Chorley cakes are small, unsweetened round cakes with raisin, sultana, or currant filling, often served with butter or cheese. Chorley pies are made with short pastry and are less sweet than Eccles pies. The town of Chorley holds an annual Chorley Cake Street Fair in the autumn.
A Chorley cake is named after the town of Chorley in Lancashire, England. It is a round cake that has a diameter of about 7.62 cm and has a filling of raisins, sultanas or currants. These cakes are not considered sweet and are usually served with butter or a slice of Lancashire cheese.
Chorley pies are made with short pastry. This unleavened, unsweetened dough is made from equal parts shortening and flour, with a small amount of ice water used to mix the ingredients. Chorley pies are sometimes compared to Eccles pies, but Eccles pies are sweeter and are made from flaky pastry. Chorley cakes are less expensive and easier to make. When a variation of Chorley cake is made with extra sugar or sweeteners, it’s called a pop.
The shortcrust pastry dough is mixed, kneaded and then rolled thin. Circular discs are cut from the dough to form the outer layers of the cakes. The fruit and other filling ingredients are placed on a lower disk which is then covered with another disk. The edges of the two discs are joined to hold the filling. The cake is rolled until the fruit begins to show through the dough, then brushed with a buttercream glaze and baked.
Chorley pies are often served hot out of the oven, with melted butter and cheese or jam. A variation of the Chorley cake is the sad cake. A sad cake is basically a large Chorley cake that is about the size of a dinner plate. It can be round or square and is usually made from dough scraps left over from making Chorley pies.
Sad cake is served in wedges or slices. Traditionally, workers would bring a sad slice of pie in their lunch kits. The cake would be eaten for tea or as an accompaniment to their lunches.
In the autumn, the town of Chorley holds the Chorley Cake Street Fair. The first fair was the idea of the town mayor, who used it to hold a competition for the largest Chorley cake in the world. The city’s bakers compete with their versions of this cake. The street fair is a weekend event featuring rides, food, and live entertainment.
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