Fat rascals were known in the Yorkshire region in the nineteenth century as a form of tea cake containing butter and cream.

A Yorkshire cookery book of 1973 had plain flour, baking powder, butter and currants as the ingredients.

[7] A widely recognised version of the fat rascal was introduced by Bettys Café Tea Rooms in North Yorkshire in 1983.

This is a plump, fruity scone with a 'face' made from cherries and almonds based on a rock cake recipe, developed by Helen Frankel, then a buyer and marketing assistant at Bettys.

Following its launch, the fat rascal quickly became Bettys' best known and best-selling bakery product, selling over 375,000 per year.