Easy Lardy Cake
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.
Servings 9
Calories 343kcal
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Jug
- 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 (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
Expert Tips:
- When melting the lard, be sure to do it slowly and carefully. Use a microwave-safe dish and heat the lard in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until it is fully melted.
- For a more buttery taste, use half lard and half butter.
- Kneading the dough is important to develop the gluten and create a light and fluffy texture. Use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or knead the dough by hand for at least 12 minutes.
- Try and find a warm place in your house to prove the dough. An airing cupboard is always a good option.
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Lardy Cake
Amount per Serving
Calories
343
% Daily Value*
Fat
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
39
mg
13
%
Sodium
160
mg
7
%
Potassium
359
mg
10
%
Carbohydrates
71
g
24
%
Fiber
5
g
21
%
Sugar
24
g
27
%
Protein
10
g
20
%
Vitamin A
874
IU
17
%
Vitamin C
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
130
mg
13
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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