Gluten-Free Rock Cakes

Name: Gluten-Free Rock Cakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 240 g homemade gluten-free flour blend (FTL Blend); 100 g light brown sugar; ½ orange (zested); ½ teaspoon mixed spice; ½ teaspoon salt; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; 150 g unsalted butter (cold and diced small); 50 g raisins; 50 g glacé cherries (diced); 25 g dried apricots (diced); 25 g currants; 1 egg (medium*)

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Gluten-Free Rock Cakes are a nostalgic British teatime bake made with my homemade gluten-free flour blend and no xanthan gum. Lightly crisp on the outside and stuffed with dried fruits, they are a quick and easy bake, and simple to make with kids.

Gluten-Free Rock Cakes on a wooden board.

Table of Contents

I distinctly remember that rock cakes were the first recipe that I ever baked. I was 5 years old and we did it in Friday club at my primary school using Pooh’s Cookbook. So I guess I have a special place in my heart for this recipe. Although these days I bake this gluten-free version.

I’ll show you how easy they are to make, why these rock cakes are lovely and moist (hint, it’s all about the flour choice) and how you can adapt it for whichever dried fruit you have in your larder.

They don’t look exactly like my rock cakes from days of yore due as they are a little flatter but they still have a rocky look and certainly taste like the real thing.

Gluten-Free Rock Cake on a table, halved showing tender crumb stuffed with dried fruits.

What Are Rock Cakes?

Also called Rock Buns, Rock Cakes have a crisp exterior with a soft and fluffy inside and a slight crumble once you bite into them. They are a bit like the kid version of scones but can’t really support cream or jam. Instead they are stuffed with dried fruit, currants being the most traditional choice.

They were baked quite a lot in wartime Britain in the forties when rationing was introduced as it used larder staples and was promoted by the Ministry of Food as they used less sugar and eggs than regular cakes.

Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Rock Cakes

Texture. Soft and cakey inside with a crisp outside they also have a lovely crumble.
Structure. They do have a crumble but they also hold together well.
Flavour. Lightly spiced with mixed spice and orange zest and very buttery.
Kid-friendly bake. They are so easy to bake with the kids as the more rocky and craggy the look the more authentic they are.
Perfect for bake sales. Rock cakes always used to go down well at our Women’s Institute cake stall and there’s no nuts so they are perfect for school bake sales.
No xanthan gum. The high proportion of starchy flours in the flour mix means we don’t need xanthan gum to hold these rock cakes together.

Watch The Video

Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your rock cakes.

Ingredients Needed

Homemade Flour Blend. This recipe uses my Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour which works really well for most gluten-free baking recipes (not bread though – that’s a totally different ball game). This flour blend is a mix of 4 different flours:

Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour).
Sorghum flour.
Oat flour.
Tapioca flour (tapioca starch)

There are plenty of flour substitution tips if you can’t have the oat flour or can’t find sweet rice flour or sorghum flour if you click on the original post for this flour mix. READ MORE >>> Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend.

This is the best gluten free flour for cakes as the flour ratio has been carefully tested to ensure the mix between wholegrain flours and starchy flours is balanced. This also means we don’t need to use xanthan gum as the blend is strong enough and produces a soft and tender sponge which can hold together without needing any extra binders.

Brown sugar. Gives lovely gentle molasses flavour and moisture to the recipe.

Orange. You only need the zest of half an orange or a satsuma so make sure it’s unwaxed or scrub off the wax before zesting.

Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Mixed dried fruit. Currants and raisins are the most traditional to use. However, you can use whatever you have in your cupboards. I love the mix of currants, glacé cherries, raisins and dried apricots. However, you could use sultanas, cranberries, blueberries or diced dates etc.

Egg. This recipe uses just one medium sized 60g egg (50g without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

Baking powder. A leaving agent which helps the Welsh Cakes rise just a little and avoids them being dense. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Ground mixed spice. This is a totally optional spice blend. I do like the gentle background note this spice mix gives the Rock Cakes, you only need a little. If you do want to use it and can’t find it though I have a recipe to make your own mixed spice at home (a lot better than the shop bought mix).

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

How To Make Gluten-Free Rock Cakes

The following gives a short concise method with step-by-step images. For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Whisk the flour with the sugar, orange zest, mixed spice, baking powder and salt.

Flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, salt and orange zest mixed together in large mixing bowl.

Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips.

Butter added to flour mixture then a shaggy pile after it has been rubbed in with fingertips.

Stir in the mixed dried fruit.

Dried fruits added to flour mixture then mixed in with whisk.

Whisk in the egg with a fork, then when the mixture begins to come together gather it in your hands and form a cohesive dough.

Gluten-Free Rock Cake dough with egg and after mixing in, a soft and sticky dough.

Split the dough into 9 and portion onto a lined baking tray. You can build the mini dough balls up so they are more cylindrical than actual balls. The dough is quite sticky so the balls won’t be smooth but rough and spiky. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Gluten-Free Rock Cakes on baking tray before baking shaped into cylindrical log and after baking flatter and golden brown.

Expert Tips

The moist texture in these rock cakes is achieved by using the right balance of starch in your flour (my homemade blend has this sorted for you), rich butter and the egg to bind.

The scones are best eaten the day of or the day after baking. You can re-heat the scones in a pre-heated oven for 5 minutes after that for a fresher flavour.

FAQs

Why are my gluten-free rock cakes flat?

These rock cakes are a little flatter than regular ones and that’s because we are using lower protein flours and no xanthan gum. To make sure they are not too flat that’s why we shape them into tall cylinders when we put them on the baking tray. This will help create a more rounded rock cake.

Why are my rock cakes dry?

The dough is damp and sticky, if your dough has not come together enough to shape then you can add a splash of milk (this can happen if your egg is a bit smaller than the recipe requires). If they are baking up dry then they have been overbaked. They should be lightly golden when you bring them out of the oven.

How do I stop them from crumbling?

Rock cakes should have a slight crumble, they are more tender than scones. However, if they are falling apart too much after baking then you can include a higher protein flour like almond flour to replace a quarter of the flour mix. Or you could add a tablespoon of ground chia seeds or ground flaxseeds to the flour mix.

What's the best way to store these rock cakes?

You can store these rock cakes in an airtight container (but preferably tin rather than plastic as it plastic will keep them too moist). Then store the cake in a cool dark place. They will last up to 2 days before they start tasting a little stale. At this point you can freshen them up by 5 minutes in a pre-heated oven.

Can you freeze rock cakes?

Absolutely. You can freeze the rock cakes successfully for up to 3 months. Store in an airtight container. Don’t forget to label including the date. To enjoy, thaw each one at room temperature for an hour or so. You can freshen them up by 5 minutes in a pre-heated oven.

Can you use a branded all-purpose flour instead of your homemade blend?

Not for this recipe as branded all-purpose flours will not have the right ratio of wholegrain: starchy flours that is required for this recipe to be successful.

Can you make this recipe dairy-free / vegan?

This cake has only been tested with eggs and dairy ingredients. However, you can experiment by substituting the dairy if you have a favourite plant based butter block as a 1:1 swap. You can also swap the egg for 1 chia egg which will work very well here.

Flavour Variations

Dried Fruit. It’s easy to make some adjustments to the mixed dried fruit in this recipe. In fact I always just use whatever I have in that needs to be used up. I usually include currants but you can switch things around to include mixed peel, stem ginger, dried cranberries or blueberries or sour cherries.

Spicing. This recipe used mixed spice but you can switch it out for a mix of nutmeg and cinnamon or a pinch of fiery ginger.

Vanilla. I prefer the more traditional version which doesn’t include vanilla but you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for that deep rich flavour.

Chocolate Chips. This is the version we came to adore when my twins were newly born. My husband (who is definitely not a baker) used to whip up a batch of chocolate chip rock cakes for me to snack on whilst I was holding my new babies. You can add a handful of chocolate chips as extra or use them to replace all the dried fruit.

More Quick & Easy Gluten-Free Recipes

These Gluten-Free Welsh Cakes are golden, buttery, and perfectly spiced. Made on a griddle or cast iron pan, they’re soft yet slightly crisp on the outside, dotted with currants, and dusted with a sugar crunch.

These Gluten-Free Scones are tall and fluffy with a tender buttermilk crumb. Wonderful as part of your afternoon tea spread, especially filled with a fruity homemade jam and luscious clotted cream.

These Gluten-Free Cheese Scones are the real deal and made with buttermilk for the best texture. Brilliantly portable for picnics and essential for afternoon tea with a deeply cheesy savoury flavour.

These Easy Gluten-Free Fairy Cakes are light, fluffy little cakes which are perfect for baking with kids. Simply made with gluten-free flour, ground almonds (almond flour) and no weird gums they deliver a delicious buttery vanilla flavour. Glazed with an easy lemon icing these Fairy Cakes are the best reason to usher your children into the kitchen.