Old-Fashioned Rock Cakes

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Old-Fashioned Rock Cakes, a delicious British recipe that is perfect for an afternoon tea party. Soft, crumbly and buttery and packed with dried fruit, these classic rock cakes or rock buns are a timeless family-favourite treat that has been loved for generations.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Servings: rock cakes

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

225 g self-raising flour ( 1 ¾ cups)
100 g cold butter, cut into cubes (½ cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
75 g dried currants (½ cup)
1 large egg
2 tablespoon full-fat milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
Line a baking tray with nonstick paper.
In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter and flour together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar, baking powder and currants, and mix well.
In a small bowl or ramekin, crack the egg and use a fork to beat it well, then add the milk and mix.
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
Use 2 spoons to drop scoops onto the tray, no need to shape them nicely.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden.
Remove the tray from the oven, and transfer the cakes onto the cooling rack to cool down completely.

Video

Notes

Use cold butter for this recipe, it creates the crumbly texture and makes the cakes crispy on the outside, but wonderfully soft and crumbly on the inside.
You can sprinkle extra sugar over the cakes before baking, that will help with an extra crispy texture, although this step is optional.
For an egg-free version, you can replace the egg with a ripe mashed banana, that will add extra sweetness to the cakes, and give them a good lift too - make sure the banana is well ripe tough, just like you'd use for a banana bread.

Nutrition