Traditional Welsh Cakes Recipe
Traditional Welsh Cakes are a sweet treat that got their start in the 1800s as a filling and portable food that coal miners could take to work down the mines. While the cakes are about the size of a biscuit/cookie, they have a denser consistency more in line with a pancake or a scone. This easy Welsh cakes recipe is simple to follow and you're free to add your choice of dried fruit. Welsh Cakes are absolutely delicious served warm with tea. You can also have them alongside your breakfast or as a snack.
Equipment
- 5 cm biscuit/cookie cutter
- Cast iron skillet or any frying pan
- Spatula
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or fork
Ingredients
- 340 g/12 oz plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
- 150 g/5.3 oz butter
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp mace
- 75 g/2.6 oz castor sugar plus extra for dusting
- 75 g/2.6 oz dried fruit of your choice Traditional choices include currants, raisins, and sultanas
- 1 tbsp milk can omit if you need a dairy-free recipe
- 1 stick lard for greasing the pan. If you don’t have lard, you can use butter, although lard is ideal.
Instructions
- Portion out the flour, castor sugar, salt, and spices.340 g/12 oz plain flour, 1 pinch salt, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp mace, 75 g/2.6 oz castor sugar
- Place the measured dry ingredients into your mixing bowl. Stir well.
- Cut the stick of butter into 1-inch or 2-cm cubes. Add to dry ingredients. Blend and mash ingredients with your hands until you make a fine, crumbly mixture.150 g/5.3 oz butter
- Add dried fruit. Mix well until evenly distributed. (Note: for an alternative recipe with chocolate chips, see notes below for tips on this step.)75 g/2.6 oz dried fruit of your choice
- Crack the 3 eggs into a bowl. Beat them with a whisk or fork until they’re well whisked. Add the eggs and milk (you can omit milk if you desire dairy-free) to the rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly until the dough becomes firm.3 eggs, 1 tbsp milk
- Lightly flour a cutting board or piece of wax paper on the kitchen countertop. Place the dough on the floured surface. (You can use 2 or more overlapping pieces of wax paper if you need more room.)
- Roll the dough to an even width with a rolling pin until it’s about 5 mm thick (1/5th of an inch). Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 24 round cakes.
- Grease the frying pan with lard by taking a cold piece and rubbing it on the pan’s surface until lightly covered. Turn the gas flame or electric stovetop to medium heat to preheat the pan.1 stick lard
- Once the pan is hot, add enough cakes to fill the pan without being crowded. Fry them for 3 - 4 minutes per side until they rise slightly and turn golden brown.
- Remove cakes from pan, put them on a plate, and dust each side to taste with castor sugar. Enjoy with tea, breakfast, as a snack, or however you prefer!
Notes
If you'd like a chocolate chip Welsh cakes recipe, you can substitute chocolate chips (white, milk, or dark) for the dried fruit if you prefer. While chocolate chip Welsh cakes aren’t traditional, I’m including tips here for anyone wanting to add them. When adding chocolate chips, make sure that you keep your hands cold or wear gloves while mixing ingredients so that the chocolate doesn’t start to melt before you put the cakes on the griddle. One Welsh cake with chocolate chips Kcal: 137