These old fashioned Rock Cakes are crumbly, light, and sweet desserts that are not only popular during teatime but are also one of the favorites of the world’s beloved half-giant, Hagrid from Harry Potter.
These Rock Cakes are brimming not only with popularity but are also easy and fun to make.
The Difference Between Scones And Rock Cakes
Rock Cakes are often interchanged with Scones. For some people, it’s hard to tell them apart because they look alike. This misconception is quite understandable because the way one makes Rock Cakes and Scones are very similar, but Rock Cake dough tends to be a bit stiffer than scones.
Don’t let this, turn you away from this treat are still light and crumbly and deliver deliciousness in every bite.
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Why Does this Recipe Work?
There are many other Rock Cake Recipes you might find, but this is the best one you’ll ever come across because of some very important reasons, such as:
- This recipe serves deliciousness minus all complexities. All the ingredients in this recipe can be commonly found in house pantries/groceries.
- You also do not need to have any specialized equipment to make this recipe.
- This recipe does not take too much time and can be made in under an hour.
- This recipe gives you the best texture of rock cakes – light and crumbly.
- It is also very healthy, it integrates fruits to lend it more flavor, but it is also a good source vitamins.
- Good as an afternoon, dessert or breakfast.
What Ingredients are In the Recipe?
The ingredients of this recipe are common. You’ll find that you’ve probably encountered these ingredients in some of your other baking projects. Here is a list of the ingredients:
Self-rising flour: It is an interesting flour because not only does it act at the base or structure of your dish, but it also – as its name suggests – rises on its own without needing to add any yeast.
Baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent. It helps the dough to rise further and gives the cakes its light texture.
Butter: Butter adds a rich flavor to all baking recipes. It also helps hold the structure of your cakes.
Sugar: Is a very well-known sweetener. This is where the dish derives most of its sweet tastes.
Mixed dried fruit: It gives the recipe a fruity flavor. It also makes the dish healthier.
Egg: It adds structure to your recipe, and it also gives it much-needed moisture.
Milk: Helps makes a soft dough. It also adds another layer of richness and moisture to any dish.
Demerara sugar: This is garnishing sugar. It adds extra sweetness and crunch on top of baked goods.
How to Make Rock Cakes – Step By Step
One: Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Two: Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
Three: Lightly rub the butter in the mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Four: Now, mix in the sugar and dried fruit until incorporated.
Five: Mix in the egg and a tablespoon of the milk, and whisk with a fork to combine (if the mixture is still dry, add another tablespoon of milk, until the dough holds together).
Six: Divide the mixture into ¼ cups and put them in the baking pan. You can use a fork to make a rock-like shape on your pan.
Seven: Sprinkle the unbaked cakes with Demerara sugar.
Eight: Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Expert Tips!
- Do not overbeat the batter. You want to beat the batter until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Make sure to rub the butter into the mixture. A lot of bakers forget this part. Not rubbing butter into the mixture will not make your cakes crumbly.
- Self-rising flour adds structure and lightness to your recipe, but baking powder is needed to give it the lightness that we wanted.
- Make sure to add just the right amount of liquid to your dough. Adding too much liquid will not make your cakes hold their shapes.
Recipe Variations
- You can add fresh fruits to this recipe if you’re not a fan of dried fruits. Make sure that they are frozen well and that they are not mushy when you stir them with the other ingredients.
- You can also swap fruits with nuts so you can have almond-flavored or walnut-flavored rock cakes.
- If you’re not a fan of either fruits or nuts, chocolates can also be added to this recipe. You can swap the fruit and nuts with chunks of your favorite dark, milk, or white chocolate.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, r pumpkin pie spice.
Serving Suggestions
Rock cakes are often served with afternoon tea, but they can also be enjoyed as a snack or as a dessert. They are best served fresh from the oven.
Storage
Storage: They can be stored in an airtight container and kept in a fridge for 2-3 days.
Freezing: They can also be frozen. The same method of keeping them in an airtight container but putting them in the freezer will allow them to last longer (a month or longer).
Make ahead of time: if you plan to make this recipe ahead of time, preparing the dry ingredients and mixing in the butter is a good place to start. Put the dry ingredients in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge.
Reheating: These cakes are best served fresh from the oven. Refrigerated or Frozen cakes should be reheated in an oven at 300F/150C for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Overdoing the batter might make your rock cakes dense and dry.
A runny batter means that you might have added too much liquid to your mixture. This would make your rock cakes not hold their structure very well.
Some find that their rock cakes come out flat after baking. Make sure that you made use of self-rising flour and that you did not forget to add baking powder.
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Recipe
Rock Cakes
Ingredients
- 225 g self-rising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup butter , at room temperature, cut into pieces
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup mixed dried fruit
- 1 large egg
- 1-3 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
- Lightly rub the butter in the mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Now, mix in the sugar and dried fruit until incorporated.
- Mix in the egg and a tablespoon of the milk, and whisk with a fork to combine (if the mixture is still dry, add another tablespoon of milk, until the dough holds together).
- Divide the mixture into ¼ cups and put them in the baking pan. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
- Do not overbeat the batter. You want to beat the batter until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Make sure to rub the butter into the mixture. A lot of bakers forget this part. Not rubbing butter into the mixture will not make your rock cakes crumbly.
- Self-rising flour adds structure and lightness to your recipe, but baking powder is needed to give it the lightness that we wanted.
- Make sure to add just the right amount of liquid to your dough. Adding too much liquid will not make your rock cakes hold their shapes.
Variations
- You can add fresh fruits to this recipe if you’re not a fan of dried fruits. Make sure that they are frozen well and that they are not mushy when you stir them with the other ingredients.
- You can also swap fruits with nuts so you can have almond-flavored or walnut-flavored rock cakes.
- If you’re not a fan of either fruits or nuts, chocolates can also be added to this recipe. You can swap the fruit and nuts with chunks of your favorite dark, milk, or white chocolate.
Molly
A classic British dessert, I love them.
Emilly
I found them even easier to make than scones!
Hanna
Good for breakfast. Thanks.