I have actually seen these adorable yet just very slightly ugly treats around online be it being baked by others or in some of the bakeries I patronized during my holiday in South Korea. I have always avoided baking them because I find them slightly hideous, but I am so glad to announce that I am finally past that stage and here is the Rock Cakes recipe for my take on it!

Rock Cake Recipe by Bakeomaniac

Just a little back story without too much story telling here, I always find them ugly because of the number of protrusions they usually have at the top, and because of which, I was never convinced to bake them. Until recently when I was so absolutely curious to explore more English tea items, since they are so unattainable in Singapore, I have finally set my hands into it and I am so glad to have started on Rock Cakes!

As per usual, I will go through the ingredients, method and texture/taste!

For the ingredients, I have seen many recipes with just plain flour but I realize that there is a difference when cornstarch is added to it.

Personally, I feel that the addition of cornstarch makes it less dense and appreciably lighter on the texture, which is really decent in the sense that you will not get sick of it as soon!

Regarding the dried fruits, you can certainly add in more variations or even swap the currants out for chocolate chips! It is all up to how you roll! I will be trying out the chocolate chip variation soon!

There is nothing else special here although I would say that the quality of butter will matter here. Fret not though if you are a budget baker, like me! I used relatively low quality butter but they will still turn out to impress your taste buds! You are not alone!

Next, the method.

The method is really simple except for the third step, which beginners might be unfamiliar with. In this step, we cut the cubed, cold butter into some of the dry ingredients. The rest of the steps will not be further elaborated as they are pretty standard but do feel free to clarify any doubts with me!

I find that using a pastry blender (please do search it up if you are unsure how it looks like, but if you are still unsure you can always ask me, I will be more than happy to share how it looks like!), or using two forks work the best. Pastry blenders are really good and handy kitchen equipment that I can’t live without as it makes a lot more recipes convenient to utilize, so do look into investing in one if you find yourself to be baking often!

Other methods include rubbing it into the plain flour using your own fingers but I find that really challenging in countries with hot weather as the butter melts even faster with the contribution of your body heat!

Last but not least, the texture and taste.

Not surprisingly, I find that these little rock cakes are the best when almost bite-sized and matches really well with tea. They are slightly crumbly with sweetness mainly from the added dried fruits, accompanied by a decent buttery background. Taste-wise, they do slightly remind me of scones!

They are best consumed when hot and slightly steamy, as they will be crispy too! Leave them to sit at room temperature and they will still be nice, though not as nice texture-wise as when they are fresh out of the oven!

Without further ado, the recipe I used for these!

Rock Cake
by Javier Tan June06-16-2018

Served bite-sized, they are delightfully crumbly with an appreciably buttery background, they are perfect treats to have around for tea! The best part? They are easy to make too!

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 Cup or 185g Plain / All Purpose Flour, sifting not required
  • 1/3 Cup and 1 Teaspoon or 70g Granulated White Sugar
  • 2 and 1/2 Teaspoon or 9g Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Cup or 115g Unsalted Butter, cold and chopped into cubes.
  • 2 Large Egg, each weiging 55 to 60g, at room temperature
  • 1 Cup or 150g of Dried Currants ( can be substituted with other dried fruits )
  • 1 Tablespoon and 2 Teaspoons or 15g of Cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and line your baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add plain flour, baking powder and cornstarch and then mix well until they are evenly distributed throughout.
  3. Cut the cubed butter into this mixture until it forms coarse crumbs.
  4. Add in the sugar and currants and stir well until well distributed.
  5. Add in the 2 large eggs and mix well. It will be difficult to mix in initially but you will eventually be able to form a lumpy batter.
  6. Place tablespoons (or 25g) of batter onto the baking tray, leaving about 2 inches or 5cm apart between each Rock Cake.
  7. Bake between 15-20 minutes or until the desired colouration of the cookie is achieved. I like mine light-brown.
  8. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Details

  • Prep time: 25 mins
  • Cook time: 30 mins
  • Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
  • Yield: About 20 Rock Cakes

Notes:

  1. Best served warm but if leaving to eat on a later timing or day, keep it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  2. Do feel free to ask me if you have any questions!
  3. If you would like to be updated for more recipes, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support!

Enjoy!
Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan!