lardy. / (ˈlɑːdɪ) / adjective lardier or lardiest . fat; obese .

What is the origin of sly cake?

“Sly cake goes deep back into are Yorkshire baking heritage and can have variations of filling around the West Riding, such as dates, figs and walnuts. Traditionally dark squashy dried fruits were used like currant and sultanas being sweetened with sugar and butter and baked in an old dinner plate.

What is similar to lardy cake?

A variation of the lardy cake is the dripping cake . In Hampshire, a form of the cake was made without currants which is said to relate the Hampshire lardy cake to Surrey lardy rolls and Guildford manchets.

Is dripping cake the same as lardy cake?

It can be confused with the lardy cake, which is very similar apart from the principal ingredient being lard instead of beef dripping . As dripping is left over from cooking a joint of meat, it is economical and filling, and has long been a popular snack with schoolchildren.

Why is it called Elvis Presley cake?

Before it's served, you'll add a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkle candied pecans on top for some crunch. Internet lore would have you believe this pineapple-topped concoction was Elvis Presley's favorite cake , that he even asked his grandmother to make it for him as a kid.

Why is he called pound cake?

First Published Pound Cake Recipe The original recipe was essentially a cake that was made from a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs. This is actually where the pound cake received it's name. Each ingredient added to the cake weighed one pound .

What is the history of the Lardy Cake?

It originates from Wiltshire and is commonly found throughout the West Country . Historically, lardy cakes were celebration cakes and only made during special occasions as sugar, spices and dried fruits were considered luxuries.

Why is it called a Lardy Cake?

Lardy cake dates back to the mid-19th century, and almost certainly comes from the West Country, although it's probably best not to attempt to pin down exactly where there unless you're feeling particularly brave. The idea is simple: you use lard in place of butter to enrich a white dough .

What is Lardy Cake made from?

Lardy Cake is one of the simplest cakes to make, in that the main ingredient is bread dough . This is enriched by dotting lard and sugar over the rolled dough, folding and rerolling, then sprinkling with sugar and dried fruit.

How do you eat Lardy Cake?

Bake your Lardy Cake for 30 – 35 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool for a while in the tin. After approx' half an hour, turn out onto a board. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with a nice cup of tea !

Where was Lardy Cake invented?

It originates from Wiltshire and is commonly found throughout the West Country. Historically, lardy cakes were celebration cakes and only made during special occasions as sugar, spices and dried fruits were considered luxuries.

Regional Recipes: Sly Cakes - Dragons and Fairy Dust (2024)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Sly Cakes are a sweet pastry with a filling of spiced dried fruit. They are a traditional recipe from the North East of England.

When I went for a wander about the Grainger market and visited the French Oven Bakery I found they were selling a cake called Sly Cakes. I had never heard of these before so I decided to see if I could find out more. The cakes themselves looked like currant slices, but with that name they had to have a fascinating history.

History of Sly Cakes

Digging further I found out that sly cakes can be found in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbia and Durham. There are various fillings. Traditionally currants, butter and sugar are used but there are also variants that use figs.

Sly cakes are baked in a tin and in many Tyneside kitchens an old dinner plate was used. Sly cakes are thought to be named because they have an plain boring appearance on the outside but when you bite into them you discover the rich filling within. They are also known as Cheats cakes in some places.

Whilst finding out about their history I also found out that there was a link between the town of South Shields, the American Civil War and sly cakes. The story begins in the 19th Century when a Scottish family called Chisholm came to South Shields from America. The family ran a bakery in Thrift Street near the docks. The daughter, Margaret often helped out in the bakery and became interested in a young man, William Whitfield, who lived further up the street.

Mr Chisholm was a strict Victorian father and kept a close eye on this daughter, but not close enough. Margaret was secreting love letters in the cakes which she passed to William whenever he bought something at the shop. This went on for five years.

Eventually they sought permission to marry but when this was denied they eloped. Margaret jumped from her bedroom window and they sped off in a horse and trap, heading north with Mr Chisholm in hot pursuit with a pistol. He failed to catch them and they were happily married. The cakes that carried the hidden love letters are fittingly called sly cakes.

How to make Sly Cakes

I think it is a lovely story and makes sly cakes so much more interesting. I had to have an attempt at making them. Sly cakes are make in two parts, the outer pastry and the inner filling. I do not often make my own pastry, it is much easier to buy it. This time I decided to have a try. Every time I make pastry the words of my domestic science teacher ring in my ears ” Shortcrust pastry, half fat to flour”. This was a sweeter pastry with sugar added to the mix.

Once the pastry was done I rolled half out and put it in a baking tray. The other half was to top the filling. The filling was made using dried figs, walnuts and sultanas which were chopped and added to a pan with some water. This was cooked until the water evaporated and the filling was sludgy. All that remained was to put the filling on the pastry, cover with more pastry and to bake in the oven.

Sly Cakes Recipe

Sly cakes

Alison Maclean

Sly cakes are similar to currant slices. They are a sweet pastry enclosing a rich fruit filling. A traditional recipe from North East England

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

275 g plain flour
100 g butter
50 g lard
50 g caster sugar
pinch salt
225 g dried figs
75 g walnuts
100 g sultanas
150 ml water
milk for glazing

Instructions

Place the flour and salt in a bowl with the butter and lard.
Rub in until the mixture starts to stick together.
Stir in the sugar and then add water a little at a time to make a dough.
Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
Chop the figs and walnuts and add to a pan with the sultanas.
Add the water to the pan and cook, stirring all the time until the water evaporates.
Leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 190C, Gas Mark 5
Divide the pastry into two pieces and roll out one half to fit in a greased baking tin.
Spread the fruit on top then roll out the other piece of pastry and place on top.
Glaze with milk
Bake for 40 minutes until golden

Notes

Sly cakes are perfect with a cup of tea.

Keyword cake

Why not pin the recipe for later?

Regional Recipes: Sly Cakes - Dragons and Fairy Dust (8)

Other tea time treats from North East England

Felton spice loaf

If you are looking for other tea time treats you might want to make Felton spice loaf, a delicious fruit loaf with a hint of spice.

Regional Recipes: Sly Cakes - Dragons and Fairy Dust (9)

Get the recipe: Felton spice loaf

Singing Hinnies

Singing hinnies are a delicious fried scone or griddle cake that are perfect with butter and jam.

Regional Recipes: Sly Cakes - Dragons and Fairy Dust (10)

Get the recipe: Singing hinnies

Have you ever made sly cakes? Let me know below.