Gur cake
 A piece of gur cake | |
| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Ireland |
| Region or state | Dublin |
| Main ingredients | Shortcrust pastry, cake crumbs, tea, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger, caster sugar |
Gur cake is a pastry confection traditionally associated with Dublin, Ireland.[1] Known as chester cake in other areas of Ireland and elsewhere,[2][3] and gudge or donkey's gudge in Cork,[4][5] it is similar to what is termed "flies' graveyard" in parts of the UK, and consists of a thick layer of filling between two thin layers of pastry.[6] The filling is a dark brown paste, containing a mixture of cake/bread crumbs,[7] dried fruits (sultana raisins etc.), and a sweetener/binder.[8] It has traditionally been a cheap confection, made from bakery leftovers.
Its name is thought to be a contraction of "gurrier cake".[1] Children who skipped school were known as gurriers and the act of skipping school became known as to be 'on the gur'. As Gur cake was made of leftovers, it was one of the cheaper items in bakeries and, therefore, one of the few items affordable to a child 'on the gur'.[9]
In bakeries, it is typically sold cut into squares of about 8 by 3 cm (3.1 by 1.2 in) thick.
In Dublin, Gur cake is regarded as symbolic of working-class areas, being highlighted in books such as Gur Cake and Coal Blocks (1976) by historian Éamonn Mac Thomáis.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b Redmond, Caitríona (10 April 2014). "Why Gur Cake needs EU Designated Status". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ Higgins, Lilly (4 March 2024). "This is a cake made by thrifty, hard-working women for 'little gurriers'". Irish Times. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ^ Nelson, Cynthia (12 June 2010). "I like Chester Cake". Stabroek News. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ "Donkey's Gudge - Cork Slang Dictionary Entry". Corkslang.com. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ "Diana's Recipe Book - Gur Cake". Dianasdesserts.com. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ White-Lennon, Biddy (2003). Best of Irish Home Baking. O'Brien Press. ISBN 9780862788070.
- ^ "From Gur cake to a donkeys' wedding and flies' graveyard, this was a mouthwatering trip down memory lane". Irish News. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ^ "Gur Cake". Odlums. Archived from the original on 27 August 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ "GurCake". oscailtmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
- ^ Mac Thomáis, Éamonn (1976). Gur Cake and Coal Blocks. O'Brien Press. ISBN 9780905140070.