I feel that if I’m talking about Welsh Cakes, I should really introduce them first by their proper, Welsh name, Picau ar y maen, which simply means “cakes on the stone”, and the stone being the flat griddle they are traditionally cooked on. I use a rather more modern smooth (and lightweight) griddle for mine, but a thick-bottomed frying pan or skillet is just as good. These little cakes hold a special place in my heart: they came into my life along with one Heulwen Williams a quarter of a century ago; she made me her grandmother’s version, and then let me have the recipe for my second book. All I’ve changed really from that recipe is the flour. The original recipe stipulated self-raising flour, whereas I prefer to use plain/ all-purpose flour and add the baking powder as below. Feel free to use self-raising flour if you prefer.  But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. For those who’ve never eaten them, I should perhaps give a brief explanation of what they are, and I can best describe them as a cross between shortbread biscuits/cookies and pancakes — of course, they are pancakes of a sort — or a flat disc of fruited scone. They are modest and unfancy, and one of the best accompaniments to an afternoon cup of tea I can think of. I know some people apparently eat them spread with butter and jam, but I’ve only ever come across them or eaten them simply sprinkled with sugar.  It is possible to make them gluten free, though you do need to eat them fast, as they taste good only when still warm from the griddle pan; once cold they are too dry and rather sawdusty. And for the gf option I do recommend sticking to self-raising flour, as for some reason the gluten free flour I get has xanthan gum (which helps make up for the lack of gluten) only in the self-raising version. Still, they are inevitably more fragile to cook, so take extra care on turning them.

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A Victoria Sponge is one of the simplest cakes there is and quite one of the best. Plain, airy cakes, sandwiched with sweet jam and smooth, whipped cream, even if the cream was not in the original version: it is no wonder that it has been such a favourite through the generations. I tinker only a little bit: I use a mixture of flour and cornflour/cornstarch in the sponge, which creates cakes that are exceptionally light and tender; and I add some fruit along with the jam. Here, I’ve used raspberry jam and raspberries, but I can tell you that some sliced strawberries with strawberry jam, or blackberries with their corresponding jam, are also to be considered. Should you decide you wish to leave out the fruit, which in winter may be necessary, I’d add perhaps a little more jam, sharpened with a good spritz of lemon juice. Anyway, this is the Victoria Sponge I’ve been making for decades, and I’m absolutely thrilled that it is now on the site. I don’t advise making this in advance, as it stales quickly. As with so many simple pleasures, just savour it in the moment.

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