Etta Richardson says you can eat a lot of her cake

After sampling Etta Richardson's cooking on a recent visit to her home village in Carmarthenshire Prince Charles put in an order for eight of them.

The cakes, which Mrs Richardson usually only bakes at Christmas, were sent by courier to Highgrove.

But the 74-year-old has refused to divulge her recipe, handed down from her mother, to her royal customer.

"My mother used to make it, so it's about 50 years old," she said.

I usually only make the cake at Christmas but I made it for the visit because it makes the table look nice Etta Richardson

Mrs Richardson has now billed Prince Charles �3.99 for each cake plus package and posting.

Prince Charles visited Llansteffan as part of his annual summer tour of Wales last month.

Later, opening this year's Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd, the prince urged a return to "old fashioned cooking" lessons in schools.

Mrs Richardson said: "Prince Charles was in the village, he was coming round and we have a few stalls round the square.

"He is such a nice man and down to earth person. He spoke to us all.

"I usually only make the cake at Christmas but I made it for the visit because it makes the table look nice."

He asked one of his aides to buy a cake so he could have a few slices on the royal helicopter as he continued his Welsh tour.

'Very proud'

Then a chef from his kitchens phoned and placed an order for eight.

They were sent to the prince last week.

Mrs Richardson, whose son Richard and daughter-in-law Paula run a bakery business, said she was 'very proud' that they had met with such approval.

"I could not believe it - it was very exciting," she added.

"It's a cake that you start off with one slice and you need another one, it's a cake that you can eat a lot of."