Lardy Cake- Weekly Bake Number 42

This was chosen as a weekly bake because its one of mum’s all time favourites. I used the recipe from The Good Housekeeping  cookery book that my mum was given at around the age of 17. The book dates bake to the 1970’s! – Possibly the oldest cookery book in the house. It is a wonderful book which has all the basic recipes in.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp of Dried yeast (you can use 15g of fresh yeast)
• 300ml of Tepid Water
• 450g of Strong Plain flour
• 1 tbsp of Vegetable oil
• 2 tsp of salt
• 50g Butter
• 50g Lard
• 100g Caster sugar plus 1tsp to add to yeast if using dried
• 1 tsp of mixed spices
• 80g of sultanas (I used mixed dried fruit)

 

Method

1. Grease a 20cm round tin.
2. Dissolve the dried yeast with the sugar and water, stir to combine and leave for 10 minutes until frothy.
3. Weigh flour and salt into a large bowl, add the yeast mixture slowly mixing to form a soft dough.  (I found this was quite a stiff dough so ended up using my hands).
4. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size (This took about an hour and a half for mine in the airing cupboard).
5. On a floured surface, turn the dough out and knead for 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out to 0.5cm thick.
6. Then break off small chunks of butter and place on the dough, sprinkle on third of sugar and half of mixed spices.  Then fold the the dough into thirds as you would with puff pastry. Then repeat this with the lard and other third of sugar and half of mixed spices.
7. Repeat the fold again. Then shape the dough into the greased tin and leave in a warm place again until doubled in size (Approx. 1hr).  Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
8. Once risen brush with oil and sprinkle on remaining third of sugar. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes.
9. Once cooked remove from tin and allow to cool.

 

I found that this recipe was relatively easy, the dough was quite a sticky dough so may have been easier to make using a mixer. The bake of the lardy cake is quite difficult as being quite thick and round you need to ensure that the middle is not undercooked and still doughy. If the top does start to look like it is browning too quickly cover the top of the tin with tin foil.