Rock Cakes

Name: Rock Cakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 250 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp ground mixed spice; 100 g Unsalted butter; 75 g caster sugar; 125 g mixed dried fruit; 1 Egg; 30 ml full-cream milk; 1 tbsp demerara sugar

Craggy, golden-crusted fruit buns with a tender crumb, warm spices, and plump sultanas. An enduring Australian teatime classic.

🇦🇺Australia· New South Wales

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 195 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

250 g self-raising flour — sifted
1 tsp ground mixed spice — or ground cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg
100 g Unsalted butter — chilled and cut into small cubes
75 g caster sugar — or raw caster sugar
125 g mixed dried fruit — sultanas, currants, and raisins
1 Egg — large, lightly beaten
30 ml full-cream milk — plus extra if needed to bind
1 tbsp demerara sugar — for sprinkling on top

Equipment

•Baking tray
•Baking paper
•Large mixing bowl
•Flour sifter
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 195 kcal
fat: 7 g
carbs: 31 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 3 g
calories: 195 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C or 180 degrees C fan-forced.
2
Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
3
Sift the self-raising flour and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl.
4
Rub the cold butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
5
Stir through the caster sugar and mixed dried fruit.
6
Pour the beaten egg and milk into the centre of the dry ingredients.
7
Mix gently with a flat-bladed knife until a stiff, sticky dough comes together.
8
Spoon 12 rough, jagged mounds of dough onto the prepared baking tray, leaving space between each.
9
Sprinkle the tops of the mounds with demerara sugar for a crisp, sugary crust.
10
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
11
Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Chef's tips

Keep your butter cold and handle the dough as little as possible. The rougher and more craggy the mounds look on the tray, the better their final texture will be.

Ingredient substitutions

mixed dried fruit → an equal quantity of dried currants, sultanas, or chopped dried dates
ground mixed spice → equal parts ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger

Storage

Store cooled rock cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.

Reheating

Warm in an oven preheated to 160 degrees C for 5 minutes to restore their crisp exterior.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Rolling the dough into smooth balls, which destroys their signature craggy rock texture.
•Adding too much milk, creating a runny batter that spreads flat on the baking tray.