Welsh Cakes (Pice ar y Maen)

Name: Welsh Cakes (Pice ar y Maen)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Welsh
Ingredients: 225 g Plain flour; 1 tsp Baking powder; 0.5 tsp ground mixed spice; 1 pinch Fine sea salt; 100 g Unsalted butter; 85 g caster sugar; 75 g currants; 1 large egg; 15 ml Whole milk

Tender, spiced griddle cakes packed with sweet currants, cooked golden brown on a bakestone and dusted generously with caster sugar.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· South Wales Valleys

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 295 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

225 g Plain flour — sifted
1 tsp Baking powder — level
½ tsp ground mixed spice — or freshly grated nutmeg
1 pinch Fine sea salt
100 g Unsalted butter — cold and diced
85 g caster sugar — plus 2 tbsp extra for dusting
75 g currants — cleaned and dried
1 large egg — lightly beaten
15 ml Whole milk — 1 tbsp, only if dough is dry

Equipment

•Bakestone or heavy cast-iron frying pan
•Large mixing bowl
•Rolling pin
•6cm fluted round cutter
•Palette knife or fish slice

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 295 kcal
fat: 12 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 295 kcal

Instructions

1
Sift the plain flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2
Rub the cold diced butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until fine crumbs form.
3
Stir the caster sugar and dried currants evenly into the crumb mixture.
4
Add the beaten egg and mix gently with a palette knife to bring the dough together.
5
Add a splash of milk only if the dough feels too dry to bind into a ball.
6
Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface to 5mm thickness.
7
Cut rounds with a 6cm fluted cutter, re-rolling the trimmings until all dough is used.
8
Heat a bakestone (a flat, heavy griddle pan) over medium-low heat and lightly grease with butter.
9
Cook the cakes in batches for three to four minutes per side until golden brown.
10
Lift onto a cooling rack and immediately dust both sides generously with extra caster sugar.

Chef's tips

Maintain a steady medium-low hob heat so the centres cook through before the outsides scorch. Avoid overworking the dough during rolling to keep the texture light and crumbly.

Ingredient substitutions

unsalted butter → 50g butter and 50g block lard for a more traditional crisp crust
currants → sultanas, raisins, or dried cranberries
mixed spice → ground mace or ground cinnamon

Storage

Keep in an airtight biscuit tin at room temperature for up to four days.

Reheating

Warm through on a dry, low-heat frying pan for one minute on each side.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Setting the hob temperature too high, which burns the crust and leaves raw dough inside.
•Rolling the dough too thin, causing the cakes to dry out and turn crisp rather than tender.
•Kneading the dough excessively, which makes the cakes rubbery instead of crumbly.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm straight from the bakestone with a generous dusting of caster sugar.Split in half and spread with salted Welsh butter while still steaming.Enjoy alongside a hot mug of strong builder's tea.