An Eccles cake is a British flaky, currant-filled pastry named after the town of Eccles in Greater Manchester.
The pastry is made from puff pastry wrapped around a spiced mixture traditionally based on currants, butter, and sugar. It is usually round, flattened, and marked with several cuts on top before baking. The result is crisp and layered outside, with a rich fruit filling inside.
James Birch is commonly credited with selling the first commercial Eccles cakes in 1793 from a shop in Eccles. The pastry soon became associated with the town, although related fruit-filled pastries existed elsewhere.
Eccles cakes are sometimes confused with Chorley cakes, which also come from Lancashire. Chorley cakes are generally flatter and made with shortcrust pastry, while Eccles cakes are characteristically made with flaky puff pastry.