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Scottish Snow Cake Recipe
4.8 from 100 votes

Scottish Snow Cake Recipe

Scottish Snow Cake features a buttery short crust pastry base topped with raspberry jam and a light, fluffy cake batter. It is finished with a powdered sugar icing and shredded coconut, providing a mixture of textures from the crisp crust to the soft cake and sweet coconut topping. This layered dessert is a traditional sweet treat combining tart jam with tender cake.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 18 pieces
Calories: 347 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: British, Scottish

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)
  • ⅔ c superfine sugar caster sugar in the UK, or baker’s sugar
  • 3 egg beaten
  • 1 ¼ c self-rising flour all purpose flour with 1 tsp baking powder, SIFTED
  • pinch salt
Topping
  • 1 c powdered sugar aka confectioner's 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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Oven temp 375˚F (190˚C) for pastry.
  2. Make the Pastry Base
  3. Using two knives of a pastry cutter, cut the butter finely into the sugar, but do not cream.
  4. Add the egg yolk and stir to combine.
  5. Add the flour. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it has a breadcrumb texture.
  6. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9"x13" cake pan, pressing firmly.
  7. 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.
  8. Lower the oven temperature to 350° F (180°C)
  9. Make the Cake
  10. 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.
  11. Add about one third of the beaten eggs, and mix well at medium speed.
  12. 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. 
  13. Prepare the Cake for Baking
  14. Spoon the jam evenly onto the pastry base taking care not to let it reach the side of the pan.
  15. 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.)
  16. Spread the batter evenly all over the jam and pastry.
  17. 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.
  18. Decorate the Snow Cake
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. Before the icing begins to dry, sprinkle generously with finely shredded, unsweetened coconut.
  22. 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

  • Adjust the amount of jam and shredded coconut according to personal preference.
  • Use room temperature butter when making the cake batter to ensure proper creaming.
  • Bake the pastry base without browning to maintain a delicate crust.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 347kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 43g (14%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 4g (20%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 79mg (26%) Sodium 138mg (6%) Potassium 62mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 23g (46%) Vitamin A 527IU (11%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 17mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 18 pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 347

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 347kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 43g 14%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 79mg 26%
Sodium 138mg 6%
Potassium 62mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 23g 46%
Vitamin A 527IU 11%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 17mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.