Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (2024)

FAQs

Why do my Welsh cakes go hard? ›

Why did my Welsh cakes turn out hard, dry or crumbly? If your Welsh Cakes turned out hard, dry or crumbly, your mixture was probably not wet enough. Next time, add a little bit of milk so the mix is softer.

What is a Welsh Cake? It's like a cross between a pancake, cookie, or a scone but they are nothing like it. These are somewhat similar in appearance to Eccles Cakes but Welsh Cakes are a bit flatter than an Eccles Cake and unlike an Eccles Cake, Welsh Cakes are not filled.

Getting the temperature of your griddle or bakestone correct is the key to this Welsh cake recipe. If it's too hot the cakes will burn before they are cooked through. Too low and the texture will be dry.

They were usually called Pica ar y Maen in south Carmarthenshire, West Glamorgan and South Glamorgan. In English, they would be called 'bakestone cakes' or simply 'bakestones'.

You can try any of the following: adding a 1 oz. package of pudding (any flavor that complements the cake's flavor profile), adding 1-2 egg yolks (along with the eggs called for on the box), or substituting milk for the water called for on the box.

This can be avoided by setting the right temperature. Cake becomes hard when the temperature set is incorrect or less. Try baking a cake between 180 degrees to 220 degrees, depending on the type of cake and if it still happens, then you should reduce the quantity of the batter.

When Oliver Cromwell gained power in 1650 A.D., both the wakes and the eating of Eccles Cakes were banned due to the Puritan belief that they both had pagan connections. On the other hand, maybe the powers that be in London, did not want their Northern subjects to have too much of a good thing!

Welsh cakes can be eaten hot or cold, though the vast majority of Welsh people will tell you how to eat Welsh cakes is eating them while they're still warm. You can heat them up easily in a pan, toaster oven, standard oven, or even your microwave.

Welsh cakes have the texture of scones, but are only about a quarter-inch tall and cooked on the stove in a pan or on a griddle, like a crumpet. They are subtly spiced with a mix of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and are best eaten warm—and even better with a smear of salted butter.

Cakes may be eaten straight from the package however most people prefer them warmed. Warming takes 8-10 seconds for one cake in a 1500W microwave, 10-12 seconds for a whole pack. If heating in an oven, 2-3 mins @ 275 will usually do. Some folks tell us they toast the cakes and we like that too.

Do Welsh cakes need to be refrigerated? ›

Welsh cakes are great for storing. They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or so! They can also be frozen for up to 3 months (remember to wrap them well, label and date). If you are eating them the same day, feel free just to leave them (covered) on a plate on the worktop!

Welsh cakes are served hot or cold, sometimes dusted with caster sugar.

They have gone by a few different names since their inception including their Welsh language names “cage bach” or "picau ar y maen" but also they are known as "Griddle Cakes", "Welsh Tea Cakes" and "Welsh Miner Cakes".

Tan Y Castell Welshcakes have won numerous awards and are recognised for their taste and quality, resulting in them now being one of the best-selling Welsh cakes on the market.

Welsh cakes

Perhaps the best-loved of all Welsh treats, these small, circular cakes are dusted in sugar and provide the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of tea. Traditionally cooked on a bakestone, Welsh cakes can also contain sultanas and chocolate chips for a sweeter twist on the original recipe.

If your cake is hard, the problem probably lies in the beating. The butter must be beaten well in the early stages to give the mixture enough air for a light and fluffy texture. To achieve this the butter must be lukewarm and therefore not too hard.

Never put your cakes in the fridge they will become hard and dry out . Put your cakes under a closh at room temperature unless it has real cream then it needs refridgeration.

Biscuits are essentially dried cakes, so absorb ambient moisture. Cakes are much more moist, so evaporate water to the surrounding air. Just eat and enjoy. Biscuits start out with a very low moisture content of between 1 and 3 per cent, depending on the type, whereas this is around 15 to 30 per cent for cakes.