Welsh cakes
Buttery, currant-studded griddle cakes cooked on a bakestone or frying pan and dusted with sugar. Traditional for St David's Day.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 25 mins
- Total
- 45 mins
- Serves
- 16
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget
Recipe: Welsh cakes
Welsh cakes
Ingredients
- 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 1 pinch salt
- 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
- 85g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 75g currants
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp milk, if needed
Kitchen kit
- Bakestone, flat griddle or heavy frying pan Search Amazon for cast iron griddle pan flat
- 6cm round cutter Search Amazon for round cookie cutter set
- Rolling pin Search Amazon for rolling pin
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links go to search results for the kit, never food.
Method
-
Step 1: Rub in
Mix the flour, mixed spice and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar and currants.
-
Step 2: Bind
Add the egg and mix to a firm dough like shortcrust pastry, adding a splash of milk only if it's too dry to come together.
-
Step 3: Roll and cut
Roll out on a floured surface to about 5mm thick and cut into rounds with a 6cm cutter. Re-roll the trimmings once.
-
Step 4: Cook
Heat a bakestone or heavy frying pan over a medium-low heat and wipe with a little butter. Cook the cakes in batches for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. If they brown before the centre is cooked, turn the heat down.
-
Step 5: Finish
Dust with caster sugar while warm.
Tips
- Test the heat with one cake first – the pan should be hot enough to colour them in about 2 minutes, but not so hot that they scorch.
- Traditionally, half the fat is lard; using all butter keeps them vegetarian.
Storing & reheating
Keep in an airtight tin for up to 1 week.
Freezing
Freeze for up to 3 months; warm through in a dry pan.
Variations
- Jam split: split and fill with a thin layer of jam ('jam splits').
- Lemon and sultana: swap the currants for sultanas and add lemon zest.
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/welsh-cakes/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
What's a bakestone?
A flat cast-iron griddle traditionally used in Wales. A heavy non-stick frying pan works well.
Can I use lard?
Yes – for the traditional version use 50g butter and 50g lard, but they won't be vegetarian.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
- BBC Good Food: Welsh cakes (quantities, oven temperature and timings compared) (bbcgoodfood.com)
- FSA: food allergy and intolerance (food.gov.uk)
See other recipes that use the same kit on our kitchen kit pages.
