Rock cake facts for kids
A rock cake made by Golden Krust bakery
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| Alternative names | Rock bun Scone (US) |
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| Type | pastry | ||||||
| Place of origin | United Kingdom Ireland |
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| Main ingredients | Flour, butter or margarine, sugar, egg, baking powder, water, dried fruit (currants, raisins, candied orange peel), nutmeg and mixed spices | ||||||
| 166.6 kcal (698 kJ) | |||||||
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A rock cake is a yummy, small cake that looks a bit like a rough rock. It is also sometimes called a rock bun. These cakes became very popular during the Second World War.
During the war, there was a time of strict rationing. This meant people could only buy small amounts of food. The Ministry of Food encouraged people to make rock cakes. This was because they used fewer eggs and less sugar than other cakes. This helped save important ingredients during a difficult time. Older recipes often added oatmeal to rock cakes. Oatmeal was easier to find than white flour back then.
Contents
How to Make Rock Cakes
Making rock cakes is quite simple! They are known for their uneven shape. This is why they look like small rocks.
Traditional Recipes
Back in 1861, a famous cookbook by Mrs. Beeton shared early recipes for rock cakes. One recipe used flour, butter, a type of sugar called 'moist sugar', lemon, milk, and baking powder. Another recipe was more like shortbread. It used flour, butter, and currants but no baking powder.
Modern Rock Cake Recipe
Today, a typical recipe to make 12 rock cakes uses these ingredients:
- 200 grams of flour
- 100 grams of butter or margarine
- 50 grams of sugar
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 150 grams of dried fruit (like currants, raisins, or candied orange peel)
- A pinch of nutmeg and mixed spices
First, the flour and butter are mixed together. They should look like breadcrumbs. Then, all the other ingredients are added. This makes a thick dough. You can drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking tray. Or, you can shape them roughly with two forks.
The cakes are then baked for about 15 minutes. The oven should be hot, around 200-220 °C. Sometimes, people sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top before baking. The cakes will keep their bumpy, uneven shape.
Different Kinds of Rock Cakes
There are a few different types of rock cakes. For example, the Jamaican rock cake is similar. But it often includes grated coconut. Traditional British rock cakes sometimes have oatmeal in them.
See also
In Spanish: Pastel de roca para niños
