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–+ servings

Easy Soul Cakes Recipe

These traditional Soul Cakes are spiced, fruit-studded buns once offered in exchange for prayers during All Souls’ Day.
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Prep Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine British, English
Servings 12

Equipment

  • 2 large baking sheets (full size or standard half-sheet pans)

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup dried currants or other diced dried fruit
  • ¾ cup sweet sherry
  • 6 to 8 saffron threads
  • ½ cup dark ale
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground mace
  • ¼ teaspoon ground clove
  • 1 large egg plus 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Instructions
 

  • Soak the currants in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the sherry and saffron. Let steep for 30 minutes.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the ale, sherry-saffron mixture, and melted butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, nutmeg, mace, and clove. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour blend and stir to form a sticky but workable dough. Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Fold in half the currants, reserving the rest for topping. Knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 to 2½ hours.
  • Punch down the risen dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly. Place on two lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water. Brush the tops of the risen cakes with the egg wash, then press the remaining currants onto the tops for decoration. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

  • These soul cakes carry subtle notes of spice and fruit—perfect with tea or as part of a heritage holiday table.
  • If preferred, raisins, golden raisins, or finely chopped dried apricots may be used instead of currants.
  • For a lighter flavor, swap dark ale with a mild cider or omit saffron if unavailable.
Keyword All Souls Day cakes, British soul cakes, historical English cake recipe, how to make soul cakes, old fashioned soul cakes, soul cake recipe, sweet spiced buns, traditional soul cakes
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