Flower-shaped Scones with Jam and Cream

Celebrate the beauty of flowers with my Flower-shaped Scones. Made with buttermilk, they are light as a feather and a perfect addition to a garden party or floral themed afternoon tea. View my short promo video at the end of the recipe for inspiration!

The Secret to Perfect Petals

Resting the dough twice is the key to creating professional-looking scones with smooth tops, clean edges, and petals that hold their shape. The texture? Light, airy, and tender—thanks to the gentle reaction between the acid in the buttermilk and the baking powder in the self-raising flour.

They do require a little more time than my Afternoon Tea Scones, so if you need a quick scone recipe then you might want to save these for a day when you can enjoy the process. Both recipes are simple to make—it’s just a matter of how much time you have to spare.

Serving Suggestions

Fresh from the oven, these scones are irresistible with strawberry or raspberry jam and cream. In Australia, clotted cream isn’t easy to come by, so I serve mine with thick, luscious double cream—straight from the tub into a little dish, no whipping needed. (Time savers are always welcome in my kitchen!)

Why You’ll Love These Flower Scones

• Elegant, eye-catching design—perfect for special occasions
• Light, fluffy texture with a subtle sweetness
• Can be made ahead and frozen—just reheat and serve
• A little different from your usual round scone

Good to know

• You will need a flower cutter measuring 6 cm from petal edge to edge and at least 2cm high. I bought this set from Bake Boss and used the blue cutter.
• Digital scales to ensure accuracy.
• A plain round 1A piping tip to mark the centres (1 cm diameter) or a small bottle top or lid.  

See equipment details on the recipe card for other items you will need.

Other recipes to try

Little Lemon Layer Cakes

Easy Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes

Pumpkin & Sage Mini Quiches

Coronation Chicken Finger Sandwiches

Scorched Almond Tartlets

Ingredients for Flower Scones

Self-raising flour – This is plain / all purpose flour that has had baking powder added to it so you don’t have to. Make sure yours is fresh as it loses it’s efficacy over time. If you’re not sure how old yours is then buy a new packet before making this recipe.

Superfine/caster sugar – You can also use granulated sugar although it will affect the texture slightly.

Unsalted butter – If you only have salted butter to hand then use it, just don’t add the fine table salt.

Buttermilk – The acid in the buttermilk will react with the baking powder in the self-raising flour, resulting in a fluffy texture and nice high scones.  

You will also need – Fine table salt and an egg yolk (for brushing the tops).

Serve with – Raspberry or Strawberry jam / preserves plus double cream, whipped cream or clotted cream.

Preparation

Cut the butter into small cubes.

Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and set aside.

Make the scone dough

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Add the cubed butter then rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the buttermilk one third at a time, mixing between additions until all the flour/butter has been incorporated.

Dust a cutting board or silicone mat with a little extra flour then add the dough.

Gently knead until smooth.

Pat the dough into a disc shape then place it in a clean bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave it on your bench. Set a timer for 60 minutes.

Cut out the flower scones

Dust a clean board or pastry mat with a little flour and gently roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 2cm (use a ruler and bend down to check the surface is even, particularly in the middle).

Take a flower-shaped cutter and using a stamping action (straight down, straight up) cut out as many scones as possible. Turn them over and place them on the baking sheet one finger width apart.

Gather the scraps, gently knead until smooth, then re-roll to the same 2cm height. Cut more flower scones. Repeat rolling/cutting until you have no more dough left.

Define the centre and petals

Take a 1A piping tip, small bottle top or pen cap (clean first) and press down in the centre of each scone to make a centre.

Then use a small sharp knife to define each petal.

Brush the tops with a pastry brush and beaten egg yolk, then leave the tray of scones uncovered on your bench to rest for another 30 minutes. Note: After about 15 minutes of resting preheat your oven to 180 C fan / 360 F fan.

Bake the Flower Scones

When the time is finally up, place the tray of flower scones in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, turn your tray, then bake for a further 5 -10 minutes until brown on top

Remove from the oven. Serve immediately on a tiered stand or wrapped in a clean linen napkin in a pretty serving bowl with raspberry or strawberry jam plus double cream, or cool on a wire rack before storing.

To store

Cool completely then store in a sealable container lined with baking paper in the fridge for up to 2 days. Alternatively place the scones in zip lock bags and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the bags before re-heating.

To reheat

Preheat the oven to 160 C fan / 320 F fan.

Wrap the scones in aluminium foil and place the parcel on a tray in the oven for 12 minutes.

Remove from the foil and serve immediately on a tiered stand or wrapped in a clean linen napkin in a pretty serving bowl together with jam and cream.