Mrs. Dunlinson's Plate Cakes

plate-cake-0600-mla97936.jpg
Servings:
6

British senior art director James Dunlinson got this recipe for traditional plate cakes, which originated in Cumberland, England, from his mother, Julia.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 ½-inch chunks

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 pound raspberries

  • 1 teaspoon butter, for plate

  • Pate Brisee

  • All-purpose flour, for work surface

  • ½ cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center. In a medium bowl, toss apples and lemon juice. Gently fold in raspberries. Set aside. Coat an 8- or 9-inch ovenproof plate with butter. Set aside.

  2. Divide the pate brisee in half; roll out one half on a lightly floured surface, to a circle 1 inch larger than the plate, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to prepared plate. Mound the fruit in the center of the plate, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar. Brush the edge of the pastry with water to seal crust.

  3. Roll out remaining pastry, a few inches larger than the plate, and place on top of the fruit. Trim off any excess, then turn the edges under to seal. Flute the edges with fingers or a fork, and make 2 or 3 slits in the top for steam to escape. Brush egg wash evenly over cake, and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Place plate on a sheet pan to catch any drips. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until crust is golden and fruit is bubbling. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes

You will need an 8- to 9-inch ovenproof plate, such as an ironstone or stoneware dinner plate. The recipe calls for raspberries and apples, but any summer berries can also be used; the amount of sugar will vary with the tartness.

Variations

For gooseberry or currant plate cakes, replacethe fruit in step 1 with 1 1/2cups sugarand 2 pounds (5 cups) either gooseberries(brown stems removed) or whole black currants. Pile sugared fruit onto the plate withthe rolled-out bottom crust. Sprinkle with 1/2cup sugar. Brush the edge of the pastrywith water to seal crust. Continue with step 3 in recipe.

Related Articles