Lardy Cake
A traditional British sweet bread studded with lard, dried fruit, and sugar—rich, indulgent, and baked to golden perfection. Serve warm with butter or as a teatime treat.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 300 ml warm water
- 7 g instant yeast
- 10 g salt
- 150 g lard or beef dripping
- 100 g soft light brown sugar
- 150 g mixed dried fruit (currants, sultanas, raisins)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 20 g butter for greasing
Instructions
- 1
Mix flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.
- 2
Pour warm water into flour mixture gradually.
- 3
Stir until shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand for 10 minutes.
- 4
Cover bowl with cling film and let dough rise for 1 hour.
- 5
Tip dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
- 6
Roll dough into a roughly 30 x 20 cm rectangle.
- 7
Spread one-third of the lard evenly over dough.
- 8
Mix brown sugar, dried fruit, and cinnamon together.
- 9
Sprinkle one-third of sugar mixture over lard.
- 10
Fold dough in thirds like a letter (top down, bottom up).
- 11
Rotate dough 90 degrees and repeat lard and filling layers.
- 12
Repeat lard, filling, and folding process one more time.
- 13
Grease a 25 x 20 cm baking tin with butter.
- 14
Place folded dough into prepared tin, seam-side down.
- 15
Cover tin loosely with cling film.
- 16
Let dough prove for 30–40 minutes until slightly risen.
- 17
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
- 18
Score the top of dough with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern.
- 19
Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown.
- 20
Remove from oven and let cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- cling film
- work surface
- ruler or measuring tape
- 25 x 20 cm baking tin
- butter for greasing
- sharp knife
- oven
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