BAKERS are being encouraged to cook up a historical treat to help Ripon celebrate Yorkshire Day next month.

A call has gone out for people to bake a ‘Wilfra’ tart or cake to form part of Ripon’s Yorkshire Day celebrations on August 1.

Wilfra cakes were traditionally made in Ripon for Wilfra Week which celebrated the return from exile of the popular St Wilfrid - or Wilfra - who was the 7th century bishop who built Ripon’s first cathedral.

In the past, Ripon townspeople formed a procession led by a horse carrying an effigy of the saint and Wilfra tarts or cakes were baked and placed on front steps and window-sills for passers-by to help themselves.

Recorded Wilfra recipes pre-date the first recorded Yorkshire pudding recipe so the cakes can stake a very real claim to be known as the traditional Yorkshire dish.

The August procession in Ripon is still very popular but the tradition of baking Wilfra tarts and cakes has fallen by the wayside.

This year it is being revived, with volunteers at Ripon’s Workhouse Museum leading the drive to get the cakes reinstated as part of the Yorkshire Day celebrations.

Anybody who wants to bake a Wilfra cake and contribute it to the Yorkshire Day events can drop it off at the Ripon Museums stall in Ripon’s Market Place on the day itself, August 1, or take it along to the Workhouse Museum the day before.

Yorkshire Day will see a host of events taking place in Ripon as the city has been chosen as the county’s official location to mark the day this year.

There will be a variety of street entertainment and activities, a civic procession, four horn blowers, fireworks and a family party in the evening with music and dancing

Representatives from Ripon Museums will be in the Market Place providing some Victorian fun, entertainment, and Punch and Judy, and would like to hand out Wilfra cakes to passers-by.

The Masham-based Black Sheep Brewery will also be celebrating the occasion.

The brewery will be launching a selection of Yorkshire merchandise including t-shirts, drip mats, pump toppers and bunting to celebrate Yorkshire Day.

Meanwhile, Rudding Park in Harrogate is offering a ‘Best of Harrogate’ package between July 31 and August 2 including a Yorkshire-inspired course at Betty’s Cookery School.

HERE is a tried and tested recipe to make your own Wilfra Cake.

For the shortcrust pastry you need;

8oz of plain flour, 4oz of butter or margarine, one tablespoon of caster sugar, a pinch of salt, one egg yolk, one to two teaspoons of water.

For the filling you need;

1.5lb peeled and thinly sliced cooking apples, 3oz of Demerara sugar, 3oz of grated Wensleydale cheese.

Method

Rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt.

Mix to a stiff paste with the egg yolk and a little water.

Leave to rest in a cool place until required.

Line a Swiss roll tin or pie tin with half the pastry and lightly prick the bottom.

Lay on the finely sliced apples and add the sugar.

Grate the cheese onto the top. Put on a pastry lid and brush with milk and sugar.

Make a few slits along the top and bake for 10 minutes at 425° F; 220° C; Gas Mark 7; for 10 minutes and then lower to 350° F; 180” C; Gas Mark 4; for a further 30 minutes.

Serve with cream.