Rosie Makes: Cranachan Cake

Cranachan Cake

Tomorrow marks the birthday of Scotland’s Bard, Rabbie Burns, when Scots the world over celebrate his life and work with poetry and piping, haggis, neeps, tatties and usually a wee dram (or two). Cranachan is usually served as dessert: a creamy pud made with crowdie, raspberries, honey, whisky and toasted oats. It’s a rich pudding, more suited to Summer when Scotland’s delectable raspberries are in season I think; today’s bake is a cake-shaped spin on the traditional Scottish dessert made with frozen raspberries, which are easy to pick-up in the Winter months – and often cheaper too. Here, an oaty sponge is infused with honey and whisky (not a cake for the designated driver!), sandwiched with tart raspberries and topped with oaty granola. To make the cake, you will need:

Cranachan Cake

150g butter, softened
50g brown sugar
3 eggs
100ml honey
50ml whisky
250g self-raising flour
50g Scottish oats
250g frozen raspberries
100g granola (I used homemade – a recipe I should share some time!)
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1) Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C Fan/ gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
2) In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Cranachan cake
Next, beat in the eggs.
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Cranachan cake
Add a wee bit of flour if it looks like it is starting to curdle. Add the honey and whisky and beat until just incorporated.
Cranachan cake
Cranachan cake
In another bowl, sieve the flour then mix in the oats.
Cranachan cake
Cranachan cake
Fold the flour and oats into the rest of the mixture.
Cranachan cake
2) Pour half the mixture into a cake tin and smooth the top with a palette knife.
Cranachan cake
Top with the frozen raspberries.
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Spoon the remaining mixture on top, spreading it to cover the raspberries, then sprinkle over the granola.
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Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 170C/ Fan 150C/ Gas 3 and bake for a further 40 – 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Cranachan cake
Cranachan cake
Cranachan cake
Cranachan cake
If the granola is browning too much, cover with tin foil. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving. Perfect for a Burns Night pud!
Cranachan cake
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Are you celebrating Burns Night? What are you baking this weekend?
Cranachan cake
Cranachan cake
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Tartan throw c/o Laura Ashley (see my tartan-filled St. Andrew’s Day post on their blog here); all other props vintage. Recipe via Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie’ magazine. 

6 comments

  1. Janet says:

    That looks so delicious!

  2. […] mix of raspberry, oats, cream, whisky and crowdie is delicious too. I shared my recipe for cranachan cake last year and look out for another twist on the Burns’ Night classic in an upcoming Rosie […]

  3. Tracy Kerry-Cliff says:

    Hi Rosie, just made this to take to a Burns Night party tomorrow evening, so fingers crossed it will be tasty…thanks for the recipe.
    Best wishes Tracy Kerry-Cliff

  4. […] traditions: sharing a Scottish-inspired recipe. In previous years I’ve posted everything from cranachan cake or even cranachan macarons to spice and nut caramel shortbread. There’s nothing better than […]

  5. […] traditions: sharing a Scottish-inspired recipe. In previous years I’ve posted everything from cranachan cake or even cranachan macarons to spice and nut caramel shortbread. These lemon and cardamom shortbread […]

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