Month: May 2017

Shauls – pack of 3

Recovering from an unseasonal  dip in The Channel, seeking sustenance, staggered into baker.  A pack of 3 Eccles Cakes was irresistible.

Theses are the first Eccles Cake we have seen with “pointy ends”

Location                             Sidmouth

Largest dimension          120mm

Thickness                           28mm

Weight of cake                 105gm

Colour of upper crust    Mellow Yellow

Interest in crust               Slits with different patterns on different cakes

Thickness of base            8mm A bit under baked. Better to bake on try than on rack?

Colour of base                    Yellow

Texture of base                  Not crisp – stodgy

Weight of fruit                  21gm

Nature of filling                A mixture of fruit

Texture of filling               Currants not engorged. Enveloped in extender. A bit like mashed dates but not unpleasant

Caramelisation                 None

We aim to be realistic in our criticism. These cakes tasted very well in spite of our detailed critique.

Curtis and son

To Oakham in the lovely County of Rutland. Battled my way into shop filled with elderly ladies buying multiple Eccles Cakes fresh from the oven with steely determination and an almost unseemly lust.

Location                             Oakham

Largest dimension          85mm

Thickness                           32mm

Weight of cake                 98gm

Colour of upper crust    Beautifully golden

Interest in crust               Plenty

Thickness of base            12 to 10mm

Colour of base                     Golden

Texture of base                 Mainly bisuity but slightly under cooked

The image above doe not do justice to the product.

Weight of fruit                  38gm

Nature of filling                A mixture of fruit

Texture of filling               Bound

Caramelisation                 No sadly

These Eccles Cakes, (I bought more than 1) are a tour de force. Crisp and filled with a delicious mix. The wise older women know a good thing when they find it

Hambleton

 

Delighted to escape from A1 your Taster sought out this lauded bakery but ……

Location                                 Stamford

Largest Dimension             105mm

Thickness                              40mm

Weight of cake                     118gm

Colour of upper crust       Dark Brown with pleasantly glazed areas

Interest in crust                  Lots of piercing and leakage plus good colour. This is a                                                        nice cake.

Texture of crust                   Crisp. A brilliant ” bite”.

Colour of base                     Mid brown.

Thickness of base              2 to11mm.

Texture of base                   Complex. Outer layer crisp and biscuity. Intermediate                                                         layer perfectly laminated. Inner layer under baked. It is                                                     hard to achieve such excellent crisp crusts without                                                               burning and also ensuring complete bake-through

Weight of fruit                     40gm.

Texture of filling                 Tiny shriveled currants. Fruit, embarrassed by its size,                                                       avoided contact with the other berries and was utterly                                                        unbound

Base caramelisation        None.

Overview

An attractive bakery with excellent products. The Eccles Cake promised much and delivered on the pastry but disappointed with the contents. Can do better.

Gerrards

Location                                 Bala

Largest Dimension             82mm

Thickness                              29mm

Weight of cake                     99gm

Colour of upper crust       Uniform gold with nice crystals

Interest in crust                  Spectacular slits with evidence of fruit escape

Texture of crust                   Perfect. Crisp, crumbly and melts in mouth

Colour of base                     Caught very slightly with slightly glazed edge

Thickness of base              5mm.

Texture of base                   Short crust?

Weight of fruit                     42gm.

Texture of filling                Stickily bonded.

Base caramelisation        Slight on margin of base. Enough to excite!!

Overview

A charming service in gleamingly clean store.

Chatwins

This  voluptuous little cake was even better than it looked!

Location                                 Llangollen

Largest Dimension             70mm

Thickness                              37m

Weight of cake                     110gm

Colour of upper crust       Pale but interesting with very glittery sugar crystals

Interest in crust                  Small holes and sugar crystals

Texture of crust                   Delightful. Melt in the mouth. Attractive tasting pastry.

Colour of base                     Mid brown.

Thickness of base              6mm.

Texture of base                   Short crust

Weight of fruit                     50gm.  Bursting

Texture of filling                 Succulant fruit bound to perfection.

Base caramelisation        None.

Overview

As the smaller bakery chains with in-store ovens grow more confident and expand into other towns they encounter other similar firms. Llangollen sees Chatwins in the same street as Gerrards. This may not end well.

Manderville’s

Location                                 Holmes Chapel

Largest Dimension             120mm !!

Thickness                              24m

Weight of cake                     120gm

Colour of upper crust       Mid brown with tiny white sugar crystals

Interest in crust                  Multiple pierced holes plugged with sugar

Texture of crust                   Nice and crumbly

Colour of base                     Pale brown.

Thickness of base              8mm.

Texture of base                   Short crust

Weight of fruit                     42gm.

Texture of filling                 Tightly bound at all.

Base caramelisation        None.

Overview

A traditional bakery with stylish and attentive service plus other delicious offerings. Not far from J18 M6 and well worth a diversion.

Pound Bakery – pack of 2

This thrusting off shoot from Sayers is popular for its value for money. The potential for overeating when everything comes in 2s for the price of one is a challenge each time your Taster walks past their store.

Location                                 Eccles

Largest Dimension             90mm

Thickness                              30mm

Weight of cake                     100gm

Colour of upper crust       Half pale brown and half covered in white sugar crystals

Interest in crust                  Some holes in crust giving peeps at the filling

Texture of crust                   Plane with dimples

Colour of base                     Pale brown.

Thickness of base              10mm. Stodgey

Texture of base                   Thick not completely baked

Weight of fruit                     22gm.

Texture of filling                Single rather dry currants. Not bound at all

Base caramelisation        None.

Overview

As one of the last Eccles Cake Bakers in Eccles they need to be encouraged.

 

Rhen Fecws

 

Location                                 Moelfre, Anglesey

Largest Dimension             95mm

Thickness                              20mm

Weight of cake                     90gm

Colour of upper crust       Light gold

Interest in crust                  Holes, capped in sugar with evidence of fruit escape

Texture of crust                   Close to short crust. Deliberate.

Colour of base                     Mid brown.

Thickness of base              2 to11mm.

Texture of base                   Short crust?

Weight of fruit                     40gm.

Texture of filling                 Tightly bound at all.

Base caramelisation        None.

Overview

A charming bakery serving its loyal local community with filling products.

 

Selfridges

Slowly the pursuit of profit is eating away at this excellent stores fresh offer.

There is a place for sushi – in a cat food factory!

The adoption of a Patisserie Valerie franchise in its Trafford Centre store is deplorable.

One hopes the superb pie and pastry section does not become a Greggs in the near future.

Bakestone – pack of 4

Glory be! Another Eccles cake baker in Eccles.

This commercial baker has begun to retail through some local shops.

The product looks indistinguishable from Aldi’s.

It would be good to have a national chain sourcing its products for their place of origin. A very logical Germanic thought process!