Welsh cakes are better than scones. There, I said it. TheyÔÇÖre infinitely superior to the dehydrated rocks that are scones. They also come without any cumbersome baggage, like the never-ending debate of which comes first – jam or cream. When dealing with a welsh cake, no spreads are needed; just open your trap and cram it in. Then you inadvertently have to reach for another one, because like all good things, theyÔÇÖre incredibly addictive.

As the capital of Wales, Cardiff is brimming with welsh cake stalls. Some are incredible, some are acceptable and some should really consider changing careers. But today weÔÇÖll just focus on a few of the wonderful and wacky welsh cake shops that have been popping up around town. 

I donÔÇÖt believe in keeping the best for last so weÔÇÖll start with my personal favourite – The Rogue Welsh Cake Company. Birthed in the pandemic last year, theyÔÇÖve been revolutionising the welsh cake scene with their alternative flavours. And by alternative, I mean savoury welsh cakes. 

Yes, you read that right. Savoury. Welsh. Cakes.

The two flavours – cheese and leek and tomato and feta – deserve a thousand standing ovations. Tomato and feta tastes like pizza in welsh cake form and is super tasty; but nothing beats cheese and leek. It’s five stars, rainbow emoji, 10/10. To put it simply, if cheese and leek were a person, IÔÇÖd be walking down the aisle right now. 

They also do sweet ones like chocolate orange, chocolate and salted caramel and banana and chocolate chip. With such a cool array of flavours, itÔÇÖs no surprise theyÔÇÖve become a giant hit at the farmers markets. This also means that they sell out rather quickly so youÔÇÖve got to drag yourself out early enough to snag their welsh cakes. As someone who only rolls out of bed at noon, this is both cruel and inhumane but for these discs of goodness, IÔÇÖll gladly wake up at the ass-crack of dawn. 

For those who prefer simplicity, Miles Better Baking is for you. I think they actually have an assortment of flavours, but the few times I checked them out at Riverside Farmers Market, they were doing plain welsh cakes. The good olÔÇÖ kind with currants inside, piping hot and covered in a twinkling coat of sugar. TheyÔÇÖre a bit on the sweeter side but my friend adores them, she buys a whole bag everytime we go. The rate and frequency at which she consumes them is slightly alarming but I think itÔÇÖs fine, thereÔÇÖs medication to keep diabetes under control, right? 

Of course, we canÔÇÖt forget the ever-so-iconic Cardiff Bakestones. ItÔÇÖs where I popped my welsh cake cherry and this is unrelated but itÔÇÖs also where I tried my first mince pie. ItÔÇÖs been two years and IÔÇÖm still appalled by the fact that thereÔÇÖs no meat inside. Anyway, I like how at Bakestones you can watch the bakers make welsh cakes from scratch right in front of you and even beg for a hot one straight off the griddle. They also do this thing called giant welsh cakes. And well, as we all know, bigger is better, need I say more?

Cardiff is truly the perfect stomping ground for welsh cake-obsessed monsters (read: me). These stalls are just a few of the incredible vendors who bake their hearts out everyday and come up with the most marvellous creations. With the amount of welsh cakes IÔÇÖve been sampling, indigestion and obesity are probably on the cards, but who cares – my greed knows no bounds!