Category: Craft Baker

 

Sidling back from a spot of twitching at Ynys Hir called into delightful market town of Machynlleth on a picturesque market day. Located cake shop, served by a winsome wench and then…

Location Machynlleth

Largest dimension                     111mm
Thickness                                      23mm
Weight of cake                            105gm
Colour of upper crust               Dark
Interest in crust                          Lots! Broken holes. Irregular outline
Thickness of base                      25mm in places!

Base colour                                  Pale Brown
Texture of base                           Very Thick Laminated but with dense layer

Weight of fruit                             28gm – some embedded in base!
Texture of filling                         Raisins and currant loose – not bound
Caramelisationn                        None

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

 

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.

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.

 

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.

 

A throbbing shop at lunchtime in Bolton clearly successful.

Location                                 Bolton

Largest Dimension             98mm

Thickness                              25mm

Weight of cake                     100gm

Colour of upper crust       Thick sweet and chewy but not unpleasant

 

Interest in crust                  Holes with evidence of fruit escape.

Flecks of baked on syrup added to the interest.

Texture of crust                   Close to short crust. May be intentional.

The good folk of Bolton have many idiosyncrasies.

Colour of base                     Mid brown.

Thickness of base              11mm.

Texture of base                   Short crust?

Weight of fruit                     51gm.

Texture of filling                 Loose currants and raisins. Not bound at all.

Base caramelisation        None.

Overview

Part of a chain but very local in its feel.

One of many Bakers shops which can only thrive by becoming lunch providers

This traditional baker offers us Flat Cakes. No attempt to call them Eccles Cakes.

They are good to look at – lovely glaze (top and bottom)

Location                                 Farnworth

Largest Dimension             120mm

Thickness                              17mm

Weight of cake                     100gm

Colour of upper crust       Golden Glazed

Interest in crust                  Many small holes;  glorious glaze

Thickness of base               Uniform 6mm Flexible but containing

Weight of fruit                     15gm more then the photo implies

Texture of filling                 Lovely large sultanas. Not bound.

Thinly spread

Base caramelisation        Totally glazed above and below

Overview

Correctly called a Flat Cake but something to sample.

Cracking little shop with other belting treats. Worth a visit.

 

 

At the end of a long shift on a busy Saturday the Assistant was cheerful and helpful, even apologising for the base of the cake being glazed!

Location                                 Hope

Largest Dimension             92mm

Thickness                              16mm

Weight of cake                     100gm

Colour of upper crust       Perfect.

Interest in crust                  Openings and an attempted “fruit escape”

Texture of crust                   Thicker than the base. Laminated

Colour of base                     A thing of beauty opening caused by sticking to the

baking tray. Whoopie!

Thickness of base              2 to 3mm

Texture of base                    Hard and crisp

Weight of fruit                     20gm  Not a lot but it filled the small cake completely

Texture of filling                 Delicious. Plump fruit (only currants) swelled and bound                                                   together lightly

Base caramelisation        About 40% covered. There may have been even more.

Overview

A moral lifting visit. The shop faces a Greggs and is successfully competing with it.

Crouched, alluringly,  within the walls of the ancient town of Conwy lies a delightful cake shop………

Location                                 Conwy

Largest Dimension             90mm

Thickness                              40mm

Weight of cake                     115gm

Colour of upper crust       Unusual soft, matt, mid brown upper surface.

Interest in crust                  Intriguingly different top.

Thickness of base               5mm – not completely baked

Weight of fruit                     54gm  almost over generous.

Texture of filling                 Gloriously bound stuffed with succulent fruit.

Base caramelisation        About 30% covered. Yum.

Overview

This shop is not one to miss. Great location. Attractive sale space. Pleasant friendly service.