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+ servings

Piece of Snow Cake on a Christmas plate

Scottish Snow Cake Recipe

Course Cakes & Pies
Cuisine British, Scottish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 18 pieces
Calories 347
Author adapted by Christina Conte
A sponge cake baked onto a raspberry jam covered pastry and topped with icing and coconut! Dreamy!

Ingredients

Short Crust Pastry

  • 2 c all purpose flour plain flour in UK
  • 6 oz butter 1 ½ sticks, cold, unsalted
  • ¼ c sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • pinch salt (omit if using salted butter)
  • 8 oz raspberry jam (to cover the pastry)

Cake 

  • 6 oz butter unsalted and at room temperature (if you only have salted butter, omit the salt)
  • c superfine or Baker’s sugar (caster sugar in the UK)
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • 1 ¼ c self-rising flour all purpose flour with 1 tsp baking powder, SIFTED
  • pinch salt

Topping

  • 1 c confectioner's/powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp water or milk (add as needed for consistency required)
  • ½ c unsweetened coconut shredded, to sprinkle on top - more or less as desired

Instructions

  • Oven temp 375˚F (190˚C) for pastry.
  • Make the Pastry Base
  • Using two knives of a pastry cutter, cut the butter finely into the sugar, but do not cream.
  • Add the egg yolk and stir to combine.
  • Add the flour. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it has a breadcrumb texture.
  • Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9"x13" cake pan, pressing firmly.
  • Bake for about 10 minutes. Don't let it start to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, while making the cake batter.
  • Lower the oven temperature to 350° F (180°C)
  • Make the Cake
  • In a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. It will begin to pale in color, too.
  • Add about one third of the beaten eggs, and mix well at medium speed.
  • Then add about a third of the sifted flour. Repeat this step. Add the rest of the eggs and mix well, then turn the mixer to low and add the final flour and just mix until well combined. 
  • Prepare the Cake for Baking
  • Spoon the jam evenly onto the pastry base taking care not to let it reach the side of the pan.
  • Place dollops of cake batter all over the jam to make it easier to spread. (Try not to let the jam get mixed into the batter.)
  • Spread the batter evenly all over the jam and pastry.
  • Pop the cake into the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Do not open the oven until you start to smell the cake and it looks well risen (through the glass). Gently insert a cake tester or skewer into the center of the cake to check that it's completely cooked before removing from the oven. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
  • Decorate the Snow Cake
  • Run a knife around the cake, down to the pastry, then shake the pan. You should feel that the cake is loose in the pan before decorating it.
  • Put the confectioner's sugar in a bowl and slowly add the milk or water a little at a time (1/2 tsp) until a thick, but runny consistency is reached. Adjust with more sugar or liquid if you see the icing isn't spreading nicely. Cover the cake with this icing.
  • Before the icing begins to dry, sprinkle generously with finely shredded, unsweetened coconut.
  • Allow the icing to dry and set completely which will take a few hours. Once it's set, use a serrated knife to cut the cake into squares (cutting into 18 pieces is a good size). Alternatively, you can cut the Scottish Snow Cake into fingers or even diamond shapes. Keep covered at room temperature.

Notes

  • Jam and coconut are to be used "as desired".

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 527IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
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