Hello again there, folks, and bore da (good morning) or simply su’mae (hello)! Today’s recipe is a Welsh favourite, especially for St David’s Day (1st March): pice ar y maen or simply Welsh cakes.
What are Welsh cakes?
Welsh cakes are fruit cakes with a soft inside and a crispy outside – a little like a thin scone, but traditionally baked on a bakestone or griddle.
They’re perhaps one of the most famous Welsh foods and, as someone of Welsh ancestry, I feel they quite nicely embody the humble spirit of rural Wales and the pride of a great and ancient nation.
Centuries ago, Welsh cakes would have been made over a bakestone by housewives using leftover dough and sundry dried fruit they may have had sitting around.
Most recipes for Welsh cakes are pretty similar, and I credit Rik’s Traditional Welsh Cakes by Backyard Chef for this one. You can adjust ingredients to your liking, however.
Ingredients used in traditional Welsh cakes
Welsh cakes are simple griddle cakes with not too much variation in terms of ingredients. Here’s what’s commonly used:
- Dough: a butter, egg, and flour dough with a little sugar is all you need. You can substitute all or half of the butter for lard to improve the texture. A splash of milk can help if your dough is a little too dry.
- Currants: you can substitute for raisins if you like, but currants are a better choice and they hold a little better in the dough.
- Spices & Seasonings: mace is a traditional choice, or simply use British mixed spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger, mace, and coriander) or make your own spice mix (shown in recipe). Save some caster sugar to decorate with once they’ve all been cooked.
Why should you make homemade Welsh cakes?
This recipe is great for both experienced and inexperienced bakers alike. There isn’t really any baking involved at all, but rather mixing up the ingredients for a cake and then frying them for a few minutes.
Moreover, Welsh cakes have only a few simple ingredients that you should be able to find pretty much anywhere in the world. Adjust the mixed spice or make your own if you prefer, but everything else is easily obtainable.
Several shops in the UK and internationally sell pre-packaged Welsh cakes. If it’s your first time trying this delightful treat, you might be disappointed since the freshness and quality are often lacking. Make your own to get a great first impression – I’m confident you’ll love them with this recipe!
Tips & tricks for excellent Welsh cakes
Welsh cakes are very easy to make, even if you’re not an avid baker since they’re simply grilled. That being said, there are some simple tips to keep in mind so you don’t go faffing about and spoiling your lovely little Welsh cakes.
Firstly, the dough should feel a little like wet sand when you’ve mixed in the butter with the flour. When adding the egg, work the dough with your hands and clump – but not too firmly – until it becomes a nice workable dough.
If it’s too dry with just one egg, add a splash of milk and see if it starts to form. If it’s very dry, add another egg. If it’s too wet, add a little flour at a time until it comes together.
Perhaps the biggest tip I have is to not go too thick when rolling out the dough. Aim for around 1cm thickness, down to about 0.5cm at the thinnest. Thick Welsh cakes will look crispy on the outside, but will be undercooked inside.
You can cut the Welsh cakes with a cutter or into shapes, if you like. A plastic cup or coffee mug will also help you get uniform and decently-sized cakes. Take all the leftover dough and roll it out and cut again and again until you’ve used it all up.
Grease your pan well and fry the Welsh cakes on a medium-low to low heat for a few minutes on each side, and flip them over a few times. The butter will help it get that crispy surface.
A bakestone or griddle is certainly more authentically traditional, but not everyone has one at home. A non-stick pan will work brilliantly.
Description
Traditional Welsh cakes are simple, griddle-fried cakes featuring a simple dough with currants, a touch of spice, and a crispy exterior sprinkled with a little sugar. A fantastic, sweet "no-bake" recipe that should take less than half an hour to prepare.
Ingredients
Dough
Spice mix
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
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Cut cold butter into small cubes. Wash hands. In a large mixing bowl, pour all flour and work in the butter with your hands until the consistency feels a little like breadcrumbs or like wet sand.
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Add sugar, currants, and mixed spice. Mix by hand until combined.
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Form a small well in the middle of the bowl and add in the beaten egg. Mix by hand by clumping lightly with fingers until combined into a soft dough. Add a splash of milk if the dough is too dry.
Rolling the Dough
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Sprinkle a little flour on a clean surface and roll out the dough to approximately 1cm thickness.
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Using a cutter (or a plastic cup or coffee mug), cut into the dough to make the cakes. Bundle up all the remaining dough, then repeat cutting until all dough is used up.
Frying the Cakes
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Grease the surface of a non-stick frying pan and add several Welsh cakes, frying for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until surface is crispy and golden. Repeat until all cakes have been fried.
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Sprinkle with caster sugar and eat whilst warm, or let rest for a few minutes and enjoy.
Note
- Storage: Keep in at room temperature in an airtight tin for up to 4 days, or keep cooled cakes in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Shape & Size: Welsh cakes are supposed to be round and thin, almost like a much flatter little scone, but you could cut them into fun shapes if you like. Try to keep the thickness between 0.5-1cm.
- Filling: currants tend to hold best in the dough, but raisins are a decent substitute. You could even use chocolate chips or other dried and candied fruit, if you like, but the traditional recipe should be currants or raisins.
