A traditional lardy cake recipe made with enriched dough, dried fruit, and cinnamon. This spiced fruity treat has a distinct flavour without being too sweet.
140gLardmelted (plus a bit extra for brushing the dough)
2Eggs
4tablespoonCaster Sugar
300gDried Fruit
½teaspoonCinnamon
1tablespoonDemerara Sugar
1teaspoonIcing Sugaroptional
Instructions
Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer (or mixing bowl if you are kneading the dough by hand).
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 the mixture into the flour and knead with a dough hook attachment for eight minutes (or 12 minutes by hand).
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 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°c (180 fan) and brush the top of the 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 a little 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
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.
Add chopped nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans to the dough to give it a crunchy texture and a nutty flavour.
Grate orange zest over the dried fruit before rolling it up in the dough.
Add spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the dough for a warm and aromatic flavour.
Storage:Store - Lardy cake will keep in an airtight container or cake tin for up to 2 days, but it is best eaten fresh on the day it's made.Freeze - Once cooled, wrap the lardy bread in foil and freeze for up to 3 months.Nutrition:The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.