Welsh cakes for St David’s Day

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the plain flour, baking powder, caster sugar, mixed spice and salt into a large bowl and whisk together so everything is evenly distributed.

2. 2

   Add the cubed unsalted butter and rub it into the dry mix with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining.

3. 3

   Stir the currants through the breadcrumb mix so they are evenly distributed.

4. 4

   Whisk the egg with the milk, then pour into the bowl and mix with a knife or spatula until the mixture comes together into a soft but not sticky dough. Add a splash more milk (no more than 1–2 tsp) only if the dough is dry.

5. 5

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead very briefly (6–8 turns) to bring it together. Press or roll the dough out to about 6 mm thick.

6. 6

   Cover the dough with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up — this makes cutting and cooking a lot easier.

7. 7

   Use a 6–7 cm round cutter to stamp out rounds. Re-roll the scraps once and repeat until all the dough is used. Keep the rounds lightly floured so they don’t stick.

8. 8

   Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium–low hob setting. Add a small knob of unsalted butter and, as it foams, place 3–4 cakes in the pan (do not overcrowd). Cook the first side for 3 minutes until golden.

9. 9

   Flip the cakes and cook the second side for a further 3 minutes until both sides are golden and the cakes feel springy when pressed.

10. 10

    Transfer the cooked Welsh cakes to a wire rack and immediately sprinkle with a little caster sugar while still warm. Repeat with remaining dough and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Keep the butter cold and rub it in quickly — that gives the cakes a lovely crumb and stops them becoming greasy.
• If your dough softens while you work, chill it for 5–10 minutes rather than adding extra flour; over-flouring makes the cakes tough.
• Cook in small batches and adjust the hob between batches to maintain an even medium–low temperature.
• Make ahead: cool completely, store in an airtight container for up to 48 hours, then refresh on a warm frying pan for a minute each side.
• Use a 6–7 cm cutter for traditional size; larger cutters need slightly longer cooking times so check centres are cooked.

Substitutions

• currants → sultanas or a 50:50 mix of sultanas and chopped dried apricots, same weight

  Stays close

• unsalted butter → salted butter, reduce the pinch of salt in the recipe

  Stays close

• milk → buttermilk or plain yoghurt thinned with a little water (approx. 60 ml total)

  Noticeably different

• mixed spice → ground nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon (use 1/4 tsp nutmeg + 1/4 tsp cinnamon)

  Stays close

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

390

Calories

6 g

Protein

58 g

Carbs

14 g

Fat

3 g

Fibre

24 g

Sugar

160 mg

Sodium

FAQ