Welsh cakes (, , or ), also bakestones or pics, are a traditional
sweet bread in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
.
They have been popular since the late 19th century with the addition of fat, sugar and dried fruit to a longer standing recipe for
flat-bread baked on a griddle.
The cakes are also known as griddle cakes or bakestones within Wales because they are traditionally cooked on a
bakestone ( or ), a
cast-iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
griddle about ½" (1.5 cm) or more thick which is placed on the fire or cooker; on rare occasions, people may refer to them as
griddle scones.
Welsh cakes are made from flour, butter or
lard
Lard is a Quasi-solid, semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering (animal products), rendering the adipose tissue, fatty tissue of a domestic pig, pig. , currants, eggs, milk, and spices such as
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...
and
nutmeg
Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...
.
They are roughly circular, a few inches (7–8 cm) in diameter and about half an inch (1–1.5 cm) thick.
Welsh cakes are served hot or cold, sometimes dusted with
caster sugar. Unlike
scones, they are not usually eaten with an accompaniment, though they are sometimes sold ready split and spread with
jam, and they are sometimes buttered.
See also
*
Heavy cake from Cornwall
*
Singing hinny from northern England
References
External links
The BBC's descriptionWelsh tourist board Welsh cake recipe
{{Use dmy dates, date=May 2024
Welsh cuisine
Sweet breads
British cakes