Lardy cake

Description

The traditional tea time treat known as lardy cake is essentially a loaf of bread with added nutmeg, sugar, fruits such as raisins or currants, and small pieces of lard. The interior gets soft due to the melted lard and sugar, while the top gets crunchy due to the caramelized sugar. The loaf originally appeared in the 17th century when dried fruits and spices stopped being too expensive for ordinary people. Today, it can be found in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire, and it is recommended to serve it finely sliced, preferably with some butter on the side.