As the capital city of Wales, Cardiff is an ideal place to try some traditional food of Wales and Welsh Cakes in Cardiff is one of the best things you can try in Wales!
This post is a round-up of the best spots for Cardiff Welshcakes both in the city centre, Cardiff Bay and more unknown places on the outskirts of the city for locals and tourists to visit!
Best Welsh Cakes in Cardiff
What are Welsh Cakes?
Welsh cakes are a much-loved sweet treat in households around Wales and can be described as crumbly, moist, soft and sugary. The bakes are small and round with a crinkled edge.
Somewhere in between scones and biscuits, you’ll find Welsh cakes as the consistency is fairly difficult to describe. My best advice is to try one and enjoy them forever more!
Looking at Welsh cakes history, not much has changed as the method of cooking and ingredients are the same and they come from a long line of Welsh grandmothers using staples of the pantry to treat the family.
Classic ingredients for Welsh cakes include: flour, butter, eggs, currants/sultanas/raisins, milk and caster sugar but there are variations as found in the stores of Cardiff.
Welsh cakes must be baked on a bakestone/griddle and never in the oven which is a really unique way of cooking this type of food.
Welsh Cakes in Welsh are called ‘picau ar y maen’ or bakestones in some places due to the cast iron griddle on which they are baked.
To get a feel for cooking them yourself, for one of the best Welsh Cake recipes, follow the traditional Welsh cake recipe from Visit Wales website or use the much loved Marys Berry’s Welsh cake recipe here!
How to Eat Welsh Cakes
Always eat Welsh cakes warm and with your hands in however many bites it takes you before you want another one!
This post is a guest post written by Shireen from The Happy Days Travels, a Welsh cake-enthusiast and local Cardiffian so be sure to check her blog out for more helpful Welsh content!
Read on for some of the best Welshcake places in Cardiff, and note that at supermarkets, Tan y Castell Welsh cakes are the most convenient ones but they have nothing on this list so make sure you try your first from one of the below places before you make a judgement on Welsh cakes!
Best Welsh Cakes Cardiff Has To Offer
1. Fabulous Welshcakes Cardiff
Fabulous Welshcakes is probably the most well-known spot in Cardiff to get a delicious, home-made Welsh cake and they sell different flavoured Welsh cakes like coconut Welsh cakes or lemon Welsh cakes and in different shapes like a heart or square.
Fabulous Welshcakes also sell souvenirs for your Wales trip like mugs, aprons and plaques. This is also the best place for Fabulous Welsh cakes Cardiff Bay has to offer as Fabulous have two stores:
Where to find these Welsh Cakes in Cardiff:
Cardiff Centre Fabulous Welshcakes: 44, Castle Arcade, Cardiff, CF10 1BW
Cardiff Bay Fabulous Welshcakes: Mermaid Quay, Bute Street, Cardiff, CF10 5BZ
2. Cardiff Bakestones, Cardiff Indoor Market
Cardiff Bakestones is a must-visit place in Cardiff because their bakes are some of the best I’ve ever had!
They make so many flavours and ingredients for Welsh cakes and they cater for many dietary requirements. So if you’re looking for vegan Welsh cakes in Cardiff or Gluten free Welsh cakes in Cardiff, visit Cardiff Bakestones!
Where to find these Welsh Cakes in Cardiff:
Cardiff Market: 5-7 St Mary Street, Cardiff, CF10 1AU
3. Front Stall, Cardiff Indoor Market
Welsh Cakes Cardiff Market is an underrated place to get them which makes it a good recommendation.
As you enter Cardiff Market from Trinity Street side, directly in front is a stall selling various items for the needs of Cardiffians, of course including Welsh cakes!
They come in a pack of 10 for £1 and although they won’t be warm, they would have been cooked that same morning and is a good option for taking some Welsh cakes home as they’re packaged and re-heatable.
Where to find these Welsh Cakes in Cardiff:
Cardiff Market: 5-7 St Mary Street, Cardiff, CF10 1AU
4. Pontcanna Market
Pontcanna Market is a treasure of Cardiff located in a neighbourhood adjacent to the city centre called Pontcanna full of independent restaurants and cafes, tree-lined avenues with gorgeous houses to gaze at and the cosiest farmer’s market every Saturday.
The Pontcanna Farmer’s Market is home to stalls selling the usual produce found at markets and includes a small stall selling fresh Welsh cakes baked right in front of your eyes and you can choose between general ingredients and organic.
I highly recommend the organic Welsh cakes because they are so light, moist and delicious.
In my opinion, this is the very best place in Cardiff to get traditional Welsh cakes but Pontcanna Market is only open on Saturdays so time your trip to Cardiff well.
Where to find these Welsh Cakes in Cardiff:
Pontcanna Market: 183a Kings Road, Yard, Kings Road, Pontcanna, Cardiff, CF11 9DF
Website: https://pontcannamarket.co.uk/
5. Rogue Welsh Cakes
This small, independent business was started in lockdown by a mother and son who reinvented the classic Welshcake and came up with some of the most unusual, but tasty, varieties of Welshcakes like chocolate welsh cakes, salted caramel or tomato and feta.
Yes, you can get savoury welsh cakes here!
You’ll be greeted by the son of Rogue Welsh Cakes, usually dressed in a traditional Welsh Lady costume.
Where to find these Welsh Cakes in Cardiff:
You can find Rogue Welsh Cakes at various Farmer’s Markets in Cardiff including:
Riverside Market: Fitzhamon Embankment, Cardiff, CF11 6AN (Open Sundays 10:00am – 2:00pm)
Charles Street Market: Charles Street, Cardiff, CF10 2GG (Open Saturday 10:00 – 4:00pm)
Indie Superstore Llandaf North: Railway Hotel, 132 Station Road, Cardiff , CF14 2FH (Saturdays 10am – 3pm)
Follow them on Instagram to keep up with their whereabouts: @roguewelshcakes
6. Christmas Special: Cardiff Christmas Market
This is a specific time-of-year place to get delicious Welshcakes as it’s an adored stall every year for the Cardiff Christmas Market. In 2021 it is running between Thursday 11 November to Thursday 23 December 2021.
You can get traditional recipes of Welshcakes here that always come warm and fairly small (which means you need to get a few to quench your Welshcake craving)!
You can usually smell the goods before you see them and they are usually found in between St David’s Hall, All Saints shop, TKMAXX and Krispy Kreme. While you’re there, take a look around at the independent stalls at the market.
Where to find these Welsh Cakes in Cardiff:
Address: Cardiff Christmas Market, St John Street, Working Street, Trinity Street and the Hayes.
Website: https://www.cardiffchristmasmarket.com