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Home » Home Baking » Traditional Scottish Snowballs Cakes (+Video!)

Traditional Scottish Snowballs Cakes (+Video!)

Author: Karon Grieve Published : January 2019

Recipe
Scottish snowball cakes
Scottish snowballs
scottish snowballs pin image

Scottish snowballs are the perfect sweet treat, from their coating of pristine white coconut to their oozing strawberry jam in the centre. These snowball cakes are just perfect with a cup of tea and kids adore them too. Plus they are super easy to make.

close up of snowball cake

The inspiration for these snowball cakes

The cake I remember most from my childhood has to be traditional Scottish snowballs. These dense coconut covered cakes with jam oozing from the centre were our Saturday morning treat when my Mum and I went to the local bakery.

I couldn’t wait to eat mine the minute I got home and would try to pinch my brother’s snowball cake too.

This recipe is taken from my book Simply Scottish Cakes & Bakes where you’ll find over 50 fabulous Scottish bakes of all types. The book is available from Amazon both as hardback, paperback and Kindle editions and at bookshops too.

snowball cake with cup of tea behind

Scottish snowball cakes

So what are these snowball cakes? Well, Scottish snowballs are almost like a cross between shortbread and a scone. They aren’t out and out cake-like in texture.

Yes, you’ll find coconut snowball cakes in the shops (even Aldi has them now) but they are cakes with coconut around them. They are not the traditional Scottish snowball which dates back many years and isn’t a cake at all really, it’s more of a scone.

There must be an oozingly sweet jam centre.

That all-important coconut covering of ‘snow’ to make it a real honest-to-goodness snowball!

Traditionally it’s strawberry jam that is inside a Scottish snowball cake. I’ve tried them with all sorts of fillings and I think any nice flavourful and rich red coloured jam works best.

larder links

Strawberry and elderflower jam

Spiced plum and apple jam

Raspberry peach and elderflower jam

Cranberry gin jam

Strawberry and redcurrant jam

Strawberry gin jam

Italian inspired strawberry jam

ingredients for Scottish snowballs

Ingredients for Scottish snowballs

There are only a few basic store-cupboard ingredients in this coconut snowball cake recipe.

For the cake dough – Self-raising flour, caster sugar, butter and egg.

Filling – jam (see list above for ideas)

Finishing – icing sugar and desiccated coconut

sieving the dry ingredients into mixing bowl
add butter to form breadbrumb mix
add the egg and mix to form dough
roll into walnut sized balls
snowball cakes on cooking rack
spreading jam on the cakes
dipping snowballs in icing and coconut
snowballs covered in coconut
finished snowball cakes

How to make snowball cakes

This Scottish snowball recipe couldn’t be easier really. But I must warn you folks, this gets messy!

First, you want to make the dough for the snowball cakes by sifting your flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. This gets rid of any bits and pieces that shouldn’t be there in the first place and airiates the flour too.

Now rub in the butter till you get a nice breadcrumb like texture.

Add the egg and egg yolk and mix to form a dough. If this is a little too loose then just add in a little more flour.

Pull off pieces of dough about the size of a walnut and place on a lines baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes till golden.

Now it gets messy and it’s a great time to get the kids involved.

Sandwich the snowball cakes with your jam.

Now make up a thin icing with water and icing sugar and dip the cake snowballs into this. I told you this was going to get messy!

Lift them out and roll in the coconut to cover the little cakes completely and create Scottish snowballs!

Leave them to set completely for about half an hour before eating or you’ll get covered in coconut and icing

pile of Scottish snowballs with cup of tea behind

How long do Scottish snowballs keep?

Once you’ve made your coconut snowball cakes they will keep for a few days in a sealed container, but I bet they won’t last that long…..

Can you freeze Scottish snowballs?

Yes, you can freeze the actuals snowball cakes before you get to the jam filling and icing stage. Just wrap them well in cling film and a freezer bag and they will keep for up to 3 months.

Defrost thoroughly before filling with jam and finishing off the snowball cakes with coconut and icing as above.

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Looking for more fun wee Scottish bakes to try? Then check these out before you go;

Traditional Scottish honey buns

Millionaire’s shortbread (aka caramel shortbread)

Super easy ginger flapjacks

Scottish drop scones/Scotch pancakes

Quick and easy simple scones

Auld alliance apple tarts

Strawberry shortcakes

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

Photos And Tips AboveMost of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips plus videos too, see above.
Scottish snowballs

Traditional Scottish Snowballs

Karon Grieve
An old fashioned Scottish tea time treat, these jam filled snowball cakes are a classic.
4.67 from 15 votes
Print Recipe Comment Bookmark Saved! Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course baking
Cuisine Scottish
Servings 10 people
Calories 304 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 225 g self raising flour
  • 90 g caster sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 90 g unsalted butter
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 50 g jam of choice
  • 180 g icing sugar plus water
  • 50 g desiccated coconut
Metric – US Customary

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and grease and line a large baking tray.
  • Sift flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and rub in the butter till you get a crumb like mixture.
  • Whisk together the whole egg and the extra yolk in a cup and add this to the mixture and mix thoroughly to form a dough
  • Break the dough in half and then half again. Now pull off pieces of the dough to make five little balls from each batch of dough. This will give you 20 balls about half the size of golf balls.
  • Place these on the prepared baking tray about 3cm apart as they will spread as they bake. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden. Set aside on a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Spread jam on one flat side and sandwich another cake on top, do this will all and you will have 10 snowballs.
  • In one bowl mix a little water with the icing sugar and mix till it is a glaze and in another bowl have the desiccated coconut. Dip the cakes into the icing and roll around to cover completely and then dip and roll in the coconut. Set aside to dry completely

Video

Notes

This recipe makes 10 Scottish snowballs.
The coconut is estimated as the thickness of the icing will change the amount of coconut that sticks to the cakes.
These snowballs can be made with any jam or jelly, but strawberry and raspberry are the most traditional.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 70mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 249IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
My Top Tips*Always read the full recipe first. *Assemble all your ingredients and everything you need before you start. *For baking check the size of tins I’m using as this makes a big difference to your cakes. * I use medium sized eggs unless otherwise stated. * I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated. * I use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. * Check out My Preserving Kit!
Tried this recipe?Mention @LarderLove or tag #LarderLove

 

Filed Under: ALL RECIPES, Home Baking, Scottish Recipes

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Comments

  1. Kirstin Green says

    November 14, 2020 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    Turned out so good! Better than shop bought. Simple to make (A bit messy to make but worth it!) My friends and family loved them (me too!)
    Thank you very much for this recipe!
    Kirstin

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      November 15, 2020 at 8:38 am

      Hi Kirstin
      Oh I did warn you about the messiness. A good job for kids to do for you really. Glad you enjoyed the snowballs though, sorry about the cleaning up!
      K

      Reply
  2. Margaret says

    January 7, 2021 at 11:34 am

    5 stars
    Wonderful comfort food !

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      January 8, 2021 at 9:56 am

      Hi Margaret
      Thanks, you just can’t beat a good old fashioned Scottish snowball!
      K

      Reply
  3. Ina Patience says

    January 9, 2021 at 7:26 pm

    I am going to try these soon as I have yet to find a good Scottish snowbqll recipe

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      January 10, 2021 at 2:13 pm

      Hi Ina
      Hope you try this and enjoy the snowballs
      K

      Reply
  4. JACQUELINE egerton says

    January 15, 2021 at 8:17 pm

    Hi I just made my snowballs but they turned out like more rock scouns lol what did I do wrong?

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      January 16, 2021 at 10:01 am

      Hi Jacqueline
      I don’t honestly know what you have done, it’s difficult to say as I don’t know your oven etc. Snowballs, as I said in the post are almost like a cross between shortbread and a scone, not like a traditional cake in texture. Sorry I can’t be of more help
      K

      Reply
  5. Laura McKenzie says

    March 8, 2021 at 12:40 pm

    Do you have any idea why sponge in the Scottish snowball recipe has went hard,. Thankyou

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      March 8, 2021 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Laura
      This isn’t a sponge cake recipe. Scottish snowballs are like a cross between shortbread and a scone as I say in the recipe post they aren’t meant to be springy like a sponge they are harder in texture.
      K.

      Reply
  6. Leanne says

    May 28, 2021 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    Made these thinking I had finally found a recipe for the sponge cake type snowballs you find in the shops. Despite it not being the recipe I was after, they still turned out lovely! I liked the crumbly texture and the mix was super tasty. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      May 29, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      Hi Leanne
      Glad you liked the finished snowballs. This is a really old fashioned traditional recipe the way snowballs used to be made not the fluffy sponge ones in the shops. So pleased they turned out lovely for you.
      K

      Reply
  7. Anne says

    November 28, 2021 at 7:34 pm

    5 stars
    Fabulous recipe and so easy! Much better than the shop bought ones.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      November 30, 2021 at 8:07 am

      Hi Anne
      Thanks so much for the lovely comment.
      K

      Reply
  8. Vanessa says

    December 27, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect! Substituted flour with Pamalas GF baking flour. Another huge Christmas hit. My son is a Scottish bagpiper and very interested in History Family & Food. We love your Scottish recipes and have enjoyed sharing them with other pipers. Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      December 31, 2021 at 8:14 am

      Hi Vanessa
      Glad you liked the recipe and that it worked so well with GF flour.
      K

      Reply
4.67 from 15 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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