Flavors · Eccles

Eccles cake

Round pastry bun made of buttery puff pastry filled with Corinth raisins, with cuts on top and crystallized sugar. It is named for the town of Eccles, near Manchester, where it began to be sold in shops at the end of the 18th century.

Traditional sweet from Eccles, Inglaterra

Also known as: Eccles cakes

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Eccles cake — Eccles, the United Kingdom
Eccles cake
Eccles cake — Eccles, the United Kingdom
Eccles cake
Eccles cake — Eccles, the United Kingdom
Eccles cake
Eccles cake — Eccles, the United Kingdom
Eccles cake

Eccles cake — Eccles, the United Kingdom

The Eccles cake is a round, flattened bun of buttery puff pastry filled with Corinth raisins mixed with sugar, butter and spices. It is topped with two or three slashes through which the dark filling shows, and a layer of sugar that becomes crisp in the oven.

The name comes from Eccles, a town now part of Salford in Greater Manchester. Fruit-pastry cakes and sweets were sold there at parish festivals, the wakes, associated with St Mary’s church. The first shop sale on record is attributed to James Birch, who is said to have started selling the buns at the end of the 18th century on a corner in the town centre. The cook Elizabeth Raffald of Manchester published a similar recipe in the 18th century, and it is not certain who made the very first.

In the 19th century other shops in the town began to compete for the title of original Eccles cake, and the bun’s reputation spread across northern England. Today it is sold throughout the United Kingdom.

It is eaten at afternoon tea, warm or cold, and in Lancashire it is often served with a slice of Lancashire cheese on the side.

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Where it comes from

Eccles , Inglaterra
Bun named for the town of Eccles, where it began to be sold in shops at the end of the 18th century.

Ingredients

Buttery puff pastry; Corinth raisins; brown sugar; butter; nutmeg or mixed spices; sometimes candied fruit peel; sugar for the topping.

How it is eaten

With the hands, warm or cold, with tea. In Lancashire it is commonly served with a slice of cheese.

When it is eaten

Year-round, at afternoon tea.

Your questions

Questions about Eccles cake

Why is it called Eccles cake?

Because of the town of Eccles, near Manchester, where the bun began to be sold in shops at the end of the 18th century.

What is the difference between the Eccles cake and the Banbury cake?

Both have puff pastry and raisin filling. The Eccles cake is round; the Banbury cake, from Banbury in Oxfordshire, is oval and is usually more spiced.

How do you eat an Eccles cake?

Warm or cold, with tea. In Lancashire it is common to serve it with a slice of cheese.

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