Welsh Cakes

Welsh cakes are really a cousin of Scones and have similar ingredients but differ as they are cooked on a griddle or hob rather than baked in an oven. The texture is somewhere between a Scone and a Shrewsbury biscuit.


8oz/220g self-raising flour
4oz/110g butter + extra for cooking
2oz/50g caster sugar
2 oz/50g sultanas or currants
1 egg
3 tbsps milk

Sieve the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter. Add the sugar and sultanas or currants. Mix the egg with the milk and add to the dried ingredients. Mix until the dough is firm. Roll out on a floured board to ¼ inch/5mm thick and cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter (3 inch/8mm approx.).

Traditionally, the cakes are cooked on a bakestone or griddle but you can use a thick based frying pan or skillet. Grease the pan with a butter and warm through until hot. Cook the cakes for about 3-4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and slightly springy. Remove from the pan and sprinkle caster sugar over them,

Some recipes add various spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon and use any dried fruit such as sultanas, currants or raisins. But, whatever you use, they are a simple, quick treat to make and brilliant for a picnic!