LARDY CAKES, circa early 1900s

As promised, here is my Lardy cake recipe! This recipe has evolved somewhat over the last hundred years or more and there are several versions out there. I like this one!! Extremely simple and just scrumptious. Yes, it does take about 4 hours, but there is very little hands on, mostly waiting for it to rise, where you can get on with something else. The dough is very soft, quite wet, so it is easier in a mixer with a dough hook. I kneaded it for 8 minutes, in a mixer. I gave up kneading by hand years ago. These cakes are just as good the next day, or maybe even better!

Pre heat your fan oven to 200C. Grease a large round tin with lard. I use a 10 inch, slight fluted.

More pics of each stage on my Blog. I do hope you have a go.

1 lb strong plain flour

4 oz lard

1/2 pint whole milk

2 eggs

a dessertspoon castor sugar

1 teaspoon dried yeast

Fruit - about 6 oz sultanas, 2 oz mixed peel, 

a few currants if you wish, or dried cranberries [not in the original recipe]

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

some more very soft, just melted lard for brushing

a little extra brown sugar of you choice - I used demerera 

Warm the milk slightly and melt the lard, then mix together. Stir in the sugar and beaten eggs. Place the flour and yeast in a medium mixing bowl [or in a mixer with a dough hook]. Pour in the liquid and knead to a dough. [7 or 8 mins]. Cover and leave in a warm place to rise for about two hours.  If kneading by hand you will need a well floured work surface.

Roll/stretch out the dough into a rectangle - about 10” x 20”, with the long side facing you, until it is about a quarter of an inch thick, brush with a little extra softened lard and spread your fruit and spice over evenly, then sprinkle over a tad more sugar. Roll it up, towards you, like a roly poly [as tight as you can] and with a sharp knife, cut into thick slices of just over 2 inches, making 9 pieces. Place these in your prepared round tin [make sure the end bits are underneath], cover and leave to rise again for another hour. I also sprinkle a little more cinnamon on the top of the cut dough rings.

Bake in a hot oven for about 30 mins, turning it down to 190C after 20 mins. While it is baking mix together equal quantities of melted lard and sugar and quickly remove the cakes from the oven after 25 mins and generously brush over the almost baked cakes. Pop back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

Just wonderful. So easy, so delicious. Tear and share - enjoy.

NOTE - once you have the roly poly, you can coil it together and place in about a (9 or 10 inch tin and bake as a whole cake. I like the cut individual slices, but either way is good.