Welsh Cakes were a childhood staple & are still something I make sure any non Welsh friends try when visiting Wales. The fresher the better, that means eating them almost straight off the pan whilst they’re hot if made at home. If buying them at a market I try to get the freshest ones there too. There’s something reassuring about feeling the warmth of the paper bag they give you them in.

They’re a welsh tea time essential, and have been for a couple of centuries. Traditionally they were made on a bake stone over an open fire. Making them on a hot pan or over a flat griddle means they’re quick to make & don’t dry out as much as they could in an oven.

They’re soft in the middle when fresh, but firm enough that they hold together. They’re slightly spiced & laced with little nuggets of jammy dried fruit, adding a tart sweetness that’s called for. They’re perfect with tea or coffee, or bagged up as a gift, but always best when shared.

Time: 30-40 mins

Ingredients

250g Plain Flour
100g Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Ground Cloves
¼ tsp Nutmeg
115g Butter (cold)
80g Sultanas/Raisins
1 Egg
Pinch Salt
100g caster sugar for dusting/coating

Vegan Version

Use a non-dairy butter alternative

Switch the egg for 50-60g of milk of choice

Chocolate & Cardamom

Use 80g Chocolate of choice in place of sultanas

Use 1tsp Cardamom in place of the spices

Notes:

Pan: It’s best to use a heavy bottomed pan for these, a non-stick pan also works well. If you have a flat griddle pan, that would work perfectly too.

Dusting with sugar: If you prefer, you can skip the sugar coating and either dust with icing sugar or leave them plain

Additions: If you prefer a different kind of dried fruit, e.g. raisins or currants, use them instead. If you don’t like dried fruits at all, skip them entirely and make plain welsh cakes instead

Method

Into a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices & salt
Whisk until well combined
Cube the cold butter & add it into the flour mixture
Toss the cubes of butter in the flour, and start to press them to work them in (tossing the butter in the flour helps the butter not to stick to your hands so much, and creates a barrier between the warmth of your hands and the cold butter)
Work the butter into the flour, like you would for a crumble, until there are no large chunks left, and the flour and butter mixture resembles a course sand
Add in the sultanas (or chocolate) and mix them in
Create a shallow well in the middle of the bowl & add in your egg (or milk)
Begin by mixing it in with a wooden spoon, then you may need to switch to your hands (the dough may feel a little dry, but continue to clump it together with your hands until it comes together). The dough will become soft but not sticky. (If the dough doesn’t come together at all, add an additional tablespoon of milk)
Leave the dough to rest briefly as you heat up a pan on the lowest heat, and prepare a plate of the extra sugar for coating
Lightly flour your surface & a rolling pin, and roll out the dough until it’s just under 1cm thick (the dough should be easy to roll out)
Using a pastry cutter or small cup, cut out rounds. I like to use one that’s approx. 5cm in diameter, but you can use a slightly larger one if you prefer
Bring the dough scraps together and repeat the process of rolling out and cutting rounds
Lightly butter the pan (the pan should be very hot) and place in the welsh cakes, leaving small gaps between them
Increase the heat to the next highest setting on your cooker (just above the lowest setting) & leave to cook on low for 3-4 mins or until golden on the underside, then flip and cook for another 3-4 mins
Once golden on both sides remove from the pan, and put straight into the sugar whilst the welsh cakes are still hot making sure there’s a little sugar coating both sides
Repeat until all the welsh cakes are cooked & serve