Pope Lady Cake
History books tell us there is an old custom in St. Albans, dating back many centuries, where the eating of small, sweet cakes in human form, having currants to mark the features, are eaten on New Years Day. The ‘Pope Lady Bun’ is decorated with seven currants that are supposed to denote the seven-fold gift of the Holy Spirit. These, probably, are like the pain bénit of Brittany that were intended to represent the Virgin Mary. Opponents of the Roman Catholic religion scoffingly termed these cakes Popes' Ladies, and hence their present name.
Pope Lady Cake is also a traditional recipe unique to St Albans. However, no one seems to know how this originated but they were traditionally given as gifts on New Year’s Day.