Welsh Cakes - An old family recipe, traditionally served warm, simply with a little butter on the tops! I grew up eating Welsh Cakes.
My Welsh grandmother would often make them using her very heavy cast iron griddle pan, and I would eat them as fast as she could make them, spreading some lovely Welsh butter on the top and simply enjoying them.
What Are Welsh Cakes
The cakes are also known as bakestones within Wales because they are traditionally cooked on a bakestone , a cast iron griddle about 1.5 cm or more thick which is placed on the fire or cooker; on rare occasions, people may refer to them as griddle scones.
If any of you celebrate St David's Day and are looking for some traditional Welsh recipes, these Welsh Cakes are perfect to make!
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I've managed to get the recipe for these via my cousin, who had the recipe from her mother, who in turn had it passed down from my 'Mam', or our Welsh Grandmother. Check out Mam's Bara Brith recipe too! It's a delicious Welsh fruit loaf.
So now, here it is! The famous and much loved recipe for Welsh Cakes!
Please enjoy them as much as all our family have done through the generations.
Recipe from 'Mam', Grandmother to many of our Lovefoodies recipes!
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook time
3 minutes
Serving size
15 Approx
Equipment
You'll need a griddle pan, cast iron skillet or a frying pan to use on the stove top.
Ingredients
1 & ¾ cups or 225 g self raising flour
pinch of salt
½ cup or 100 g margarine
¼ cup or 50 g sugar
¼ cup or 50 g currants / raisins
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk to mix.
Top tip
If you choose to use baking powder instead of Self Raising Flour, be careful not to add too much in case you taste the baking powder. I don't want you to spoil the delicious flavour of the Welsh Cakes!
Instructions
1. Mix flour and salt, rub in margarine, stir in sugar and currants.
2. Mix to a fairly stiff dough with the egg and milk.
3. Roll out about 5 mm (¼ inch) in thickness and cut into rounds, (use a 6.5 cm or 2 ½ inch cookie cutter)
Gather up the trimmings and re-roll to make more Welsh cakes.
4. Cook on a medium-hot greased griddle pan for about 3 minutes on each side.
Place the hot Welsh cakes on some sugar, both sides then serve buttered, hot or cold.
Top tip
Make sure your griddle/skillet/fry pan is well greased, and to tell if it has reached the correct temperature, sprinkle some water on it and if the water jumps about in balls, evaporating, then it's hot enough!
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our Welsch Cakes recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Welsh Cakes
Welsh Cakes - An old family recipe, traditionally served warm, simply with a little butter on the tops!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups or 225 g self raising flour
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup or 100 g margarine
- ¼ cup or 50 g sugar
- ¼ cup or 50 g currants / raisins
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons milk to mix.
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt, rub in margarine, stir in sugar and currants.
- Mix to a fairly stiff dough with the egg and milk.
- Roll out about 5 mm (¼ inch) in thickness and cut into rounds, (use a 6.5 cm or 2 ½ inch cookie cutter) Gather up the trimmings and re roll to make more Welsh cakes.
- Cook on a medium hot greased griddle pan for about 3 minutes on each side. Place the hot Welsh cakes on some sugar, both sides then serve buttered, hot or cold.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 15 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 194mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
English Afternoon Tea Ideas
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Mandi
says:Oh wow I can’t believe I’ve came across this recipe. My nan use to make them a lot. I was given the recipe but got lost when we moved. She use to say it reminded her of home. I use to make them a lot when she passed away just so I can feel close her.
Carole
says:I grew up eating Welsh Cakes and have made them often for my children (My grandpa’s name was Thomas Jones – hard to get more Welsh – not THAT Tom Jones). Never, ever heard of them served with butter. Hmmm.
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Carole, Thomas Jones is certainly very Welsh!! My surname is Evans.. again, so Welsh!
My grandmother always gave us these warm from the griddle and she used Welsh salted butter. I don´t live in Wales Wales now so I just use regular slightly salted butter. You must try with the butter!!
Have a super weekend!
Pam
says:I Too am Welsh, was born there in the 1940’s…family names…Evans, Thomas, Williams and LLewllyn…Love the culture and have made these cakes for decades. Thanks for the recipe so that I can give it to my daughters..I usually just make it from memory..
Happy Welsh cooking…..Have you tried Welsh tea bread???dried fruit soaked in strong tea overnight…Look it up it’s on here somewhere.
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Pam, so glad you like the recipe!
My surname is Evans.. Pretty Welsh!
The tea bread, are you talking of bara brith? A slice of that with a spread of welsh salted butter would be perfect right now with a cup of tea!
Pam Gee
says:I have made Welsh Cakes for many years and when we camped I had to make sure I had the ingredients to make them. So they were made, rolled out using a tin of something, then cooked over the open camp fire. The children were waiting to eat them as soon as they came off of the fire usually holding the butter dish and plate ready to pile them up for eating.
Sandy
says:I too have a recipe from my grandmother who was from Kenfig Hill. When I visited there I bought a a all Welsh cookbook. The recipe it had added allspice…what a difference! But I can remember making them for my brother and I without it in a cast iron pan, we loved them. I have made sure each new generation has this heritage experience!
Muriel Howell
says:I have been making Welsh cakes for the past 60 years.in fact made them last week.I make the ones with raisins but I also make them split and spread jam on them,usually raspberry jam.I have made them for so long that now my great grand children come looking for them.
Thank you for sharing your recipes so that other people may have the pleasure that we have had for so many years.
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Muriel! Aren’t Welsh Cakes a wonderful thing! They bring back so many lovely memories for me, and I’m so happy to hear you are also passing on your recipe to your grandchildren.
Thanks very much for writing in and wishing you and your family a very lovely Christmas too!
Ada Briem
says:How much baking powder should I use with all purpose flour instead of self raising flour?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Ada, I would suggest about 2 teaspoons of Baking powder and increase the salt to 1/2 a teaspoon. Hope that helps!
Liz
says:What could I subsitute for self-rising flour?
lovefoodies
says:Hi Liz,
For this recipe quantity, I would suggest using 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and swap the Self raising flour for All purpose. You may taste a little hint of baking powder if you decide to swap the flour, so that is why I use self raising, to avoid any taste baking powder can often have. The Welsh Cakes will still be very nice, but it is something I want you to be aware of so you know, should you decide to swap the flour.
I hope this helps.
DebbieDel
says:Thank you so much for this recipe. My Welsh grandmother made these deliscious cakes. She just called them Griddle Cakes. I cannot wait to try these!
lovefoodies
says:Hi Debbie, I’m so glad you found the recipe! My grandmother also had a griddle, it was a round heavy cast iron one with a handle over the top, That’s how I always remember her making the Welsh Cakes!!
I hope this recipe will bring back many happy memories for you :)
Susan
says:Questions about the recipe. I’m unfamiliar with “rubbing” in the margarine. How do you do that? Also, how do you substitute the baking powder in for the self rising flour? Just use regular flour and add baking powder? I figured I could google it, but I’d rather get it from the source. :) These look wonderful!
lovefoodies
says:Hi Susan, thanks for writing in. Firstly, for the baking powder, I would suggest using 2 1/2 teaspoons of it to All Purpose flour (sift it all together so it is well mixed). That ratio is a little lower than the ‘rule’ , but I often worry about the horrid taste you can sometimes get if you add too much!!
As for Rubbing in, I have a recipe for making pastry which uses the exact same technique. In this recipe, I made photos to show how to ‘rub in’, so I think you will find that helpful. The instructions you need to read are steps 3, 4 and 5 of the recipe. NOTE: where it says to add water, you would swap and add your egg and milk as per the Welsh Cake recipe. The liquid is what will finally bind the dough together of course, so it must go in toward the end. This is my pastry recipe with the photos, https://lovefoodies.com/how-to-make-shortcrust-pastry.html
I hope this helps and if you need any more help, please do shout up!
Mary
Jenny
says:Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. My grandmother was also from Wales and always made these for us. Can’t wait to make them for my family.
lovefoodies
says:Hi Jenny, I’m glad you found the recipe! I hope it will bring back lovely memories for you and your family enjoys them.
Thanks very much for your comments. It makes me very happy!!
Gloria
says:Are they similar to singin’ hinnies? They seem to be about the same.
lovefoodies
says:Hi Gloria,
yes indeed! Although Singin’ hinnies shouldn’t have any sugar in the recipe and Welsh Cakes have a little. But that seems to be the only difference, and of course the hinnies originate from the North of England!
Please enjoy!
rojhin taebi
says:Wow! These look amazing :D thank you for the recipe >.<
lovefoodies
says:You’re very welcome Rojhin, happy cooking!
Cat L
says:These look wonderful. Are they about the same texture as a biscuit?
lovefoodies
says:Hi Cat, Thank you. I would say these are slightly denser than a biscuit (do you mean American biscuits ?) If you are meaning biscuit as in cookie, then these have a texture a little like an English scone but denser and not crunchy. I guess you could say it was like a ‘flattened’ scone! I hope that helps!!
Cat L
says:Yes, that answers my question. Thanks!
Dianne Haddley
says:I have never heard of these before. They look and sound so delicious! I will make some for sure! Thanks
lovefoodies
says:Hi Dianne, they are very Welsh, (my grandmother was Welsh) so these are traditional ‘cakes’ which of course you would find in most tea rooms in Wales, UK. Please do have a go, they’re quick and easy to make and best eaten warm with a little blob of butter and or jam on the tops! Happy cooking!
Boston789
says:These look fantastic! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe. :)
lovefoodies
says:Thank you Marie! It certainly is a tried and tested good recipe from my late Welsh Grandmother, so I hope you will enjoy them with a nice cup of tea!
Boston789
says::)
Yvonne Petty
says:I have just made these.first time in years.i was born & bred in wales & it was a weekly treat Just wish i had my Mothers & mams recipe . But these are as near as i can get .thank you