Ian's Pithivier & Eccles Cake

Join the brilliant Ian Cumming (GBBO, series 6) live from Cambridge who will teach you the traditional French bake, the Pithivier, alongside something a little more British, Eccles Cakes... Ian will guide you through making your own puff pastry before baking this special treat filled with tasty apples and almond. The left over pastry in the recipe will be put to great use for our second bake of the class, Eccles Cakes, flakey pastry filled with currants and spices. 

Equipment 

Mixing bowls 

Rolling pin 

Sieve 

Spatulas 

Baking parchment 

Baking trays 

9 inch quick release cake tin - this is not essential it just makes it a bit easier 

Pastry brush 

Very sharp pointed knife. Ideally a Stanley knife or bread lame Turntable - optional. Sometimes used for icing cakes.  Cupcake tray 

Round pastry cutter about 3.5 inches or 9.5cm in diameter  

Clingfilm   

Ingredients:

Pastry 

330g plain flour (plus extra for dusting) 50g icing sugar generous pinch of salt 75g room temperature butter 120g cold water 225g unsalted butter that has been in freezer  

Pithivier Filling 

100g unsalted butter 100g caster sugar generous pinch of salt 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 20g brandy 1/2tsp almond extract / essence 100g ground almonds / almond flour 20g plain flour 1 apple - I use a Granny Smith apple that weighs approx 170g  

Eccles cake filling 

60g unsalted butter 90g dark brown sugar pinch of salt 220g currants 1tsp ground allspice 1tsp ground nutmeg  

Decoration 

1 large egg yolk 1tsp double / heavy cream or milk

If you have any questions regarding this class please email us at info@bakewithalegend.com. Upon booking, all guests will be emailed a link to the class with a full breakdown of ingredients and equipment as well as the method on the Monday proceeding their class. Please do check junk email just in case you don't spot it arrive!