As an aficionado of the Welsh Cake, I’m going to share my recipe with you lovely people.
9oz Self Raising Flour
4oz Salted Butter (no margarine, bleugh!)
4oz Sultanas
4oz Caster Sugar (plus extra for dusting)
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
Splash of milk if needed.
The recipe is simple, the method however I have honed over many thousand cakes!!!
First in a bowl soak the fruit in boiling water (this ensures moist not dry cakes for at least a week, but they won’t last that long) and a splash of orange juice if you have some. Then put a large flat frying pan which is thoroughly cleaned, (I have an egg pan only eggs and Welsh cakes may enter!!) you don’t want it smelling of yesterday sausages or spag Bol, bleugh!!! Sorry, put the pan on the hob on its lowest setting, this is an art to find. My sweet spot is just above 1, on my ceramic rangemaster, you’ll have to play with your own cookers.!
Then sieve the flour into a large bowl, cut the butter into cubes and rub together until fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mixed spice, then stir to evenly distribute. Sieve the plump fruit and leave to drain for a minute or two. Add the fruit, stir, then add the egg, stirring with a knife it’s easier than a spoon and bring together to just form a dough, don’t overwork it. If you find the mix too dry at this point add a tiny splash of milk. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about a centimetre thick. You should get 18-20 cakes from this mix. Cut into circles about 7-8 cm in diameter. (I’ve not measured my cutter sorry!!) and place on a tray separated. Don’t worry if you cut through a sultana pull it out if loose.
Put 4-5 cakes in the heated pan, at this temperature it should take about 5-6 minutes to cook the cakes on each side. They should roughly double in thickness and be a golden brown colour. Any quicker and they won’t cook in the centre and any hotter and they will burn before cooked. You will have to play with your hob to find the sweet spot.
Leave to cool slightly on a grill, normally until you are ready to turn the next batch of 4-5 cakes. Dust with sugar both sides and place in a kitchen towel lined box with the lid loosely placed on top, I have a plastic one which holds 6 cakes a layer 3x2. Continue until all cakes are baked. Place another sheet of kitchen towel on top of the box and seal the lid after about 15 minutes. This allows the cakes to continue to steam a little but, don’t worry they will reabsorb their own moisture.
You can eat them hot but, personally I prefer them the following day when they are light as a feather and not in the slightest way dry.
Follow this recipe and I can guarantee you will have WI winning welsh cakes.
9oz Self Raising Flour
4oz Salted Butter (no margarine, bleugh!)
4oz Sultanas
4oz Caster Sugar (plus extra for dusting)
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
Splash of milk if needed.
The recipe is simple, the method however I have honed over many thousand cakes!!!
First in a bowl soak the fruit in boiling water (this ensures moist not dry cakes for at least a week, but they won’t last that long) and a splash of orange juice if you have some. Then put a large flat frying pan which is thoroughly cleaned, (I have an egg pan only eggs and Welsh cakes may enter!!) you don’t want it smelling of yesterday sausages or spag Bol, bleugh!!! Sorry, put the pan on the hob on its lowest setting, this is an art to find. My sweet spot is just above 1, on my ceramic rangemaster, you’ll have to play with your own cookers.!
Then sieve the flour into a large bowl, cut the butter into cubes and rub together until fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mixed spice, then stir to evenly distribute. Sieve the plump fruit and leave to drain for a minute or two. Add the fruit, stir, then add the egg, stirring with a knife it’s easier than a spoon and bring together to just form a dough, don’t overwork it. If you find the mix too dry at this point add a tiny splash of milk. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about a centimetre thick. You should get 18-20 cakes from this mix. Cut into circles about 7-8 cm in diameter. (I’ve not measured my cutter sorry!!) and place on a tray separated. Don’t worry if you cut through a sultana pull it out if loose.
Put 4-5 cakes in the heated pan, at this temperature it should take about 5-6 minutes to cook the cakes on each side. They should roughly double in thickness and be a golden brown colour. Any quicker and they won’t cook in the centre and any hotter and they will burn before cooked. You will have to play with your hob to find the sweet spot.
Leave to cool slightly on a grill, normally until you are ready to turn the next batch of 4-5 cakes. Dust with sugar both sides and place in a kitchen towel lined box with the lid loosely placed on top, I have a plastic one which holds 6 cakes a layer 3x2. Continue until all cakes are baked. Place another sheet of kitchen towel on top of the box and seal the lid after about 15 minutes. This allows the cakes to continue to steam a little but, don’t worry they will reabsorb their own moisture.
You can eat them hot but, personally I prefer them the following day when they are light as a feather and not in the slightest way dry.
Follow this recipe and I can guarantee you will have WI winning welsh cakes.
A pocket knife is not a weapon in the right hands it’s an essential garden tool.
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