Old Fashioned Rock Cake Recipe (2024)

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A favourite British classic recipe, these old-fashioned rock cakes use simple ingredients and are easy to make.

A small single-served cake so named after its similar appearance to a rock, but don't let that put you off. Despite their appearance, these simple rock cakes are wonderfully crumbly and sweet!

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How to make rock cakes?

You can't go wrong making these easy English rock cakes; even the kids can help out. Check out the recipe slideshow below.

Continue to read for all the pictures, tips and tricks showing you how to make rock cakes at home, or use the below link to jump straight to the recipe card!

Rock cakes recipe card - printable

History

Rock cakes were trendy during World War 2; they used fewer rationed ingredients like egg and sugar than other English cake recipes.

Enabling families to have a sweet treat during the strict wartime rationing. Sometimes oatmeal would be used instead of flour.

More recently, they have been featured in the Harry Potter books, where Hagrid made them numerous times, but they were not enjoyed due to Hagrid's poor cooking skills. They were too hard!

Rock cake ingredients

Ingredients for rock cakes are plain flour,baking powder, mixed spice, salt, sugar, butter, sultanas, egg and milk.

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Substitutes

Flour

We make our rock cakes with plain flour, salt and baking powder to give a slight rise to them.

You could use self-raising flour instead for a similar result. Remember, no baking powder or salt will be needed if using self-raising flour (as it is already added to self-raising flour).

Mixed Spices

You can substitute the mixed spices with a mix of your favourite spices instead.

Dried Fruit

You can use a bag of mixed dried fruit instead of sultanas. Or any dried fruit you prefer, such as apricots, cranberries, apples or dates.

You could also switch the dried fruit for chocolate to make chocolate rock buns.

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The rock cake mixture should have a thick and sticky texture. The mixture will make nine large cakes.

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Remember, these do not need to be smooth, neat and tidy.

I encourage you to rough them up with a fork before baking to help achieve the rough rocky cracks. Perfect for sprinkling sugar into once cooked!

We like to cook our sultana rock cakes on a silicone sheet, but you can use parchment or greaseproof paper instead on a baking tray.

Oven Setting

I recommend cooking rock cakes in a conventional oven; even if you have a fan oven, turn it to a conventional setting or cake setting if you have that option.

This will give you the crispy outside and soft crumble in the middle that rock cakes are known for.

Temperature

Cook at 190°C / 375°F (if you must use a fan - 170°C) for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them; they should have grown a little and been a light golden brown.

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Don't let those sultanas or dried fruit burn! I find about 18 minutes is just right!

Cooling

Straight from the oven, it is normal for the rock cakes to be a bit soft to the touch. They firm up as they cool.

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Keep them on the baking tray until they have cooled enough to touch. Then transfer to a wire rack so they don't get a soggy bottom!

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Before they cool too much, it's time to take these simple rock cakes to the next level with a sprinkle of sugar, which gets into all the grooves and cracks.

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There you have it, the best rock cake recipe; you must try it to believe it!

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What are rock cakes like inside?

Inside the crispy sugary shell of rock cakes is a marvellous crumbly texture with an even scattering of your chosen dried fruit.

Makes a fantastic addition to a British afternoon tea cake stand.

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It can also be served similarly to British scones, with clotted cream and jam.

What is the difference between scones and rock cakes?

British scones and English rock cakes have similar ingredients, but the scone mix has a dough-like texture that is shaped with your hands and cut with cutters to be smooth.

Rock cake mixture, on the other hand, has a sticky cake texture, which isn't handled or shaped, helping to create the desirable rough and crispy cracks on the outside,

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They have a lovely soft sweet crumbly texture which is washed down perfectly with a cup of tea.

The kids love to help make these cakes, and they are a great addition to their lunch box or for a family picnic.

📖 Step by Step Recipe

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Rock Cakes Old Fashioned Recipe

Luke and Kay - Flawless Food

How to make Rock Cakes, using simple ingredients.

Inside the crispy sugary shell of British rock cakes is a marvellous crumbly texture with an even scattering of your chosen dried fruit.

These simple English cakes make a great addition to an afternoon tea stand.

Perfect kids snack for their lunch box or school fete.

US & UK measurements given

4.99 from 75 votes

Rate this Recipe

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Prep Time 17 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Afternoon Tea, Brunch, Cake, Kids, Lunch, Party, picnic, Salad, Snack, Sweet

Cuisine English

Ingredients

  • 300 grams Plain Flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 80 grams White Sugar + extra to sprinkle on once baked Caster or Granulated can be used
  • pinch Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Mixed Spice
  • 150 grams Butter
  • 200 grams Sultanas Can use any dried fruits
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 2 tablespoon Milk

Instructions

  • Preheat Oven to 190°C /170°C fan/ 375°F.

    Add 300 grams Plain Flour, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, pinch Salt and ½ teaspoon Mixed Spice into a bowl.

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  • Add 80 grams White Sugar and mix all together

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  • Add 150 grams Butter and rub together using fingertips into the dry cake mix

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  • It should resemble breadcrumbs.

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  • Add 200 grams Sultanas

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  • Stir through so evenly distributed.

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  • Whisk 1 Large Egg and 2 tablespoon Milk together in a separate bowl

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  • Add the whisked mixture to the dry ingredients

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  • Use a fork to mix well together until it becomes sticky and forms together.

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  • Separate into approx 9 even-sized cakes use a fork to rough up the tops of the cakes a little.

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  • Leave space between each rock cake as they will grow a little during cooking! Cook in a preheated 190°C /170°C fan/ 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.

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  • Remove from oven, it is normal for them to still feel a bit soft at this point. They will firm up whilst cooling!

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  • Once cool enough to touch with hands, transfer to a wire rack to allow to cool further.

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  • Sprinkle with extra sugar.

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  • Eat whilst still warm, or allow to cool then store in an airtight container until ready to eat.

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Video

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 132mgPotassium: 284mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 449IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg

Keyword afternoon tea cake, British cake, dried fruit cake, english cake, hagrid cakes, hagrid rock cakes, harry potter cakes, old fashioned cake, rock buns, rock cakes, sultanas cakes, wartime cakes

Tried this recipe? Share an image on Facebook / Instagram / PinterestPlease mention @flawlessfooduk or tag #flawlessfooduk!

Updated on 10/04/2023 to include frequently asked questions.

If you love this easy rock cake recipe and want more sweet, easy recipes suitable to make with children, try our thumbprint cookies and oat flapjacks or the kids will love this no-bake edible cookie dough recipe.

Or stick with the sultana theme and make our large sultana cake similar but even more impressive!

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Please let us know how you get on, and remember to share this recipe with others to bring these fantastic old-fashioned rock cakes back into fashion again!

How to make rock cakes - old fashioned British recipe using simple ingredients. Easy and quick, and the kids can help too!

FAQs

The mixture seems too dry.

The mixture should be dry, but if it is too dry to even form together you can add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time or use another egg.

Can I use self-raising flour?

Yes you can use self-raising flour instead of plain flour. Self-raising flour already contains baking powder so remember not to use additional baking powder when using self-raising flour.

Why do the sultanas sink to the bottom?

If your sultanas are sinking to the bottom the mixture is too runny.

Old Fashioned Rock Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a scone and a rock cake? ›

Rock Cake or Rock Bun dough is stiffer than Scone dough and is handled a bit more. Rock Cakes are smaller and dropped onto the baking tray by the tablespoon or formed roughly with two forks, whereas scones are rolled/patted out and cut into shape.

Why are my rock cakes so dry? ›

If your rock cakes are too dry, it might be because you overmixed the batter or didn't add enough milk. If desired, you can sprinkle a little coarse sugar or demerara sugar over the top of your rock cakes to give them a sweet, crunchy top. For heartier rock cakes, add oatmeal.

Why do my rock cakes come out flat? ›

baking powder – make sure it's in date as stale baking powder doesn't have any “ooomph” and will give you flat rock cakes!

Why do my scones turn out like rock cakes? ›

However, you will need to add the raising agents that you would usually find in self-raising flour – without any raising agents your scones will be like rocks. And not in a nice Rock Buns kind of way! The general rule of thumb is to add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for every 150g of plain flour.

Why is my cake rock hard? ›

Why do my cakes end up hard as rock? - Quora. you over mixed the batter, meaning you over worked it. when you do that, your cakes become dense. its okay for batter to be a little lumpy.

Are rock cakes fattening? ›

Rock cakes are a light, crumbly tea-time favourite. Eat while they are still warm from the oven. So easy to make, and lots of fun for children to join in too. Each serving provides 214 kcal, 3g protein, 29g carbohydrates (of which 14.5g sugars), 9.5g fat (of which 6g saturates), 1g fibre and 0.3g salt.

How do you soften a rock hard cake? ›

Soak your cake in milk or cream.

Simply brush on a few tablespoons of milk or cream to the top of your dry cake or, for a truly indulgent finish, follow recipes like one-bowl tres leches poke cake, baked and soaked in a combination of whole milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk.

Does rock cake hit through absorption? ›

It will not absorb damage the player inflicts on themselves, such as from overload potions, poison karambwans, or dwarven rock cakes, nor will it absorb poison damage from an enemy.

Why don't my rock cakes rise? ›

Rock buns need a raising agent to rise – you can either use baking powder or self raising flour. If your rock buns are a bit flat first make sure your ingredients are in date. If that's not the problem, make sure when you rub in the flour and butter, you need to do it for long enough for them to be well mixed.

How long does it take for rock cake to cool? ›

A hot rock cake can be cooled via any of the following methods:
  1. Picking it up with ice gloves equipped.
  2. Going to Ice Mountain and killing an icefiend.
  3. Holding it in your inventory or bank for two hours.
Dec 30, 2023

What is the history of rock cakes? ›

A rock cake, also called a rock bun, is a small cake with a rough surface resembling a rock. They were promoted by the British Ministry of Food during the Second World War since they require fewer eggs and less sugar than ordinary cakes, an important savings in a time of strict rationing.

What is Elvis Presley cake? ›

An Elvis Presley cake is a single-layer classic yellow cake that's topped with a pineapple glaze. Much like a poke cake, the syrup and juices of the pineapple will seep into the cake through fork holes, resulting in a decadent, ultra-moist cake.

What is funeral cake made of? ›

Technically, funeral cake is a chocolate sheet cake with fudge icing and topped with crunchy pecans and big enough to feed a crowd—which you may recognize as Texas Sheet Cake.

What is a Louisiana crunch cake made of? ›

My Louisiana Crunch Cake recipe uses shredded coconut and granulated sugar to obtain its namesake crunchy exterior—a delicious contrast to a dense yet tender pound-cake-like interior.

What makes a scone a scone? ›

“Scones are made with cream and eggs,” said Katina Talley, owner of Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop in Omaha, Nebraska. “They're sweeter, drier, and may contain fruit. Biscuits are typically made with buttermilk and no eggs. They're flaky, soft, and traditionally not sweet.”

What the heck is a scone? ›

United States. American scones are sweet, heavy, dry and crumbly, similar to British rock cakes. They are usually triangular, and often contain fruit such as blueberries or sultanas, or such flavorings as pumpkin, cinnamon or chocolate chips. They may also be topped with icing.

What is the difference between a Utah scone and a regular scone? ›

While the American and English scone is made with a scraggly dough of butter, flour, salt, and eggs, Utah scones are made with yeast and no butter. The yeast adds flavor and rise to this scone, making the dough more airy and sweet.

Is Shortcake the same as a scone? ›

But shortcakes don't share the same buttery flakiness of biscuits or the dry crumbliness of a scone. That's because shortcake recipes call for eggs and use more sugar. That's what makes them unique! This gives the shortcake a sweet taste and tight crumb—perfect for soaking up the juices from the fruit topping.

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