Ireland: Gur Cake

Gur cake was an invention of Dublin bakers early in the 20th century -- a way to use up day-old bread or cake and still make some money from it. It quickly became available all over Ireland, and can still be found in some big-city bakeries.

The cake's name is involved with numerous words borrowed from other languages. Gur is an Indian word for molasses, which may have been involved in some versions of the cake (as every baker developed his or her own recipe). But the more direct descent of the name comes from an old Irish slang word for street urchins, "gurriers" (which may have been borrowed from the French guerrier or [street] warrior). To "go on the gur" was to mitch off / play hookey / cut class / ditch school: and gur cake may well have gotten its name from being a favorite cheap snack for a kid out on the street for the day. It was always the cheapest thing in the bakery, usually a penny a slice (and indeed its modern or more upmarket name is "fruit slice".

Here's a basic recipe:

• 8 slices of stale bread or cake (almost any kind: raisin bread would work well in this)

• 75g / 2/3 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 teaspoons mixed (apple pie) spice
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 115g / generous 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 175g / 3/4 cup currants or mixed dried fruit
• 50g / 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• milk to mix

For the shortcrust pastry:

• 225g / 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 115g / 1/2 cup butter

To make the shortcrust pastry: Mix together the plain flour, salt and butter in a large mixing bowl. Using fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Mix in 2-3 tablespoons cold water and knead the mixture lightly to form a firm dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap / clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / gas mark 5 and flour a square baking tin / baking pan.

Remove the crusts from the bread and make the remainder into crumbs. If using cake, make that into crumbs. Put the crumbs into a mixing bowl with the flour, salt, baking powder, mixed (apple pie) spice, sugar and dried fruit. Mix well to combine.

Add the butter and egg to the dry ingredients with enough milk to make a fairly stiff, spreadable mixture.

Roll out the pastry, and using the baking pan / tin as a guide, cut out one piece of pastry to make the lid. Use the rest, re-rolled as necessary, to line the base of the pan/tin. Spread the pastry with the mixture: then cover with the pastry lid.

Make diagonal slashes across the top. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until golden. Sprinkle with sugar and leave to cool in the tin. Cut into slices.

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