Vegan Welsh Cakes
Perfect for a mid-morning and afternoon snack, these vegan Welsh cakes go perfectly with a cup of tea for a comforting taste of Wales
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These traditional Welsh sweet treats are neither a cake or a biscuit, but something in between. Traditionally baked over an open fire, they can be easily replicated with a frying pan or cast iron griddle – and are easy to make without any animal products.
Are Welsh cakes vegan?
No, the classic recipe for Welsh cakes contains egg, butter and milk. But as we all know, these things are easily replaced in vegan recipes. This recipe instead makes the most of plant milk and dairy-free butter.
Most non-dairy milks will work for this, but if you don’t want to deviate from the traditional flavour of Welsh cakes, opt for a flavourless milk such as soya or oat.
If you’re feeling experimental, you could always play with the flavours by using almond milk and substituting some of the raisins for flaked almonds instead.
What’s the difference between scones and Welsh cakes?
Although both start life as a dough, Welsh cakes are slightly lighter than a scone and tend to be much thinner, eaten as a whole on their own rather than split in two and topped with jam and vegan cream.
Variations on the classic recipe
Although the traditional Welsh cake recipe celebrates the flavours of raisins and mixed spice, it’s becoming quite popular to mix things up a little.
Instead of raisins and spices, why not use dairy-free chocolate chips and add some orange zest or extract to create a delicious chocolate orange version?
Alternatively, get your hands on some dairy-free white chocolate chips/chunks and some freeze-dried raspberries and use these instead of the raisins and spices.
Or stick with the original recipe and give it a tasty twist by topping with some jam and peanut butter.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Rating:
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 12)
- 12.5 12.5 g plain flour
- 0.083333333333333 0.083333333333333 tsp mixed spice
- 6.25 6.25 g dairy-free butter, cubed
- 6.6666666666667 6.6666666666667 g raisins
- 6.25 6.25 g caster sugar + extra for dusting
- 0.25 0.25 tbsp plant milk
- 1.1666666666667 1.1666666666667 g baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
- Stir in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt together in a bowl.
- Add the butter to the mix, and use your fingertips to mix all ingredients together to create a breadcrumbed texture.
- Mix in the sugar and the raisins.
- Gradually stir in the milk until you can bring the dough together in a ball. If the mixture seems a bit dry, add in an extra tablespoon of milk. Don’t overwork the dough otherwise your cakes will be tough.
- Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, to a thickness of around 5mm, and stamp out rounds using a pastry cutter.
- Brush a heavy-bottomed frying pan with a little extra butter and place over medium heat.
- Cook the cakes for around 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown. Watch them carefully otherwise they may catch and burn.
- Sprinkle them with extra caster sugar while they are still hot, and allow them to cool slightly before eating.
In need of more sweet treats? Check out our best vegan cookie recipes!
