Chorley cake facts for kids
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| Type | Pastry |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | England |
| Region or state | Chorley, Lancashire |
| Main ingredients | Shortcrust pastry, raisins |
Chorley cakes are yummy, flat, fruit-filled pastries. They come from the town of Chorley in Lancashire, England. They are a bit like Eccles cakes, but they have some fun differences!
Chorley cakes are not as sweet as Eccles cakes. People often eat them with a little butter on top. Sometimes, they even have a slice of Lancashire cheese on the side!
Chorley cakes are made with currants inside two layers of plain shortcrust pastry. Eccles cakes, on the other hand, use flaky puff pastry. After baking, Eccles cakes are usually a darker brown.
Another difference is how the fruit is spread. In an Eccles cake, the currants are often in the middle. But in a Chorley cake, the fruit is usually spread out evenly. Sometimes, a little sugar is added to the fruit. People in Chorley sometimes call these cakes "Fly Pie."
Contents
What is a Sad Cake?
There's another cake related to the Chorley cake called "Sad Cake." It's found in areas like Darwen, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Colne, Nelson, Padiham, and the Rossendale area.
Sad Cake Size and Making
Sad cakes are much bigger than Chorley cakes. They can be up to 12 inches (30 cm) wide! Chorley cakes are usually only 3 to 5 inches (8 to 12 cm).
To make a sad cake, bakers roll out pastry. Then they drop raisins or currants evenly over it. Next, they fold the pastry from several sides. Finally, they roll it out again to the right size. Sad cakes are usually round, but they can be square too.
Sad Cake for Lunchboxes
Sad cakes were often cut into triangle pieces. These pieces looked a bit like slices of sponge cake. They were a common part of a working person's lunch. This whole meal was sometimes called "bagging," "snap," or "packing."
Sad cakes helped fill you up. People ate them after sandwiches or as a snack during tea breaks. This was common for workers in the old cotton mills and coal mines of Lancashire. People would spread margarine, butter, or even jam on top. You could also eat it with jam sandwiches and crumbly, soft Lancashire cheese.
Chorley Cake Street Fair
Since 1995, the town of Chorley has held an October "Chorley Cake Street Fair." This fair helps promote these special cakes. There's even a fun competition for local bakers. They try to make the biggest Chorley cake ever!
