Welsh Raisin Cakes: A Traditional Welsh Recipe
On March 1st, on the occasion of the national day of Wales, the inhabitants are used to prepare Welsh cakes, small cakes which are cooked in the pan. We propose you to discover the recipe of these delicious Welsh cakes with raisins.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make Welsh Raisin Cakes for 4 people:
250 g flour
half a packet of baking powder
65 g of sugar
2 large handfuls of raisins
115 g soft butter at room temperature
2 small eggs
a little neutral oil for cooking
sugar or powdered sugar for decoration
Preparation of the dough
1- In a large container, tumble the yeast with 225 g of flour. Reserve the remaining flour to add later if your dough is too sticky.
2- Add the powdered sugar and raisins and mix these dry ingredients.
3- Add the soft butter cut into small pieces and start kneading the ingredients with your fingertips, as if you were preparing a shortbread dough.
4- When the dough has a sandy texture and the butter is well incorporated with the other ingredients, make a well and add the lightly beaten eggs in the center.
5- Knead it all together, adding flour if needed, until you can form a soft ball of dough.
To note: in this recipe for Welsh raisin cakes or Welsh cakes it is impossible to give a precise proportion of flour because the consistency of the dough will also depend on the size of the eggs.
Cake cutting
Welsh raisin cakes are unique in that they can be made with a cookie cutter, just like cookies, even though they are not baked.
1- Roll out the dough on your floured work surface or on a silicone mat until it is about 5 mm thick.
2- Cut out the Welsh cakes using a small round cookie cutter. Depending on the diameter of your cookie cutter, you will be able to make about 12 to 20 cakes.
To note: don't worry if the texture of the dough is very sticky, that's how it should be.
3- As you cut the cakes, place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. As I explained above, you won't be putting the tray in the oven, but this trick allows you to set the cakes aside until it's time to bake them without them sticking to the tray and becoming deformed.
Baking cakes in a pan
One of the special things about Welsh raisin cakes is the way they are baked in a pan. On days when you don't have the desire or the ability to turn on the oven, consider making Welsh cakes! Their baking is not unlike pancakes ;-)
1- Heat a large non-stick pan. If the coating of your pan is not efficient enough, you can lightly oil the pan with a paper towel soaked in neutral oil.
2- Place the cakes in the pan, spacing them out, and cook about 3 to 5 minutes on each side, over medium heat, checking the coloring so they don't burn.
3- Halfway through cooking, gently flip the cakes over with the help of a spatula. These typically Welsh treats are ready when the core of the cake is set and no longer 'floating'.
Finish
When the Welsh raisin cakes are done, place them on a serving platter and dust them generously with sugar.
Conservation Council
These Welsh raisin cakes are delicious at tea time. But try not to devour them all with a nice cup of tea because they're even better the next day!
Welsh cakes can be stored in a metal cookie jar for a few days without any problem.
