Description
Delightful rock cakes from British baking traditions bring nostalgic comfort with their crumbly texture and sweet dried fruit. Crisp edges and homemade charm invite you to savor these simple yet irresistible teatime treats perfect for sharing with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) self-raising flour
- 4 ounces (113 grams) butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 4 ounces (113 grams) mixed dried fruit
Supplementary Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 ounces (57 grams) sugar
- 2 ounces (57 grams) currants
Finishing Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon milk (plus more if needed)
- Demerara sugar, to sprinkle
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and prepare two baking trays with a light grease coating.
- Combine flour and baking powder, then incorporate cold butter using fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Gently fold sugar and dried fruits into the crumbly mixture, ensuring even distribution.
- Whisk egg with milk, then pour into dry ingredients. Mix until a slightly sticky dough forms, adding extra milk if the mixture seems too dry.
- Using hands, create 12 rustic, uneven mounds directly onto the prepared baking trays, maintaining a rough and bumpy texture.
- Sprinkle additional sugar over the top of each rock cake to create a sweet, crispy exterior.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, watching for a golden-brown color and slightly crisp edges.
- Remove from oven and transfer rock cakes to a wire rack, allowing them to cool completely and firm up.
Notes
- Ensure butter is cold and cut into small cubes for the best crumbly texture when rubbing into flour.
- Use room temperature egg and milk to help bind the ingredients smoothly without overmixing the batter.
- Experiment with different dried fruits like cranberries, apricots, or mixed peel to add variety and personal flair to the classic recipe.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute regular flour with a good-quality gluten-free flour blend and add a pinch of xanthan gum to improve texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 181 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 135 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 27 mg