Chris’s Irish Gur Cake

currants

🥗Healthier: dried cranberries

💰Cheaper: raisins

Dried cranberries provide a similar sweetness with less cost.

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil offers a dairy-free option while maintaining moisture.

mixed spice

🥗Healthier: cinnamon

💰Cheaper: pumpkin spice

Cinnamon is commonly available and adds warmth.

shortcrust pastry

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pastry

💰Cheaper: homemade pastry

Whole wheat adds fiber, while homemade can cut costs.

Soak 250 g of raisins and sultanas in a bit of rum to plump them up.

Break stale bread into small bits and place in a bowl.

Add 650 ml of cold tea to the bread and mix, letting it soak.

Prepare the pastry by grating 250 g of salted butter into a bowl with 450 g of plain flour.

Mix in 1 tbsp of sugar with a fork.

Add 60 ml of water and 1 egg to the mixture and combine.

Chill the pastry in the fridge until ready to use.

After soaking, mix the soaked bread with the raisins and sultanas.

Add 200 g of soft dark brown sugar and 1 large egg to the fruit mixture and mix well.

Sift 60 g of plain flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 2 tsp of mixed spice, 0.5 tsp of cinnamon, 0.5 tsp of ginger, and 0.5 tsp of nutmeg over the fruit mixture and combine.

Prepare a 20 by 30 cm baking tin by greasing it with butter.

Roll out about 3/4 of the chilled pastry and line the bottom of the tin.

Pour the fruit mixture into the lined tin and spread evenly.

Roll out the remaining pastry to cover the top of the mixture, sealing the edges.

Poke holes in the top pastry with a fork to allow steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 60 minutes.

Sprinkle caster sugar on top while the cake is hot.

Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the tin.

Use baking paper to help lift the cake out of the tin and cut into 12 pieces.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens