Welsh Cakes
It’s no secret that here at Baking with Granny, we…
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It’s no secret that here at Baking with Granny, we are a very Scottish family – in fact, we have a large selection of Scottish recipes. With that in mind, Welsh Cakes may come as a bit of a surprise.
That being said, we do actually have a lot of family in Wales. Papa in particular is always quick to embrace his Welsh cousins and show support, especially when it comes to the rugby. If Scotland aren’t playing but Wales are, Papa (who is a very proud Scot!) will have his Wales strip on, cheering them on. This is especially true when it’s Wales vs. England… however, I’m sure I’ve also seen Papa become a little bit Irish, a tiny bit French and even a smidgen Italian when it comes to rugby matches against England!
The point I am making, though, is that with Baking with Granny being of Scottish heritage, like many Scots, we have great fondness for Wales and the Welsh people. With both Scotland and Wales having Celtic roots, there is a bit of an unspoken alliance between the two nations (as well as our Celtic nations). And not just because, even as separate nations, we equally like to moan about Westminster rule…
But enough about nationalism, and let’s talk about these Welsh Cakes!
So, what are Welsh Cakes?
I find the best way to describe a Welsh Cake is somewhere between a scone and a pancake. Historically, they were made on a bakestone over an open fire in Welsh farmhouses and cottages, with them later being a popular addition to miners’ lunchboxes. Nowadays, you will find Welsh Cakes in most supermarkets, particularly in Wales. However, like many things, when baked freshly at home, they taste so much better.
Welsh Cakes make a delicious teatime treat and are easy to make with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Why not whip yourself up a batch, as well as a loaf of Bara Brith, this St David’s Day!
Ingredients for Welsh Cakes:
Self-raising Flour
Self-raising flour is the flour of choice in this recipe, to give your Welsh Cakes a little bit of lift and rise as they cook. Fear not if you only have plain flour – you can easily add some baking powder to gain the same effect. See my Self-raising Ingredient Guide for how to do this.
Mixed Spice
One of my favourite ingredients to add when baking (anything really!). With a bit of experimenting, Granny found the addition of mixed spice gave Welsh Cakes just a little extra something that they were missing. You can buy little jars of Mixed Spice in my UK supermarkets, but if you are overseas, you can easily mix your own from individual spices.
Caster Sugar
Welsh Cakes aren’t overly sweet, but they certainly need a little bit of sugar nonetheless. Caster sugar is ideal, as it is finer than granulated sugar, so it works well in batters and doughs. Plus, a sprinkling of caster sugar on your Welsh Cakes will give you that recognisable finish.
Butter/Margarine
Butter would likely be the traditional fat used in Welsh Cakes, with many arguing it will also give you the best flavour. However, a good block of margarine can be just as good and a great way to omit some dairy, should you desire. Just be sure to use a block margarine (as opposed to a spread) to mimic the same texture as butter.
Currants
They may not be everyone’s favourite dried fruit, but they really are the top dog when it comes to Welsh Cakes. Both the texture and taste of currants are unmatched in this instance, but if you are someone who really can’t stand currants, you could swap them out for raisins.
Free-range Egg
An egg helps bind the ingredients together, as well as adds a little moisture to your dough. The size of your egg isn’t particularly important in this recipe – just be sure they are free-range.
Milk
The addition of milk helps take the Welsh Cakes ingredients from dry to dough. The recipe states 1-2 tablespoons, but you can use a little bit more if your dough feels too dry.
Dairy milk is what would traditionally be used, but you can of course experiment with different milks, should you wish to omit the dairy.
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INGREDIENTS
- 230 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
- ½ tsp Mixed Spice
- 70 g Caster Sugar
- 110 g Block Margarine or Butter (cold; cubed)
- 70 g Currants
- 1 Free-range Egg (beaten; at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
- 1-2 tbsp Milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar and mixed spice. Stir to combine.
- Add the butter and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the currants and mix.
- Add the [beaten] egg and the milk, and mix to form a fairly stiff dough – you may need to use your hands to do this. If your dough feels too dry, add a little extra milk.
- Tip the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead for a moment to bring together.
- Heat a frying pan or flat griddle pan over a low-medium heat. Leave to come to temperature whilst you prepare your Welsh Cakes.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 5mm thick and cut into circles with a round 7cm cookie cutter. Set each circle to one side once cut and continue to re-roll the dough until you have around 12-15 round cakes.
- Lightly grease your frying/griddle pan before placing your cakes on, keeping a bit of space between them (be careful not to overcrowd your pan – you will need to do this in batches). Cook the cakes for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown in colour.
- Place the cooked Welsh cakes onto a wire rack to cool and dust with a little caster sugar to finish.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES
Self-raising Flour:
Don’t have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 230g (1⅔ cups plus 1 teaspoon) plain flour and 3 teaspoons baking powder instead. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.Egg Size:
When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally speaking, egg size doesn’t make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you’re unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That’s what this recipe has been tested with.Storage:
Welsh Cakes will keep for about 1 week, stored in an airtight container.Tried this recipe?
Tag @bakingwithgranny or use the hashtag #bakingwithgranny!
I should point out as well that, like my Bara Brith, this recipe comes directly from a Welshman; my godmother’s partner to be exact. We may be able to confidently claim our recipes to be traditional when they are Scottish, but I wanted to make sure our Welsh recipes come from a reliable source too.
So, a special shout-out goes to Stephen for being kind enough to share his Welsh Cakes recipe!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Reid
Amy Reid is an award-winning food blogger, mother, wife and cookbook author. Inspired by her childhood in the kitchen with her Mum – a professional baker and her children’s Granny – Amy now shares her tried-and-tested traditional home baking recipes with bakers of all abilities around the world. She lives in Scotland with her husband, two sons and her small pack of Siberian huskies.