Why lemonade is the secret ingredient in lemonade scones

Scones have been the iconic afternoon tea treat for centuries.

These simple morsels come together using pantry staple ingredients such as flour, milk and butter, and transform in the oven into fluffy, sky-high delights ready to be topped with plenty of jam and then cream.

Or cream and then jam (but that’s a whole other debate).

Their simple ingredient list makes them seem easy to whip up, but really, a proper scone is one of the hardest things a budding baker can achieve.

We’ve all been there: whipped up a scone dough only to end up with stodgy, flat ‘rocks’ that usually end up in the bin.

Why are scones so hard to make?

The problem most of us have with scones comes from the making of the dough for two reasons.

Firstly, in a traditional scone recipe, cold butter is rubbed into flour. As the butter melts while baking, air pockets are created, which result in the fluffy, sky-high scones we know and love. Over-rubbing the butter into the flour won’t allow these air pockets to form.

Secondly, scone dough is incredibly easy to over-knead, hence why many scone recipes will tell you that visible flour in your scone dough is okay. Over-kneading develops too much gluten in the dough, resulting in dense, chewy scones.

But lucky for us, one simple ingredient makes it easy to make fluffy scones without worrying about these dreaded scone woes.

Lemonade: the scone ingredient with ‘magic powers’

The day we learnt about lemonade scones, all our scone problems went out the window.

Lemonade has a special thing called carbonation, AKA bubbles.

“When it’s combined with self-raising flour, carbon dioxide is created, filling the dough with tiny bubbles of gas that will help it to rise,” explains food writer Natasha Shaw.

The carbon dioxide aerates the dough, resulting in scones that rise high with a fluffy interior.

And it’s not all sciency! Lemonade adds a lovely sweetness and lemony flavour that works super well in scones.

Lemonade really is the foolproof trick to guarantee perfect scones every single time.

Don’t forget the cream too!

In this winning lemonade scones recipe submitted by Bella, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community, you’ll see cream is one of the key ingredients.

Cream is a crucial ingredient as it works like butter would in a classic scone recipe. The cream provides the dough with fat: fat being a substance that blocks gluten development and ensures your scones are tender and flaky.

We love using cream over butter as there’s no need to do the dreaded ‘rubbing into flour’ – just stir the cream into the flour and lemonade!

WATCH: Ice-cream scones

What can I use instead of lemonade in these scones?

Since the lemonade is used purely for its carbonated properties, basically any carbonated beverage can be used!

Natasha says: “Lemonade adds a subtle sweetness to these scones, but if you want the same effect without the sugar, you could use soda water, or even Prosecco, instead of lemonade.”

Check out these ginger beer scones – they’re the Aussie twist on scones you won’t want to miss!

How to make lemonade scones

This near-perfectly rated 4.8-star lemonade scone recipe comes together in just four simple steps.

Step one: Preheat your oven (scones need a hot oven) and get your baking tray ready.

Step two: Put your flour in a bowl and add the lemonade and cream. Use a butter knife to form the dough, as it lowers the risk of over-mixing (as opposed to a wooden spoon).

Step three: Knead the dough on a floured surface until it just comes together and cut into rounds. Overkneading can cause too much gluten development and will “squish those precious lemonade bubbles,” explains Natasha.

Step four: Place scones onto a tray close together and bake until risen and golden. Placing the scones close together allows them to ‘grab onto each other’ and rise together.