British · Authentic-ish British
Eccles Cakes
332 kcal a serving, against 368 for the traditional version. That is 36 kcal off, or 10%, with 5.1g of protein. Serves 4. 1 hour.
What the traditional version is
The standard Eccles cake is made by wrapping a generous mound of currants tossed in sugar and allspice inside a thick round of butter-rich puff pastry. Each one gets a glossy sugar glaze before baking. The pastry bakes up tall and extravagantly flaky, making a crunchy, melting contrast with the squidgy, booze-soaked fruit inside.
What changed, and what each change costs
Use a rough puff with less butter, and roll it thinner
Classic puff pastry is mostly just butter and regret. By using 60g rather than 80g and rolling the pastry thinner, you're cutting a good quarter of the fat straight away. Will it rise like a bakery window special? Absolutely not. But you still get some flakes and a bit of crunch, which is enough for a tea break at home.
What it costs you. You lose the full shatteringly light layers. The cakes are slightly denser, with less of that melt-in-the-mouth texture. The outside is more crisp than cloudlike. Still, it's a good excuse to add a bit more fruit.
Stuff in more currants, less sugar
The filling is the best bit and doesn't need a pile of sugar to make it stick. Boosting the fruit by 20g and cutting the sugar by a third makes the filling richer and ups the fibre, without turning the whole thing into a sticky mess.
What it costs you. Not as syrupy-sweet as a shop one, but the filling has more bite and a proper hit of fruit. If you're after the tooth-aching version, this won't cut it.
Egg white for a sugar glaze
Brushing sugar syrup over the pastry makes it glossy, but also tacks on another dose of sugar. Egg white is virtually calorie-free and still gives a nice sheen, with a touch of extra protein for show.
What it costs you. It's not as shiny or sticky as the real thing. You'll just have to look at your own reflection in the kettle instead of your Eccles cake.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 368 | 332 |
| Protein | 5g | 5.1g |
| Fat | 16.6g | 12.6g |
| Saturated fat | 10.2g | 7.7g |
| Carbohydrate | 52.1g | 52.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.4g | 1.5g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish British prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk, eggs.
The method is in the book
You won't fool anyone from Eccles with this version, but you'll still get a flaky, spicy, fruity parcel that goes brilliantly with tea. The filling dials up the fruit and dials down the sugar hit, so you won't feel like you need to lie down after one. The pastry is more on the crisp side than feather-light, but that's a fair swap for keeping your arteries open. Is it as outrageously good as a full-fat bakery Eccles cake? Of course it isn't - it's a home bake that knows its limits. But the currants sing, the spice comes through, and you'll actually get a bit of protein in the bargain. Save the shop ones for a day when your only other plan is a long nap.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish British, along with 57 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.