Welsh Cakes
A lovely simple, classic recipe. f you’re not familiar with Welsh Cakes, they’re a little bit like a scone but cooked in the same way as a pancake. Unlike scones you don’t tend to serve Welsh Cakes with cream and jam or any accompaniment. Instead they’re best eaten straight from the pan, whilst still warm with a little extra caster sugar sprinkled on top.
Traditionally these are made with lard, and sometimes mace – but I use butter and nutmeg instead.
You may sometimes hear these referred to as ‘bakestones’ in Wales. That’s because traditionally they were cooked on a bakestone – basically a griddle placed onto a fire or the stove.
Makes 10
- 110g salted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
- 225g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 75g caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 50g sultanas or currants
- 1 egg, beaten
- Approx. 1-2 tablespoons of milk
- Extra caster sugar for sprinkling
(Because these are cooked quickly on top of the stove you do need to use caster sugar, as standard granulated sugar won’t have time to dissolve.)
Directions:
- Sieve the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter to make breadcrumbs. Stir in the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.
- Add the sultanas, then stir in the egg. Mix well.
- Add a little milk to form a dough. Then roll out onto a lightly floured benchtop until approx. 5mm thick. Cut it into rounds using a 7.5cm cookie cutter.
- Cook the rounds in a greased/buttered frying pan over a low-medium heat for approx. 3 mins each side. The outside will turn a light caramel brown colour. (Don’t overcook or the Welsh Cakes will be dry).
- Remove from the pan and sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar while still warm.
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Made on The Cafe Friday 23 October 2020