This is the Rock Cakes recipe of my childhood. They are light, sweet, terribly moreish and bring back a whole load of wonderful memories.
These were the cakes that my Nan always had in her tin and even when they had a been in there a while and developed a bit of the taste of the tin, they were still incredibly good.
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What are Rock Cakes?
Rock Cakes are small roughly shaped cakes that were popular in the 1950's due to the rationing of sugar, butter and eggs.
They are not something you usually find anywhere these days. They are not in the cake aisle or the tea room display cabinet or even the supermarket shelf, and I cannot think of one reason why.
Why a fruit scone or a tea cake or a eccles cake and not a rock cake? Why people why?........
This recipe is here to save the day.
Ingredients
*Scroll on down for the full recipe card with exact ingredients and instructions at the bottom of the post.*
- 200 grams( 7 oz) plain flour
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) unsalted butter cold
- 100 grams ( 3.5 oz) caster sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 75 grams ( 2.6 oz) raisins
Equipment Required
- Digital Scales
- Oven Thermometer (optional)
- Large Mixing Bowl/Food Processor/Free Standing Mixer
- Wooden Spoon
- Large Flat Baking Tray with liner. I use a reusable silicone liner but baking paper works too.
- Cup or Jug for beating egg in.
- Fork or small whisk
- Small bowl for measuring raisins into.
- Wire rack.
Method
- Simply rub the butter and flour together until the butter chunks disappear and makes breadcrumb like rubble.
- I do this either in my free standing mixer with paddle attachment or food processor but, seeing as it's all about the retro here, then feel free to rub in the old fashioned way in a large mixing bowl with your fingers.
- Add the half a tsp of mixed spice, 100 grams (3.5 oz) sugar, quarter of a tsp of salt and one tsp of baking powder and stir through.
- Tip in the beaten egg.
- I mix it together with a wooden spoon. Keep going until it comes together like cookie dough and you can't see any flour left in the mixture.
- It does appear like it is too dry at first but keep stirring. Magic.
- Add in the raisins and mix through again.
- I use a full size flat baking tray with a reusable liner. I make 9 of the cake dough balls. Space them apart and pile them really high as they spread.
- Bake at 180 C/360 F/Gas Mark 4 for about 15 minutes until they are slightly golden brown.
- Leave for a couple of minutes on the tray before carefully moving them to a wire rack to cool.
Recipe Tips
- Use an independent oven thermometer. Temperatures vary greatly in your oven no matter what your oven tells you.
- Add your favourite dried fruits or even chocolate chips.
- Don't press the cakes down too much on the baking tray. Leave them piled high.
- Try not to overbake as they can become dry.
- Make these cakes gluten free by exchanging the plain flour for gluten free. You may have to add a splash of milk because the gluten free flour tends to absorb more moisture.
- To make these Rock Cakes vegan use Flora baking spread as it is vegan and then replace the eggs with flaxseed egg. To find out how to do that see this article.
How To Store
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Rock Cakes are at their best eaten in 48 hours after baking.
- Freeze on the day of baking wrapped in silver foil or cling film and then in a freezer bag or tupperware container for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours still wrapped.
Try some more easy old fashioned bakes & treats.
- Plain Scones
- Chocolate Cracknell
- Chocolate Shortbread/Concrete
- Iced Buns
- Old School Sprinkle Cake
- Marshmallow Krispies
- Flapjacks
- Meringues
- Millionaire's Shortbread
Rock Cakes
This easy recipe for rock cakes is delicious and a real crowd pleaser. Light and fruity these are a great treat or snack.
Ingredients
- 200 grams plain flour
- 100 grams unsalted butter cold
- 100 grams caster sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 75 grams raisins
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Weigh out 200 grams plain flour and cut up 100 grams of cold butter into 2 cm chunks. Put the butter in with the flour. I use either a free standing mixer or food processor but you can simply use a large mixing bowl, fingers and a wooden spoon.
- Using your paddle attachment, food processor or fingers, rub flour and butter together until it forms sandy breadcrumbs. This takes about a minute for the mixer and about 10 seconds with the food processor. Alternatively rub the mixture together with your fingers for about 5 minutes until sandy. Add 100 grams caster sugar, 1 tsp of baking powder, ½ tsp of mixed spice, ¼ tsp of fine salt to the mixture. Mix through.
- Pour in the large beaten egg and mix until you can see no more flour and the mixture has nearly become a dough. It will appear too dry at first but keep going until it starts to come together. You will have to tip the buttery breadcrumb mixture out of the food processor, if you are using one, and into a mixing bowl for this stage so as not to blitz the raisins. Drop in 75 grams of raisins and mix again briefly.
- Make 9 cake mixture balls on a lined large baking tray. Pile them up high as they will drop considerably.Leave space for them to spread. I only use a spoon too gently squash them together a little to prevent the mixture unfurling in the oven. You want to preserve a craggy look so don't roll into smooth balls otherwise they will be too flat.
- Bake for about 15 minutes and golden brown. Don't let them colour too much at the edges. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the tray before using a flat spatula or fish slice to remove them to a wire rack for cooling.
- Apply To Back In The Day Face
Notes
- Use an independent oven thermometer. Temperatures vary greatly in your oven no matter what your oven tells you.
- Add your favourite dried fruits or chocolate chips.
- Store in an air tight container.
- Rock Cakes are at their best eaten in 48 hours after baking.
- Freeze on the day of baking wrapped in silver foil or cling film and then in a freezer bag or tupperware container for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours still wrapped
- Make these cakes gluten free by exchanging the plain flour for gluten free. You may have to add a splash of milk because the gluten free flour tends to absorb more moisture.
Nutrition
Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
Tried this recipe?Take a pic and tag @applytofaceblog on Instagram. I would so love to see them!
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Lisa says
Oohhh I always loved a rock cake too Jen ?the best story too ???
applytofaceblog says
I’ll make some for next time girlfriend ?
Jan Bendall says
Thanks for brilliant recipe and easy to follow instructions. Although getting on in years, me that is, this recipe is just like I remembered. Such a change from some of the modern takes on baking.
Jenny says
Thank you so much for that. I am SO glad you loved them. My kids made them last week too and added chocolate chips instead of raisins. They were off the scale good. I really think they are hard to beat! Thank you again x
Elvira says
Just finished baking 'Super Rock Cakes' for my son, before kickboxing! I went totally experimental with the flours (plain flour, rye, lupin, oat, flaxseed!) and used barberries for a bit of a sour kick. They are actually delicious, much better than the standard version. Son loves them!! Thank you for your recipe!! It’s in my favorites 😋
Elvira says
Just finished baking Super ‘Rock Cakes' for my son. I went totally experimental with the flours (plain, rye, lupin, oat, flaxseed!) and used barberries for a bit of a sour kick. They are actually delicious!!Son loves them 😋
Thank you!!
Jenny says
Sound absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for this, I just love your combos! Bringing the new to the old or I guess probably the other way round!