An Eccles cake is a British pastry named after the town of Eccles in Lancashire and traditionally filled with currants.
The pastry is made from flaky or puff pastry folded around a mixture often containing currants, butter, sugar, and spices. Before baking, the top is commonly slashed and sprinkled with demerara sugar, producing a crisp, caramelized surface.
James Birch began selling the cakes in Eccles in 1793, and the pastry became commercially successful. Their popularity helped spread the name of Eccles beyond Lancashire, although regional versions of filled pastries existed before Birch’s shop.
Eccles cakes are sometimes confused with Banbury cakes, another British currant-filled pastry. Banbury cakes are associated with Banbury in Oxfordshire and traditionally have a different oval shape and filling style, while Eccles cakes are generally round and flatter.