Unforgettably flaky, tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s punctuated with sweet currants and laced with a wonderful hint of mace, these Welsh cakes are simply irresistible! A thoroughly authentic Welsh Cakes recipe from generations past.
What Are Welsh Cakes?
Welsh cakes, also known as bakestones or “picau ar y maen” in the Welsh language, are popular, traditional Welsh baked goods that are flat, round, and resemble griddle scones.  They are traditionally made from flour, lard, sugar, and dried currants and often a hint of warming spices like cinnamon and mace. They’re cooked on a griddle or heavy skillet which gives them their characteristic slightly crispy exterior while keeping the interior soft and meltingly tender. Once cooked they’re coated in sugar and served warm.  An important and beloved part of Welsh culinary heritage, Welsh cakes are enjoyed as an everyday treat or served on special occasions like St. David’s Day.
A Brief Introduction to Wales
Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk just briefly about the beautiful country that is home to these delicious Welsh Cakes. Wales is a breathtakingly scenic country with mountainous national parks, glacial landforms, rugged coastlines, some of the most striking fortresses in the world, picturesque villages, and steeped in a rich Celtic culture.
And then of course there is the Welsh language which is near maddening to anyone who can’t speak it (99.999% of the world). Yet even the mind-boggling, tongue-twisting language is an endearing aspect of this beautiful country.
I visited Wales regularly during the 6 years I lived in England and my husband also lived in Wales for nearly a year as a young adult. There’s a small village in Wales that has the longest place name in the UK and second longest in the world. Todd prides himself in being able to say the name, all 58 letters, at break-neck speed and without even the slightest hiccup: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
And just in case you don’t believe me, we visited the village this Summer and I took a picture of the sign:
So you have these charming quirks in Wales and then you also have the jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring landscapes and architecture. Todd and I both absolutely love Wales and just got back from a recent vacation there with our kids, focusing this time on North Wales. Here are just few representative pictures of the area.
Below left: The Great Orme. Below right (top and bottom): Snowdonia National Park.
Below are a few of Wales’ most striking and famous castles, all built by Edward I in the 13th century.
Below top left:  Caernarfon Castle, where historically the Prince of Wales was crowned and that tradition was resumed with Prince Charles. Below top right: View from Harlech Castle.
Below bottom left: Beaumaris Castle, considered the finest textbook example concentric castle design in the world. Below bottom right: Harlech Castle, also considered an example of the finest medieval castle designs in the world.
Below:Â Conwy Castle, considered one of the finest defensive castle designs in the world.
The Killebrew’s at Beaumaris Castle.
Wales also has a special place in my heart because it’s home to many of my ancestors. My great grandparents on my father’s maternal side were from South Wales and I also have a long line Welsh ancestry in North Wales that goes back to Roman times.
It was my great-grandparents, the Thomas Family from Glamorganshire, Wales, who immigrated to the United States, to Utah, in the late 19th century.
I’ve always wished some of my great grandmothers would have left some journals or recipes to pass down. What a treasure that would be! Nevertheless, I like to imagine my Welsh great-grandmother, Dinah, making these Welsh cakes in her kitchen and her children enjoying them hot off the griddle and dusted in sugar.
So in honor of the beautiful country of Wales and my Welsh heritage, I’m sharing a very authentic recipe for traditional Welsh Cakes. In Wales these are also known as “bakestones” because traditionally they were cooked on a bakestone which is a cast iron griddle that was placed on the fire or stovetop.
If you’ve never had Welsh Cakes before, I think you’ll agree once you try them that they’re quite different from anything you’ve had before.  With their unforgettably flaky, tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s punctuated with sweet currants and laced with a wonderful hint of mace, Welsh cakes are simply irresistible.
And if you have had Welsh cakes before but your opinion (whether or good or bad) is based solely on store-bought ones, set that opinion aside because I promise you you’ll form a whole new opinion once you’ve tried homemade ones. I’ve had store-bought Welsh cakes on a couple of occasions and I don’t care for them.
But…HOMEMADE…that’s an entirely different story. I am IN LOVE with these traditional homemade Welsh cakes!! Let me say it again: NOTHING compares to the traditional homemade version of these cakes using real lard and mace! They are FABULOUS. Just trust me on this enough to give them a try.
How to Make Welsh Cakes
Use lard. Do not substitute with additional butter. Lard makes ALL the difference in the texture. I repeat: Lard makes ALL the difference in the texture. I highly recommend making your own lard – it’s super easy! Learn How to Render Lard.
Use mace. Don’t substitute nutmeg. Mace is a wonderfully aromatic and flavorful spice that was commonly used generations ago but is unfortunately less common today. Its really adds a special and nostalgic touch of old-fashioned flavor.
Use caster sugar. This is also critical for the texture. Since these Welsh cakes are cooked pretty quickly, regular granulated sugar will not have time to dissolve and the texture will be grittier as opposed to that smooth, almost melt-in-your mouth consistency we’re after. Caster sugar is ultra-fine sugar and dissolves very quickly. You can buy caster sugar or very simply make your own by running regular sugar through the blender until very fine. Do NOT use powdered sugar – it contains cornstarch and is not the same thing.
Traditional Welsh Cakes Recipe
Let’s get started!
In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, mace and cinnamon. Mix in the lard and butter using your fingers or a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the currants and stir to combine. Add the beaten egg and work it into the mixture adding a little milk as needed until you have a soft dough. It should not be wet or sticky.
Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Dough can be made well in advance and chilled until ready to use.)
Roll the dough out onto a floured or non-stick surface about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a biscuit cutter.
Gather up the scraps, knead together and roll out again to cut the remaining rounds.
Heat and lightly butter a cast iron pan over medium heat. (I use and love my Lodge cast iron pan for these Welsh Cakes.)
Add the cakes and cook on each side until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes (lower the heat if needed to prevent the outside from burning before the interior is done).
Once the Welsh cakes are done, remove them from the pan and let them cool for a minute.
While the Welsh cakes are still warm, place them in a small bowl of sugar to coat all sides.
Best eaten while a little warm. Reheat Welsh Cakes in a pan, toaster, or warmed oven (or if in a hurry, in the microwave for a few seconds).
Enjoy!
Be sure to also try our traditional Welsh tea bread, Bara Brith!
Traditional Welsh Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup caster sugar (do not substitute) (to make your own, pulse granulated sugar in a blender until ultra fine. Do NOT use powdered sugar)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace ,(a highly fragrant, flavorful spice used in a lot of traditional baking. STRONGLY recommended but can substitute nutmeg if necessary)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ounces lard , chilled (about 4 tablespoons) NOTE: Lard is critical for the wonderful texture of Welsh Cakes
- How To Render Your Own Lard! (it's WAY cheaper and better)
- 2 ounces butter , chilled and cubed
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- granulated sugar for finished cakes
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, mace and cinnamon. Mix in the lard and butter using your fingers or a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the currants and stir to combine. Add the beaten egg and work it into the mixture adding a little milk as needed until you have a soft dough. It should not be wet or sticky. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Dough can be made well in advance and chilled until ready to use.)
- Roll the dough out onto a floured or non-stick surface about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a biscuit cutter. Gather up the scraps, knead together and roll out again to cut the remaining rounds.
- Heat and lightly butter a cast iron pan over medium heat (I lightly butter it to later help the sugar adhere to the cakes when they're sprinkled). Add the cakes and cook on each side until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes (lower the heat if needed to prevent the outside from burning before the interior is done).
- Let them cool for about a minute. While the Welsh cakes are still warm, place them in a small bowl of sugar to coat all sides. Best eaten while a little warm. Reheat Welsh Cakes in a pan, toaster, or warmed oven (or if in a hurry, in the microwave for a few seconds).
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet October 30, 2018
Toffeeapple says
I suspect, also, that it is an age thing, my Mother was born in 1904 and, we were very poor people so spices might have been unaffordable. It is amazing to me how my circumstances have changed so dramatically since my childhood. I wonder how many ‘traditional’ recipes have numberless variations? :-)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Or maybe it’s also a regional thing? For sure, “traditional” is a pretty relative term. Traditional to what? Per some cultural norm or traditional to a particular family line, and traditional to what time period…? I do my best to research these dishes as thoroughly as possible given the information available, consult with older generations of people native to the country, visit those places in person and sample the dishes, get feedback from my readers (and I always appreciate yours) – but in the end there will always be people who say “we did it differently growing up.” And so just I try to find some measure of consensus, some commonalities, and then I develop the recipe according to what I think tastes best within those traditional parameters.
Toffeeapple says
I have to tell you that my Mum never used Mace or Nutmeg, certainly never Cinnamon. Hers were always spice free also, because Bakestones are totally flat, they were never buttered to cook the cakes, the heat was a dry heat from the metal Bakestone. I always liked it best when she made some especially for me without currants and then would split them in half horizontally and slather them with butter…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Toffeeapple, I consulted with several older Welsh women living in Wales (in their 70’s and 80’s) and they confirmed that their mothers and grandmothers made them with spices (either nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, a combination of them or some mixed spice). But they’ve also seen them made without. It doesn’t surprise me. If there’s one thing I’ve found it’s that variations across “traditional” recipes always exist based on family traditions and personal preferences.
Amy Locurto says
What a great trip! These Welsh cakes looks amazing.
Catalina says
These Welsh Cakes look so delicious and so easy to make! Yum!
Taylor W. says
Such pretty pictures! The cakes look SO delicious! Yum!
Jennifer says
Omgoodness – I need this in my life.
Andie Thueson says
Yum! These sound so yummy and delightful 💕
Erin says
These are on my must-make list!
Melanie Bauer says
This looks beyond delicious! I’m craving for this right now, this is a keeper!
Bree says
These cakes look so yummy! And I love the petite size!
Aimee Shugarman says
A good friend of mine makes these and they are ridiculously good. Can’t wait to try them myself.
Mahy Elamin says
This is a perfect dessert for my family. Looks beautiful and tasty! Cannot wait to try this. This recipe looks incredible! Thank you.
Jamielyn says
Sounds delicious! I’ve never had a welsh cake before…I need to try it out!
Kara Cook says
Such beautiful countryside, and those castles make me swoon. I hope I can visit there someday, I also have Welch ancestors. I am looking forward to trying this recipe! I love being able to make authentic recipes from other cultures!
Cheryl says
I’ve never had Welsh cakes, but I think that needs to change!!