The following is a lesson that Harry Potter might have learned at Hogwarts. If they studied baking. And had baking related sex ed.
When a scone and a cookie love each other, sometimes they decide to have the seckts. In doing so, they create offspring: the rock cake.
Rock cakes are not common treats in the US, but are an old school tea time snack in the UK. They are made similarly to a scone, with a tinge more sweetness, and dropped into smaller rounds, making little, misshapen “rocks”, perfect for nibbling on during afternoon tea, after a typically terrible Potions lesson with Snape whilst commiserating with Hagrid. Unlike Hagrid’s truly rock-like cakes, these moist little treats are easy and delicious.
Chock full of yummy add-ins, these chocolaty rocks are worth donning your Invisibility Cape and dodging Filch (or in my house, the minions of Mrs. Norris) to sneak as a late night snack.
Hagrid’s (Not Horrible) Rock Cakes
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp. baking cocoa, sifted
1 1/2 teas. baking powder
1/4 teas. salt
1/3 cup cold margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 3 tbsp. of milk of choice
1/8 teas. vinegar
1/4 teas. vanilla
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried fruit (cherries, cranberries)
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Combine well. Add the cold margarine, in chunks, and blend in until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl combine the milk, vinegar and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Gently add in the chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit.
Scoop dough into tablespoon sized balls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cakes have risen and are set on the outside. Let cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes before transferring from baking sheet.
Makes 18 rock cakes
39 Responses to hagrid’s (not horrible) rock cakes
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Although I live in Europe, I have never heard of rock cakes. They sound like the perfect snack with tea – and easy to make, too!
From what I’ve read, they are a bit unfashionable and considered old. Here’s to a rock cake revival!
Oh yum! I can already imagine several varieties with different kinds of dried fruit. <3
Happy MoFo! 😀
In the past I’ve avoided rock cakes just because of their name. Something about the word ‘rock’ isn’t very appetizing.
But these look really good, and not rocky at all, so I might have to try making them to get over my prejudice!
Yes, the idea of eating a cake likened to a rock was not that appealing to me initially, either. Appearances are deceiving!
These rock cakes sound delicious! I made some lumps of coal last year that were pretty tasty.. just goes to show that appearance doesn’t mean everything
Ooh, a little more cocoa powder and these would make great coal… I wonder if I can find dark brown sugar crystals to make them crunchy and shiny.
I’m saving this because I love tea and have never had rock cakes before.
I recently purchased my first tea kettle and now I am officially a tea fanatic. I used to like it before, but now I am hardcore.
Cute.
We used to make rock cakes al the time when we were kids. We loaded them with raisins.
Yes, raisins would be so yummy with the chocolate chips! I would have used currants, but didn’t have any.
I guess I really should start reading those Harry Potter books
But I do know that I like tea and I like scones and cookies and cakes, so this recipe will definitely be on my To-Bake list. I just made your pumpkin muffins this weekend and I hate to admit that there are only two left (my hubby doesn’t like pumpkin). Yes, that means that I have, since Saturday, eaten 10 pumpkin muffins. Please don’t judge 
Yes! They are such good books!
No judgment here. I applaud your honesty, I’ll never reveal the quantities of certain things that I’ve solely eaten.
Wow I’ve never heard of a rock cake before how unique and scrumptious looking.
I honestly didn’t know if they were a real thing, or if it was meant as an insult to Hagrid’s ability to bake until I Googled it!
margarine, sugar, fruit and chocolate…? You can’t go wrong when these things are involved. It’s in the Constituition.
I like your Constitution and would like to join your people.
I think Aiden will get a kick out of eating rocks. I’ll have to give this one a try!
The past few day since Halloween, I’ve wished I had an invisibility cape to escape from Ironman, who will not remove his costume to live a normal 3-year-old life.
Long live Iron Man! 😉
Hi there! These look wonderful!! Do you happen to know if they travel well? I’d like to send a batch of these to my husband in Iraq, but they’ll take at least a week and a half to get there. Thanks!
Hi Marisa-
I’m not sure if these would last. My instinct says no, they would hold up, but I think they’d get really dry. I would suggest maybe doing some quick breads that don’t have too much moisture (like banana, which would probably mold), but maybe like some gingerbread or something else that is moist, but the moisture is not from fruit. That’s just my first thought.
I’m sure Harry would prefer these cakes to any he might encounter at Hogwarts. They sound perfect for a rainy afternoon tea party.
I don’t know… some of the desserts they have at the Hogwarts feasts sound pretty amazing. 😉
“…perfect for nibbling on during afternoon tea, after a typically terrible Potions lesson with Snape whilst commiserating with Hagrid.” I love it! You are hilarious, and I am loving all the Harry Potter love
Totally making these soon!
Courtney
HP Geeks, unite!
Nom nom nom indeed. Sometimes you need more chew than a cookie!
Cookies!!!!!! You and HP!!! Are you dressing up for the movie premiere?
I have a black cardigan with a Gryffindor crest on it that I’ll probably wear, but no real dressing up for me… There will be no donning of robes or wand work!
I’ve only ever had rock cake once, and it was during testing of Urban Vegan’s Punk Rock Cakes recipe:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=KqTFXw9g1zEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA17#v=onepage&q&f=false
It makes for a modest, but nice, snack.
I used to look for recipes like this to make for the book release parties. Perhaps I’ll make some to take to the movie instead.
That’s my kind of rocks! With all the possible variations, one could be tempted to start a rock collection – but no! those look too good for me to be able to keep them around very long…
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Love it! I had no idea that rock cakes existed outside of the world of HP.
Yep, they are real!
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These are in the oven now. I didn’t see where you mention adding the sugar so I threw it in with the dry ingredients. Can’t wait to see how they come out!
Gah, good call. Hope you like ’em!
I love it! My boyfriend’s mom gave me a Harry Potter related cookbook for Christmas last year and I’ve been trying to veganize a few of the recipes so I can use the book. Rock cakes.. I need one right now! =)
These look so tasty! I love making food from movies. ^^