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Welsh cakes (, pice bach, cacennau cri or teisennau gradell), also known as bakestones, griddle cakes, or pics, are a traditional sweet bread from Wales. They are small, round, spiced cakes that are cooked on a griddle or bakestone rather than baked in an oven, giving them a distinctive texture between a biscuit, scone, and pancake.
Welsh cakes have been popular since the late 19th century and emerged from the addition of fat, sugar, and dried fruit to traditional flatbread recipes that were already being cooked on griddles. They became particularly associated with the South Wales coalfield during the height of the Welsh coal mining industry, when they served as portable, nutritious food for coal mining to take underground. Food historian Carwyn Graves notes in his scholarly analysis that Welsh cakes represent "a heritage both of griddle cakes" that formed part of Wales's distinctive grain culture, positioned at "the intersection of a 'Celtic' oat-based tradition and a northern European wheat/barley/rye tradition."
The transformation from simple flatbread to the Welsh cake known today occurred during the mid-19th century with the increasing availability of ingredients such as butter, lard, sugar, and dried fruit. This period coincided with improved trade routes and the growth of market towns in Wales, making previously expensive ingredients more accessible to ordinary households.
The cakes were ideally suited to the harsh conditions of coal mining. They were small enough to fit in coat pockets, robust enough to withstand the physical demands of mine work, and provided substantial nutrition for workers engaged in physically demanding labour. Mining families developed the practice of wives preparing batches of Welsh cakes for their husbands to take to work, often along with provisions for children's school lunches.
According to oral histories collected by the National Museum of Wales, Welsh cakes became regular features of working-class households throughout Glamorgan and other mining regions by the 1870s. The museum notes that "the miner would also expect to find them in his food-box," highlighting their established role in mining culture.
The late 20th and early 21st centuries have seen renewed interest in Welsh cakes as part of broader movements toward traditional and artisanal food. They have become prominent symbols of Welsh cuisine, frequently served during Saint David's Day celebrations and featured in Welsh cultural events worldwide.
The dough is rolled out to approximately 5–8 millimetres thickness and cut into rounds using a fluted cutter, typically 6–8 centimetres () in diameter. The resulting cakes are then cooked on a lightly greased, moderately heated griddle or bakestone for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Historical bakestones were seasoned with lard and never washed, developing a patina that prevented sticking and contributed to flavour. Modern cooks often substitute heavy cast iron frying pans or electric griddles, though purists maintain that traditional bakestones produce superior results.
The cakes' association with Welsh national identity extends to diaspora communities worldwide, where they serve as tangible connections to Welsh heritage. Welsh societies in countries including the United States, Australia, and Argentina maintain Welsh cake baking traditions as expressions of cultural continuity.
They are frequently cited alongside other symbolic Welsh foods such as cawl, laverbread, and Glamorgan sausage as defining elements of Welsh culinary identity. Unlike many national dishes that evolved from aristocratic or religious traditions, Welsh cakes emerged from working-class necessity, reflecting Wales's industrial heritage.
The National Museum of Wales documents regional naming conventions, noting that Welsh names for the cakes typically derived from local terms for bakestones: pice bach (little cakes), tishan lechwan, or tishan ar y mân (bakestone cakes).
Artisanal producers have experimented with ingredient substitutions, including buttermilk for enhanced flavour, different spice combinations, and alternative dried fruits. However, purists argue that authentic Welsh cakes should adhere to traditional recipes and cooking methods.
The ratio of ingredients creates a dough firm enough to roll and cut but tender enough to produce the characteristic texture when cooked. Traditional recipes often specify equal weights of flour and fat, similar to shortbread, contributing to the cakes' rich flavour and keeping qualities.
The inclusion of dried fruit added and , while spices contributed both flavour and traditional medicinal properties. The cooking method produces less fat absorption than deep-frying while maintaining moisture content.
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