These delicious Welsh Cakes are incredibly easy to make with just a handful of everyday ingredients like flour, butter, dried fruit and sugar. A cross between a scone, shortbread and pancake, they have a warming hint of mixed spice, a buttery texture and just the right amount of sweetness. Cook them on a griddle or frying pan, and enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee for a delicious afternoon tea treat that everybody loves.
These Welsh Cakes are one of those sweet treats that are ridiculously easy to make at home whenever your sweet tooth is craving something indulgent, but you still want to keep it reasonably simple and fuss-free.
They might look like a traditional American pancake, but taste and texture wise they are a lot more similar to a fruit scone. The difference is that scones are usually baked and are a lot thicker.
Although they are not as buttery as a shortbread, I did use the same cookie cutter for these Welsh cakes to keep their fairly small and easy to cook.
Traditionally lard or lard and butter where used for this recipe, but I find butter a lot more appealing to modern taste buds, so I didn't use any lard, and to be honest, I think butter is just perfect for giving us that rich, moreish feel without making them feel heavy.
Although they can be enjoyed for breakfast too, I would definitely serve them as an afternoon tea treat too, they are particularly enjoyable with a hot cup of tea or a coffee, no matter the season.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- flour - I used self-raising flour for these cakes, but if you use plain flour, I would add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to keep them light and well risen
- sugar - I used caster sugar, but granulated is also ok
- butter - salted or unsalted, I use salted by default in all my cooking and baking
- mixed dried fruit - or just dried currants (which are actually traditionally used in Welsh cakes), but I just used what I had and they worked just as well
- mixed spice - for a warming touch, you can use only ground cinnamon if you like
- egg & milk - I used a medium-sized egg and 2 tablespoons of milk, if you use a large egg, you might only need a tablespoon of milk to bring the dough together without it feeling too sticky, so start with less milk and see how the dough feels
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- sift the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub the flour and butter together until you get a mixture than resembles breadcrumbs (alternatively, add them to a kitchen aid and blitz to the desired texture)
- add the sugar, dried fruit and mixed spice and mix well
- crack the egg in a small bowl and use a fork to beat it well
- add the milk and beat again
- pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and knead into a dough
- flour the work surface well, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a ½ cm thickness
- use a cookie cutter that has a 6 cm diameter and cut out rounds, reworking the dough as needed - I got 15 cakes
- heat up the frying pan on a low to medium heat, and cook the cakes in batches until golden and lightly crispy - mine took 2-3 minutes on each side
- serve warm or cold, as they are or sprinkled with icing sugar
Expert tips
Do not increase the heat, otherwise the cakes will brown too quickly on the outside, while the inside is not cooked properly. They need an even colour and a lower heat to cook.
The cakes do not need to be fried in butter or oil. Just use a good non-stick frying pan, the cakes will good perfectly well without any fat that could make them brown too quickly.
Don't overcrowd the pan, you need to leave enough room between them to turn them over easily. They also cook faster on the other side, so keep an eye on them.
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Easy Welsh Cakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 225 g self-raising flour (1 ¾ cups)
- 100 g salted butter (7 tbsp)
- 75 g mixed dried fruit (½ cup)
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 medium-sized egg
- 2 tablespoon full-fat milk
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice ( or ground cinnamon)
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub the flour and butter together until you get a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs.
- Alternatively, add them to a food processor and blitz until you get the desired texture.
- Add the sugar, mixed dried fruit and mixed spice and mix well.
- Crack the egg in a small bowl, and use a fork to beat it well.
- Add the milk to the beaten egg and mix well.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, and knead everything into a dough.
- Flour the work surface well, and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a ½ cm thickness.
- Use a cookie cutter that is 6 cm in diameter to cut out rounds, reworking the dough as needed; I got 15 rounds.
- Heat up a large frying pan on a low to medium heat.
- Working in batches, cook the cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.
- Serve the cakes hot or cold, simple or with icing sugar sprinkled on top.
Notes
- Do not increase the heat, otherwise the cakes will brown too quickly on the outside, while the inside is not cooked properly. They need an even colour and a lower heat to cook.
- The cakes do not need to be fried in butter or oil. Just use a good non-stick frying pan, the cakes will good perfectly well without any fat that could make them brown too quickly.
- Don't overcrowd the pan, you need to leave enough room between them to turn them over easily. They also cook faster on the other side, so keep an eye on them.
Nutrition
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