Welsh Cakes (Bakestone Recipes)
Submitted by fireyabyss
Traditional Welsh cakes cooked on a hot bakestone, made with half butter and half lard for the proper crumbly texture. Lightly spiced, studded with raisins, and eaten warm off the griddle.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThese Welsh cakes sit somewhere between a scone, a pancake, and a cookie, traditionally cooked on a “bakestone” (a heavy cast iron griddle) over the kitchen fire rather than in an oven. The half-butter, half-lard combination is a must for the proper crumbly-yet-tender texture; all-butter versions taste richer but lose that distinctive flake.
Mixed spice (the British blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove) gives them their warm, faintly Christmassy aroma even though they’re eaten year-round. Roll the dough to a quarter inch thick before cutting; thinner cakes burn on the griddle before the centers cook, thicker ones stay raw.
Eat them warm off the bakestone, dusted with caster sugar or split and spread with butter. The variation with grated cooking apple (called Teisen Dinca) adds moisture and a tart counterpoint to the sweet raisins.
Kitchen Tips
- A heavy cast iron skillet stands in for a bakestone perfectly; cast iron holds heat evenly without hot spots.
- Keep the heat moderate, not high. Welsh cakes need slow even browning so the centers cook through before the outside chars.
- Rub the cold fat into the flour with your fingertips, not your palms; warm hands melt the fat and you lose the crumbly texture.
- Eat them the same day they’re made; they go from tender to dense within 24 hours.
Variations
- Teisen Dinca: grate a small cooking apple (about six ounces) into the dough before adding the egg for a moister, fruit-flecked cake.
- Swap dried cranberries or chopped dates for the raisins for a different fruit profile.
- Add the zest of a lemon to brighten the spice.
Ingredients
Directions
Sift the flour, baking powder and spice into a mixing bowl.
Cut the fat into the flour, and rub it to a breadcrumb-like consistency; then mix in the sugar and raisins.
Mix in the egg, and sufficient milk to make a stiff dough.
Roll out on a floured board to ¼ inch thick. Cut into 3 inch rounds.
Bake on a hot greased bakestone until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side.
- Variation: “Teisen Dinca” -- Make up the Welsh Cake dough adding 6 oz peeled and grated cooking apples before adding the egg.
Mix to a stiff dough, adding milk if necessary.
Roll out, cut into rounds and cook on the bakestone as for Welsh Cakes.
Serve hot with butter, golden syrup, or honey.
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