Gluten Free Rock Cakes - easyyumyumrecipes

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These Gluten Free Rock Cakes are such an easy bake and a delicious tea-time treat. A cross between a scone, biscuit and cake, these are lightly spiced, fruity and the perfect accompaniment to a cuppa for a quintessentially British afternoon tea!

Overhead shot of a plate of gluten free rock cakes.

The Easiest Gluten Free Rock Cakes Recipe EVER!

Why choose this recipe? Rock cakes always remind me of my childhood, and I swear they’re a staple recipe for food tech classes in school. My gluten free rock cakes recipe means no more missing out – they’re so simple to make and great for kids too!
What are rock cakes? A rock cake (or rock buns) is a small, British fruit cake, kind of like a cross between a gluten free scone and gluten free Welsh cakes! They are lightly spiced and studded with dried fruit.
Top Tip: Don’t worry about your rock cakes being too perfect – a rustic look is part of their charm! If you do find the dough quite sticky, chill it for 30 mins before baking.
Flour of choice: I always use the FREEE Plain Gluten Free Flour for this but any plain gluten free flour blend will work, such as Asda or M&S flour.
Anything else? If you like these, try some of my other traditional British cakes like my gluten free Victoria Sponge, gluten free tea loaf and gluten free Malt Loaf.

Ingredients and Substitutions

There’s a printable recipe card below for these gluten free rock cakes with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.

Gluten Free Self Raising Flour: If you only have plain gluten free flour, add 1 tsp gluten free baking powder per 100g flour to make it self-raising, in addition to the extra baking powder already in the recipe.
Mixed Spice: This is traditionally a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, coriander, nutmeg and allspice.
Xanthan Gum: This is essential for the dough to not turn into a sticky mess. My self-raising flour contains xanthan gum already but I always add this extra.
Butter: Use a hard vegan margarine to make gluten and dairy free rock cakes.
Sugar: I use caster sugar (bakers sugar) in my dough and demerera sugar on top for that trademark, glittery crunch.
Dried Fruit: Generally I’ll use a mixture of currants and raisins, but you can also include sultanas and even mixed peel if you like. Use whatever you fancy!
Egg
Milk: Use a dairy free milk for a dairy free version of this recipe, such as gluten free oat milk, soya milk or almond milk.

How to Make Gluten Free Rock Cakes

There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free rock cakes recipe is to make.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

TO STORE: Any leftover rock cakes can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days, but they are definitely best eaten while still warm and fresh.

TO FREEZE: You can freeze these rock cakes, but as with most gluten free bakes I recommend giving them a little refresh in the oven to warm them once defrosted.

More British Baking Recipes

If you like this Gluten Free Rock Cakes recipe then make sure you check out these other gluten free British baking recipes too…

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Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / Gas Mark 6. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, xanthan gum and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir together.
Cut the butter into small cubes, then add to the flour mix. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a breadcrumb-like consistency.
Add the eggs, milk and dried fruit into the bowl and mix together using a wooden spoon until it forms a thick, sticky dough.
Spoon the mixture onto the lined baking sheet into 10, even-sized ‘blobs’, with some space between them. Sprinkle with the demerera sugar.
Place the trays in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden on top. Remove from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or cold.

Weighing Scales vs Cups: You can toggle this recipe card to convert the ingredients into cups. However, I always recommend using weighing scales – these are cheap to buy and much more accurate. And in gluten free baking, a tiny variation can make a huge difference!
Step-by-Step Photos: If you find it easier to follow a visual aid, I’ve included step-by-step photos in the post above.
Storing: These gluten free rock cakes will keep for around 3-5 days in an airtight container, or can be frozen.
Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and a little comment if you made this rock cakes recipe and loved it. It really helps support my website and get my recipes out there. Thank you! xx

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