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Cherry lardy cake

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for cherry lardy cake.

By Rodney Dunn
  • 1 hr preparation
  • 40 mins cooking plus chilling, proving
  • Serves 6
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Cherry lardy cake
We've charged up this old English dish with dried cherries instead of the traditional currants. Cooling the cake upside-down allows the melted lard to be re-absorbed.

Ingredients

  • 600 gm pork back-fat, cut into 3cm cubes
  • 500 gm bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 300 ml warm milk
  • 10 gm dried yeast
  • 10 gm fine sea salt
  • 200 gm dried cherries
  • 50 gm caster sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Main
  • 1
    Cook pork back-fat over medium heat in a saucepan with 3cm water until fat renders and only crisp golden cubes remain (30 minutes-1 hour). Strain and chill in an airtight container in the refrigerator (2-3 hours). Cut 320gm lard into small dice and refrigerate until required. Remaining lard will keep for 2-3 months.
  • 2
    Combine flour, milk, yeast and salt in a bowl and mix to a soft dough. Melt 20gm diced lard in a small saucepan and add to dough, then turn out on to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a clean bowl, cover and stand until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
  • 3
    Combine dried cherries, sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.
  • 4
    Knock back dough, then roll out to a 30cm x 40cm rectangle. Scatter over half the dried fruit mixture and half the remaining diced lard, then roll to form a short cylinder.
  • 5
    Turn dough 90 degrees, then roll out again to a 30cm x 40cm rectangle. Scatter over remaining fruit and remaining diced lard and roll again to form a short cylinder. Turn 90 degrees, then roll to a 20cm square and place in a buttered 20cm square cake tin. Stand until doubled in size (30 minutes).