cake out and dust it with icing sugar.
💭 Expert tips
- If you don't have a standing mixer, the dough will need to be kneaded by hand for at least 12 minutes.
- For a more buttery taste, use half lard and half butter.
- Try and find a warm place in your house to prove the dough. An airing cupboard is always a good option.
- If you are using a nonstick cake tin that has been well-greased there is no need to line the tin with parchment paper.
🍴 How to eat lardy cake
Enjoy lardy cake with a cup of tea, coffee, or a glass of milk.
You could also serve lardy cake as a dessert with custard or whipped cream and berries.
📖 Variations
- Use a mixture of dried fruit in the cake. Raisins, sultanas, dried cranberries, and dried apricots all work well. Chop large pieces of dried fruit into smaller pieces.
- Grate orange zest over the dried fruit before rolling it up.
- Use a breadmaker to make the enriched dough, rather than a standing mixer with a dough hook.
- Instead of dusting with icing sugar, make a simple glaze for the cake with icing sugar and water.
Storage:
Store: Lardy cake will keep in an airtight cake tin for up to 2 days, but it is best eaten fresh on the day it is made.
Freeze: Once cooled, wrap the lardy bread in foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
❓ Frequently asked questions
The main ingredients of lardy cake are lard, strong bread flour, sugar, spices, and dried fruit.
It originates from the West Country (Wiltshire) and historically was only made on special occasions as sugar and spices were considered luxuries. Later, it became the mainstay of afternoon tea for farm workers.
Lardy cake tastes a bit like a Chelsea bun or cinnamon bun.
😋 More cake recipes to try
- Golden Syrup Cake
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Madeira Loaf Cake
- Lemon Curd Cake
- Biscoff Mug Cake
- Blackberry Loaf Cake
- Blackcurrant Cake
- Chocolate Biscuit Cake
Try my easy fruit scones for another tea-time treat!
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Recipe
Easy Lardy Cake
Equipment
- Standing Mixer with dough hook attachment
- 23cm Round Springform Tin or normal round cake tin
Ingredients
- 500 g Strong White Bread Flour
- 7 g Fast Action Dried Yeast 1 standard sachet
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 200 ml Whole Milk lukewarm
- 140 g Lard melted (plus a bit extra for brushing the dough)
- 2 Eggs
- 4 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- 300 g Dried Fruit
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Demerara Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Icing Sugar optional
Instructions
- Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer.500 g Strong White Bread Flour, 7 g Fast Action Dried Yeast, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Whisk together the lukewarm milk and melted lard (which has cooled a little) in a jug, then beat in the eggs and half (2 tbsp) of the caster sugar. Pour into the flour and knead with a dough hook attachment for eight minutes.200 ml Whole Milk, 140 g Lard, 2 Eggs, 4 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- Place the soft dough in a clean bowl and cover with clingfilm.
- Put the bowl in a warm place and leave to prove for two hours.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a size of 40cm x 20cm.
- Brush the top of the dough with a little more melted lard (1 tbsp) then sprinkle over the dried fruit, cinnamon and remaining caster sugar.300 g Dried Fruit, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, 4 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- Roll the dough up tightly so you form a long sausage roll and cut into 9 equal slices. Place the slices in a greased 23cm round cake tin (I use a springform tin).
- Cover the tin with clingfilm and prove for a further hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200c (180 fan) and brush the top of the dough rolls with more melted lard and sprinkle with demerara sugar.1 tablespoon Demerara Sugar
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Allow the cake to cool slightly before running a palette knife around the edge of the tin. Turn (or release if using a springform tin) the cake out and dust with icing sugar.1 teaspoon Icing Sugar
Notes
- If you don't have a standing mixer, the dough will need to be kneaded by hand for at least 12 minutes.
- For a more buttery taste, use half lard and half butter.
- Try and find a warm place in your house to prove the dough. An airing cupboard is always a good option.
- If you are using a nonstick cake tin that has been well greased there is no need to line the tin with parchment paper
- Use a mixture of dried fruit in the cake. Raisins, sultanas, dried cranberries, and dried apricots all work well. Chop large pieces of dried fruit into smaller pieces.
- Grate orange zest over the dried fruit before rolling it up.
- Use a breadmaker to make the enriched dough, rather than a standing mixer with dough hook.
- Instead of dusting with icing sugar, make a simple glaze for the cake with icing sugar and water
Gina
I love the orange zest variation and can't get enough of this cake! The soft pillowy centers are mouthwatering!
Claudia Lamascolo
the texture looks so light and fluffy I bet this was gone in a minute I know it would be here when I make it!
Beth
I LOVE this recipe! Lard is a fat that has fallen out of favor over the past couple of decades, but nothing cooks like it.
Mindy Fewless
What a comforting and beautiful treat!! I can't wait to try this!
Sharon Chen
Awesome dessert, looks so yummy! I can't wait to try this!
Haydn Cornelius
What lard did you use to bake the cake my mother airways used pork lard is that suitable for your recipe
Beth Sachs
Hi Haydn. Yes, that will work great.