Gur Cake/Chester Cake/Chester Squares

I know it as Chester Cake, as more commonly known in England). An inexpensive sweet made from leftover fruit cake that originated in Dublin, Ireland where it is called Gur Cake (gutter cake) because its made from leftovers. The leftover cake mixture is baked in between two pastry crust and cut into squares when served.

Gur Cake/Chester Cake/Chester Squares

Pastry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

pinch of salt

2 tab sugar

4 tab butter

1 egg

2 tab cold water

Put all the ingredients into mixing bowl,

when the pastry comes together, stop mixing

halve the dough and roll it out to fit the base and top of a square cake tin.

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups of cake, crumbled (usually fruit cake, some add stale bread w/ cake)

1/2 cup milk

1 tab apricot jam

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp mixed spice (usually ground cinnamon & nutmeg)

1 cup mixed fruit

1 tab rum (you decide, usually about a Tablespoon or so)

soak the cake in the milk

add the other ingredients and mix well

if the mixture seems too wet, add a little SR flour

pour onto the pastry base

cover with the second layer of pastry

bake in a moderate oven (350 - 375 degrees) until the pastry is golden brown

cool in the tin

top with icing coloured with a little red food colouring

cut into squares to serve.

#vintage #gur #cake #squares #apricot #chester