Jump to RecipeThis post may contain affiliate links.See my disclosure policy.A traditional Rock Cakes recipe from England, also known as Rock Buns, these favorite pastries feature that famous craggy exterior with a buttery tender crumb that’s flavored with dried currants, candied lemon peel and mixed spice.

They’re super easy to make and are positively delicious! What are Rock Cakes? Rock cakes, also known as rock buns, are a traditional English pastry popular throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland and are made with flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs and dried fruits – usually currants or sultanas and often candied citrus peel.They’re fairly dry and crumbly in texture and the batter is dropped in mounds onto the baking sheet, giving them and rough and craggy exterior.They’re often served as part of afternoon tea.

Their texture and consistency is similar to scones and they’re nearly identical to what Americans call drop biscuits, only they’re sweet.Rock buns date back to at least the mid-19th century.Most food writers attribute rock cakes to Mrs.

Beeton’s publication in 1861 (referred to as “rock biscuits”), but they go back earlier.(Which is no surprise considering Mrs.Beeton’s notoriety for plagiarizing earlier authors’ recipes and claiming them as her own.

The age old story of stolen glory and ill-gotten fame.) George Read published a recipe for them in his 1854 cookbook, The Complete Biscuit and Gingerbrea

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