Sheila’s Cookbook Recipes by request page six - Lardy Cake

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Sheila’s Cookbook Recipes by request page six – Lardy Cake

We have been asked many times for our recipes through our facebook pages. Sheila has her own book of special recipes which uses over and over again. We have been collecting recipes for more than forty years and have a massive database, as well as a couple of thousand cookery books, from where we source our recipes.

In ‘Sheila’s Cookbook’, she keeps her favourite recipes. Lardy cake was today’s recipe.

So, here we go. For all those who have asked for the recipes, here is page six of the book – Lardy cake.

Lardy Cake

If you happen to be on a diet, lardy cake will be your worst nightmare, for it’s a delicious bread dough flavoured with lots of sugar, mixed spice and rolled around pork fat. Lardy cake is traditionally made in Wiltshire, probably because it’s a pig-rearing county and there was always plenty of lard. It was made as a special celebration cake, usually at harvest time. It’s lovely to offer at teatime, and must really be eaten, to taste at its best, within 48 hours of making.

The lardy cake is usually made with lard alone, but I’ve used half butter. Don’t be put off by the thought of eating a pork-fat cake, as the butter does balance the taste. Lardy cake is certainly something you couldn’t make too often, but when you do you’ll wish you’d made two. Simply double the recipe and freeze one cake, well wrapped in cling film, for up to a month.

Elizabeth David says that lardy cake, like cigarettes, should carry a Government health warning. She’s not far wrong, but the warning should be followed by my words of advice: ‘Please try at least once.

MAKES A 20 CM (8 IN) LARDY CAKE

1 teaspoon dried yeast
120 ml (4 fl oz) milk, warmed
1 teaspoon sugar
225 g (8 oz) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1 egg, beaten
Flour, for dusting
100 g (4 oz) lard, chilled and diced
100 g (4 oz) butter, chilled and diced
100 g (4 oz) sugar
50 g (2 oz) currants
50 g (2 oz) sultanas

This recipe requires a 20 cm (8 in), round, deep, greased cake tin. Stir the yeast into the warm milk and teaspoon of sugar. Leave for 10-15 minutes in a relatively warm place until a thick, frothy consistency is achieved. Sift the flour, salt and mixed spice together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre. Mix in the yeast, along with the beaten egg, to form a sticky dough.

Dust a surface with flour and knead the dough for a good 10 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough is achieved. Return to the bowl, dust with flour and leave to double in volume. This will take approximately 1 hour in a fairly warm place.

The dough can now be knocked back and placed on a fresh floured surface. This can now be rolled into a rectangle, approximately 25 x 15 cm (10 X 6 in). Separate the lard, butter, 100 g (4 oz), sugar and fruits into three equal mixed quantities. Sprinkle one of the quantities across the top two-thirds of the rectangle. Fold over the uncovered third onto the middle piece. Now fold the remaining third on top. This makes a three-layered square dough sandwich. Now it’s best to press down and seal the exposed edges with a rolling pin. Turn the sandwich once to the left and re-roll into the rectangular shape, repeating the same sprinkling of fats and fruits and folding. Turn left once more and repeat for the last time.

The finished layered dough can now be rolled slightly larger to fill the cake tin. Place the dough in the tin, folding the corners under so it fits. Cover with a damp tea—towel and leave to rise until doubled in size. This will take 50-60 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

The dough can now be scored with a sharp knife, crossing through the middle to create several diamonds. Bake in the pre—heated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Once cooked remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack. Leave upside-down so the melted fats can distribute themselves through the cake. The lardy cake is now ready to serve.

Note: The maximum cooking time for the lardy cake will be 35 minutes. When making the layered dough, if, by the second tum, it seems to be too warm and the lard and butter are too soft, then refrigerate for 15 minutes before re-rolling. If you want to use fresh yeast, the recipe will need just 10 g (1/3 oz). Simply crumble and stir into the warm milk and sugar. Once at a smooth liquid stage, it’s ready to use.

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