The Welsh cakes, also known as bakestones or pics or griddle cakes, are a traditional Welsh sweet bread.
They became popular from the late 19th century when fat, sugar, and dried fruit were added to an older recipe for flatbread cooked on a griddle.
They are also known as “griddle cakes” – bakestones – in Wales because they are traditionally cooked on a “bakestone” : a refractory stone about 0.5 inches thick or more placed on the fire; Welsh cakes are rarely referred to as “griddle scones”.
Welsh cakes are made with: flour, butter or lard, currants, eggs, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
They are roughly circular, with a diameter of 2.75–3 inches and about 0.4–0.6 inches thick.
Served hot or cold, sometimes dusted with powdered sugar.
They are a cross between a biscuit, a scone, and a pancake, but unlike scones, they are usually not served with a side, although they are sometimes sold already split and spread with jam or buttered.
They are traditionally prepared on March 1st, St. David’s Day, Patron Saint of Wales.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 10 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove, Griddle
- Cuisine: English
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup red currants (or raisins)
- 1 egg
- to taste ground cinnamon
- to taste nutmeg
- to taste powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Baking Stone
- 1 Pastry Cutter
Steps
Mix the flour with baking powder, add the butter cut into pieces, sugar, currants, spices, and the egg.
Form a dough to roll out and cut into circles about 2.75 inches wide and 0.4-0.6 inches high.
Cook for 4/5 minutes on a baking stone or a cast-iron or iron skillet (not non-stick).
Dust with powdered sugar.
Serve either hot or cold.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is the history of Welsh cakes?
Welsh Cakes were traditionally made by the housewife to serve during afternoon tea and were also given to children with their school lunches.
As they are filling and delicious, Welsh cakes also became a favorite treat for the miner husbands of many Welsh housewives.
Over time, with the modernization of societies worldwide, the need and patience for making food by hand have dwindled.
Traditions like Welsh cakes have almost completely disappeared today, but thanks to the Welsh baker Welsh, handmade Welsh cakes are available in a variety of flavors especially in the United States today.
