Teisen Cariad (Welsh Love Cake)

Teisen Cariad (Welsh Love Cake) is a traditional Cymric (Welsh) recipe for a classic love cake baked for a special someone. It's made from an apple filling on a pastry base with an iced sponge topping and is typically prepared for St Dwynwen's day. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Welsh version of: Welsh Love Cake (Teisen Cariad).

prep time

30 minutes

cook time

45 minutes

Total Time:

77 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Baking Recipes Cake Recipes British Recipes Cymric/Welsh Recipes

Original Recipe

Cynhwysion: Ar Gyfer y Piwrî Afalau:
500g o afalau
50g o siwgr
1/4 llwy de sinamon wedi'i falu

Ar Gyfer y Sbwng:
85g o siwgr mân
85g o fenyn (wedi'i feddalu)
2 wy
115g o flawd cacen
1 llwy de o bowdr pobi
Croen 1 lemwn wedi'i gratio'n fân

Ar gyfer y Crwst Byr:
225g o flawd
115g o fenyn
115g o siwgr mân
ychydig o lefrith
croen wedi'i ratio'n fân o ¼ lemon

Ar Gyfer yr Eisin:
¼ llwy de o sudd lemon ffres
¼ llwy de o ddŵr
70g o siwgr eisin

I Wasanaethu:
1 llwy fwrdd o jam mefus (neu eich hoff jam coch)
5 llwy fwrdd o hufen dwbl (trwchus) (wedi'i chwipio'n ysgafn i'w weini)

Dull:

Pliciwch, craiddwch a tafellwch yr afalau, yna trosglwyddwch nhw i sosban gyda'r 50g o siwgr ac ychydig o lwyau fwrdd o ddŵr. Gorchuddiwch â chaead a stiwiwch yr afalau yn ysgafn nes eu bod yn feddal. Ar y pwynt hwn cymysgwch y sinamon i fewn. Rhowch yr afalau mewn rhidyll wedi'i osod dros fowlen a defnyddiwch gefn llwy i wthio'r afalau drwyddo i gynhyrchu piwrî. Paratowch y crwst drwy rwbio'r menyn meddal i fewn i'r blawd nes bod y cymysgedd yn debyg i friwsion mân. Ychwanegwch y siwgr, croen lemwn wedi'i ratio, a chymysgwch ag ychydig o lefrith nes fod y cynhwysion yn dod at ei gilydd fel toes cadarn. Gorchuddiwch â phlastig lapio yna trosglwyddwch i'ch oergell a'i oeri am o leiaf 30 munud. Ar ôl yr amser hwn, trowch y crwst allan ar arwyneb gwaith wedi ei flawdio cyn ei rolio allan nes ei fod yn ddigon mawr i orchuddio gwaelod ac ochrau tun cacen bas tu 20cm mewn diamedr. Leiniwch dun cacen wedi ei iro gyda'r crwst (gwaelod ac ochrau'r tun). Taenwch y piwrî afal wedi'i oeri ar hyd gwaelod y crwst. Mewn powlen gymysgu hufennwch gyda'i gilydd y menyn a'r siwgr mân a chroen lemwn wedi'i ratio, nes ei fod yn ysgafn a blewog. Curwch yr wyau i mewn ac yn olaf plygwch y blawd a'r powdr pobi i mewn. Taenwch y cymysgedd cytew hwn yn ofalus ar ben y piwrî afal. Trosglwyddwch i ffwrn wedi'i chynhesu ymlaen llaw i 190C (170C ffan/380F/Nwy Marc 5) a'i bobi am 35 munud, nes bod y gacen yn sbringlyd ond heb fod yn sych - bydd sgiwer wedi ei wthio i ganol y gacen yn dod allan yn lân. Tynnwch y gacen allan o'r popty a'i neilltuo ar rac wifren i oeri. Mewn powlen cymysgwch y siwgr eisin gydag ychydig o sudd lemwn a dŵr i wneud eisin. Unwaith y bydd wedi oeri (ond dal ychydig yn gynnes), trowch y gacen allan o'r tun yn ofalus a thaenwch yr eisin tenau dros ben y gacen. Gadewch i'r gacen a'r eisin oeri yn gyfan gwbl. Cymerwch wrthrych siâp calon, fel torrwr crwst, rhowch hwn yng nghanol y gacen a rhowch ychydig o jam mefus (neu unrhyw jam lliw coch) i wneud siâp y galon. Gweinwch y gacen wedi'i sleisio'n ddarnau gyda llwyaid o hufen chwipio. Dyma'r ffordd draddodiadol o baratoi'r gacen hon. Fodd bynnag, gan nad wyf yn arbennig o hoff o afalau wedi'u coginio, byddaf fel arfer yn gwneud hwn naill ai gyda riwbob neu eirin neu hyd yn oed medlars (gallwch gymryd lle'r afalau yn uniongyrchol a dal i ddefnyddio'r rysáit hwn).

English Translation

It’s not just Sri Lanka and Iran that have their traditional love cakes. There’s also a Welsh love cake, based on apples baked for a special person, and served at St Dwynwen’s day, St Valentine’s day, or for weddings. It is a simple apple cake held in a thin shell of sweet, buttery, pastry. Indeed, in many Celtic lands the apple is the symbol of love, with apples being irresistible gifts given by Faerie to humans to entice them to the eternal lands. Apples are also the symbol of Avalon (Afallon, or the orchard lands in Welsh).

Ingredients:

For the Apple Puree:
500g (1 lb 2 oz) apples
50g (1/4 cup) sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Sponge:
85g (3 oz) caster sugar
85g (3 oz) butter (softened)
2 eggs
115g (1/4 lb) cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
Finely-grated zest of 1 lemon

For the Shortcrust pastry:
225g (1/2 lb) flour
115g (1/4 lb) butter
115g (1/4 lb) caster sugar
a little milk
finely-grated zest of ¼ lemon

For the Icing:
¼ tsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp water
70g (2 ½ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar

To Garnish:
1 tbsp strawberry jam (or your favourite red jam)
5 tbsp double (thick) cream (whipped lightly to serve)

Method:

Peel, core and slice the apples, then transfer to a saucepan with the 50g sugar and a few tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and gently stew the apples until they become soft. At this point mix in the ground cinnamon. Tip the apples into a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl and use the back of a spoon to push the stewed apples through to yield a puree.

Make the pastry by rubbing the softened butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the sugar, grated lemon zest, and mix with a little milk until the ingredients come together as a stiff dough. Cover in clingfilm (plastic wrap) then transfer to your refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes. After this time, turn the pastry out onto a floured work surface and roll out until large enough to cover the base and sides of a 20cm (8 in) shallow cake tin.

Line a buttered cake tin with the rolled-out pastry (base and sides of the tin). Spread the cooled apple puree all over the bottom of the pastry base.

In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and caster sugar and grated lemon zest, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and lastly fold in the flour and baking powder. Spread this batter mixture carefully on top of the apple puree.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 190°C (170°C fan/380°F/Gas Mark 5) and bake for 35 minutes, until the cake is springy but not dry — a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake will emerge cleanly. Take the cake out of the oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool.

In a bowl blend together the icing sugar with a little lemon juice and water to make an icing. Once cooled (but still a little warm), carefully turn the cake out of the tin and spread the thin icing over the top of the cake. Let the cake and icing cool completely set.

Take a heart shaped object, like a pastry cutter, place this in the centre of the cake and dab in a little strawberry jam (or any red-coloured jam) to make the heart shape.

Serve the cake sliced into wedges and accompanied by a spoonful of whipped cream.

This is the traditional way of preparing this cake. However, as I am not particularly fond of cooked apples I usually make this either with rhubarb or plums or even medlars (you can substitute directly for the apples and still use this recipe).