Fern Cakes
Traditional Scottish Fern Cakes made with a sweet shortcrust pastry, filled with raspberry jam and almond frangipane sponge. Topped with white icing and feathered dark chocolate. One you'll recognise from Scottish bakeries and supermarkets.
Servings: 12
Equipment
- 12-hole Muffin Tin
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 175 g Butter or Block Margarine at room temperature
- 65 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 250 g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
- 150 g Raspberry Jam (Raspberry Jelly)
For the Filling
- 75 g Butter or Margarine softened
- 75 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 75 g Ground Almonds
- 1 tbsp Self-raising Flour
- 1 Free-range Egg
For the Icing & Decoration
- 150 g Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
- 1-2 tsbp Boiling Water
- 50 g Dark Chocolate
Instructions
For the Pastry
For the Pastry:
- In a large bowl, cream together the margarine/butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift in the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Use your hands to bring it together if needed. Gently knead the dough, wrap it in clingfilm, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (160°c fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with a little excess margarine/butter, lightly dust with a little excess flour, and set aside.
- Roll the chilled dough to 5mm thick. Using a round cutter slightly larger than the muffin tin holes, cut 12 circles. Carefully transfer each circle to the greased tray, pressing it into place.
- Prick the base of each pastry cup, line with a paper cupcake case, and fill with baking beans. Bake for 10 minutes until partially baked.
- Remove from the oven, and carefully remove the baking beans. Spoon 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam into the base of each pastry case while still warm. Set aside to prepare the filling.
For the Filling:
- In a large bowl, cream together the margarine/butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the ground almonds and self-raising flour. Add the egg and mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Spoon the batter into the part-baked pastry cases, on top of the jam, filling them about ⅔ full.
- Return to the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the filling has risen slightly and is light golden. Leave to cool in the tray before icing.
For the Icing and Decoration:
- In a small bowl, mix the icing sugar with boiling water, adding a little at a time until you reach a thick but pourable consistency. You may not need all the water.
- Spoon the icing over the top of each cooled cake, filling to the edges but avoiding spills.
- Melt the dark chocolate (either in short bursts in the microwave or over a bain-marie), then drizzle over the icing in thin zig-zags. Drag a toothpick through the chocolate in one direction to create the fern leaf pattern.
- Allow the icing to set for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight, before serving.
Notes
- Storage: Once the icing has set, Fern Cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm, keep them somewhere cool to stop the icing and chocolate from softening.
- Make Ahead: You can make the pastry a day or two in advance, just keep it in your fridge until ready to use. The full Fern Cakes are best assembled and iced on the day you plan to serve them.
- Freezing: Fern Cakes freeze well, even with the icing and chocolate. Pop them in a single layer in a container or wrap individually, then freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
- Substitutions:
- Pastry: You can use a ready-roll pastry if you prefer, or are short on time. But my sweet shortcrust pastry is definitely worth the effort, if you can.
- Jam (Jelly): You can swap raspberry jam for strawberry or blackcurrant, if you prefer.
