Foods of England - Oast Cakes

Oast Cakes

Pies and Pastries
Kent

Dough balls of white wheat flour, with lard, currants and sugar, raised with either baking powder or yeast, shallow fried. Also known in a flattened form.

Oast houses are the brick buildings in which hops are dried, and oast cakes are reported to have been a lunchtime treat for the itinerant hop pickers.

See also: Kentish Hop Picker's Cake

Oast House near Parsonage Farm, Salehurst
Image: Oast House Archive

Original Receipt from Rishton Cricket Club (Ladies Section) Recipes, 1955

OAST CAKES
8oz. plain flour
1oz. sugar
1 level teaspoon baking powder
3oz. currants
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3oz. Spry [In the 1950s, a semi-solid vegetable fat, not the 'Crisp-n-Dry' oil of the 1970's - Ed.]
5 tablespoons water

Sieve the flour, baking powder add salt. Rub in 2oz. Spry. Add the sugar and currants, and mix to a soft dough with the lemon, juice and water. Shape with the fingers into small pieces and roll into rounds 1/4" thick on a floured board. Fry on both sides in remaining 1oz. Spry, adding a little at a time until golden brown (about 6-8 minutes). Eat hot instead of scones at teatime. Makes 18-20 Oast Cakes.

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