Welsh Recipes for Children: Simple Welsh Griddle Cakes

Welsh cakes, or picau ar y maen, are small, lightly sweet griddle cakes from Wales, made with flour, butter, sugar, currants, and egg. Their soft centers and gently crisp edges make them a fun recipe for children to help prepare, while an adult handles the hot pan; Welsh families make them in different sizes and with different dried fruit.

Ingredients

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for dusting
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (about 1 g), optional
½ cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (50 g) currants
1 large egg (about 50 g without the shell)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk, plus up to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) more if needed
1 teaspoon (5 g) butter, for greasing the griddle only if needed
1 tablespoon (8 g) granulated sugar, for sprinkling after cooking, optional

Instructions

Set up the work area. Measure the ingredients, cut the butter, and set out a large bowl, rolling pin, and a 2½-inch (6 cm) round cutter. A clean drinking glass with a thin rim can work as a cutter, though it may press the dough less neatly. Keep the griddle or heavy skillet off the heat for now. Children can measure, pour, and stir while an adult manages the pan later.
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and optional cinnamon together in the bowl. Add the cold butter cubes. Rub them into the flour with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with a few pea-size pieces remaining. Children can do this step; if their hands warm the butter until it looks greasy, pause and chill the bowl for 10 minutes before continuing.
Add the sugar and currants. Stir in the sugar and currants until they are distributed through the crumbs. If currants are difficult to find, use the same quantity of finely chopped raisins or dried cranberries. Raisins are larger and sweeter, so chop them small enough to fit easily in each cake; cranberries give a tangier result. Avoid adding whole large pieces of dried fruit, which can make cutting and cooking uneven.
Bring the dough together. Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of milk in a small cup. Pour it into the flour mixture and stir with a fork or blunt table knife until shaggy clumps form. Press the mixture together gently with clean hands. If dry crumbs remain at the bottom, add more milk 1 teaspoon (5 ml) at a time. Stop as soon as the dough holds together; it should be soft but not sticky. Too much milk makes it hard to roll and encourages extra flour, which can make the cakes tough.
Roll and cut. Lightly flour the counter and rolling pin. Pat the dough into a thick disk, then roll it to about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick. Turn it once as you roll and use only enough extra flour to prevent sticking. Cut out rounds and gently gather the scraps to reroll once. Repeatedly working the scraps develops the flour and can make the last cakes firmer. You should get about 12 cakes; exact yield depends on the cutter and how efficiently the scraps are used.
Heat the cooking surface. An adult should warm a heavy skillet, flat griddle, or traditional bakestone over medium-low heat for several minutes. The surface should be hot enough for the cakes to brown gradually, not smoke. Test with one small scrap: it should begin to color after about a minute rather than darken immediately. Welsh cakes are usually cooked on a dry surface; if the pan is not well seasoned or the first cake sticks, wipe it with a very thin film of butter and remove any excess.
Cook in batches. An adult should place four cakes in the pan with space between them. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, until the underside is golden brown and the edges look set, then turn each cake with a thin spatula. Cook the second side for about 3 minutes, adjusting the heat if the outsides brown before the centers are ready. Allow about 7 minutes per batch, including turning, and cook the remaining cakes in two more batches. Avoid pressing them down, which can make them dense.
Check that the centers are cooked. Because these cakes contain egg, the USDA FSIS safe minimum for an egg dish is 160°F (71°C). An adult should insert an instant-read thermometer sideways into the center of a cake from each batch, without touching the pan. If a sample has not reached 160°F (71°C), lower the heat and cook that batch for another minute per side, then check again. The cakes should be golden outside and set, not wet or doughy, in the middle.
Cool briefly and finish. Transfer the cooked cakes to a wire rack and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving. If you like, sprinkle them with the optional tablespoon of sugar while they are still warm. They are especially pleasant warm, but allow children to handle them only when they are comfortable to touch.

Tips

Keep the butter cold. Cold butter makes the crumbly dough easier to handle and helps keep the finished cakes tender. If the dough becomes soft while children are shaping it, set it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes rather than adding a lot of flour.
Use low, steady heat. A pan that is too hot can brown the outside while leaving a raw center. If the first cake is dark in less than 2 minutes, lower the heat and give the pan a moment to cool before cooking the next batch.
Make the recipe dairy-free if needed. Replace the butter in the dough with an equal amount of firm plant-based baking butter and use an unsweetened plant milk. The flavor may be a little less buttery, and some spreads contain more water, so add the milk gradually and stop once the dough comes together.
Keep little hands away from the hot surface. Children can measure, mix, cut, and arrange the uncooked rounds on a plate. An adult should operate the stove, turn the cakes, and check the temperature; the pan handle should point inward and the cooking area should stay clear.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the cakes warm or at room temperature, plain or with a light dusting of sugar. For a simple snack, offer them with sliced apples, pears, or berries and a glass of milk. A small spread of butter is traditional in spirit and makes them richer, while jam adds sweetness; set spreads on the table so each person can choose. For a breakfast or afternoon-tea plate, serve one or two cakes alongside fruit and plain yogurt.

For younger children, break a cake into manageable pieces and let it cool completely first. The currants are baked into the dough, so there is no need for a separate topping or dipping sauce. If you are serving a group, make the cakes ahead and warm only the number you plan to eat, rather than leaving the whole batch near the stove where it can dry out.

Variations

Try a different dried fruit. Replace the currants with ⅓ cup (50 g) of chopped raisins, sultanas, or dried cranberries. Chop larger fruit into small pieces so every cake cooks evenly. The flavor will be sweeter with raisins and brighter with cranberries; very moist fruit can make the dough slightly softer, so add the milk carefully.

Make a gently spiced batch. Keep the cinnamon, or use ¼ teaspoon (about 0.5 g) of mixed spice in its place. A little finely grated orange zest, about 1 teaspoon (2 g), also pairs well with currants. These additions are optional; leaving them out makes a plainer cake that lets the buttery dough and fruit stand out.

Change the shape, not the thickness. Use a smaller cutter for snack-size rounds or cut the dough into squares with a table knife. Keep pieces close to ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick and similar in size so they cook at the same rate. Tiny pieces will need less time, so check them early and use the thermometer rather than relying on color alone.

Make the dough ahead. You can mix and cut the rounds, cover them, and refrigerate them for up to 24 hours before cooking. Separate layers with baking parchment so they do not stick. Cold rounds may take an extra minute to cook, so keep the heat moderate and check a cake from each batch for the required temperature.

Storage and Reheating

Cool the cakes, then refrigerate them in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze them in a sealed freezer-safe container with parchment between layers for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator or warm from frozen over low heat in a covered skillet, turning once so they heat evenly.

To reheat refrigerated leftovers, use a low oven or skillet until hot throughout. For food safety, leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C); check the center with an instant-read thermometer. Small cakes can dry out if heated too long, so warm only what you need and keep the heat low. Do not leave cooked cakes at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Welsh cakes the same as scones? No. Both are flour-based baked goods, but Welsh cakes are small, usually include dried fruit, and cook on a griddle or in a skillet rather than in an oven. They are generally thinner than scones and have a lightly crisp surface with a tender middle. Recipes vary between households, including the amount of sugar, spice, and fruit.

Can I make Welsh cakes without a traditional bakestone? Yes. A heavy, flat skillet or griddle works well. A traditional bakestone is a thick, flat cooking surface, but it is not essential for a home batch. Use a pan with enough room to turn the cakes without crowding them, and keep the heat at medium-low so the centers cook before the outsides become too dark.

Why is my dough crumbly or sticky? If it is crumbly, it may need a little more milk; add it by the teaspoon and press the dough together before adding more. If it is sticky, it may have too much liquid or be warm from handling. Chill it for 10 minutes, then lightly flour the counter. Avoid correcting stickiness with a large amount of flour, which can produce dry cakes.

Can children make these without help? Children can take part in most of the measuring, mixing, and cutting, with supervision appropriate to their age. An adult should handle the stove, the hot pan, and the thermometer. Keep the handle turned inward, use a stable work surface, and move the cooked cakes to a rack away from the cooking area.

Can I use self-rising flour? You can replace the all-purpose flour and baking powder with 2 cups (250 g) of self-rising flour, but keep the salt in the recipe. Self-rising flour can vary by brand and region, so the cakes may rise slightly differently. Do not add both the self-rising flour and the listed baking powder, or the cakes may puff more than intended.

How do I know when the cakes are done? A golden surface and set edges are useful signs, but they do not confirm that an egg-containing center has reached a safe temperature. Check the center of a cake from each batch with an instant-read thermometer; it should read 160°F (71°C). If it is below that, cook the batch a little longer over lower heat and check again.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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