Acorn Cakes

Acorn Cakes is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic unleavened bread or cake made from leached acorns ground to a flour and fried on a griddle. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Acorn Cakes.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Additional Time:

+2 days soaking and drying

Makes:

Rating:

Tags : Wild Food Bread Recipes Baking Recipes British Recipes

This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Acorn Cakes that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume, The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.

Original Recipe

Take ripe acorns, peel off the skins and bruise them into a paste; let them lie in water for a night, and then press them dry — this will remove their astringent property; the mass should then be drained and reduced to a powder, and kept in a covered jar or keg. When wanted it may be kneaded into a dough, and formed into thin cakes, which may be baked on the hob or in the embers. We do not recommend these cakes for habitual eating, but in times of great scarcity they might be occasionally partaken of as a substitute for wheaten bread.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1kg ripe acorns

Method:

Peel off the skins from the acorns, add the flesh to a mortar then pound to a paste. Place in a large vessel (a bucket is ideal) then pour over lots of water and set aside to soak over night (it's best if you use two or three changes of water, sieving the acorn paste each time.

The following day, pour the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve to extract the acorn meal. Tie in a triple layer of muslin or cheesecloth, place between two boards and put plenty of weights on top. Allow the excess moisture to be squeezed out for 24 hours then scatter the mass over a baking tray, place in an oven pre-heated to 60°C and prop the door ajar with wooden spoon. Allow to dry completely for about 90 minutes to 150 minutes then process to a powder in a coffee grinder or food processor. Transfer to an air-tight jar and store as you would wheat flour.

To use, take some of the acorn flour, season with a little salt and black pepper then add enough water to form a dough. Take pieces of the dough and shape into flattened rounds. Heat a dry frying or griddle pan on the hob, add the acorn flour patties and fry on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.

Find more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here