These tea cakes are moist, soft, and buttery for the perfect cross between a cookie and a cake. They are the perfect sweet treat for tea time or any time you’re craving a delicious homemade tea cake.
Table of Contents
The dough for tea cakes is often sticky, making it tricky to handle, roll, or cut. With this recipe, we will be chilling the dough before we roll it out and also after it’s cut. This simple trick makes the dough much easier to work with and ensures your tea cakes have the perfect texture.
If you’re a fan of these tea cakes, you might also enjoy my recipes for snicker-doodle cookies, sour cream cookies, and overnight meringue cookies. They all share that same homemade, old-fashioned goodness that’s so hard to resist!
This recipe was found in an old-fashioned cookbook filled with recipes that will bring back memories of grandma’s kitchen.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Buttery Soft: The texture of these tea cakes is incredibly soft, thanks to the high butter content. It’s like biting into a little piece of heaven!
- Surprisingly Simple: Despite their gourmet flavor and texture, these tea cakes are surprisingly easy to make. It’s a recipe that never fails to impress!
- Family Favorite: This recipe has been a hit in my family for generations. It’s a go-to for special occasions and holiday gatherings.
- Classic Flavors: This recipe is a time-tested classic, with the perfect combination of butter, sugar, and vanilla, resulting in a tea cake that’s bursting with flavor.
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Key Ingredients
- Butter: This is the star of the show, giving the tea cakes their rich, buttery flavor and a soft, tender crumb. Be sure to use unsalted butter to control the overall saltiness of the recipe.
- Sugar: It sweetens the tea cakes and also helps to give them a golden brown color as they bake.
- Egg: The egg acts as a binder in the recipe, helping to hold all the ingredients together.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is the base of the tea cakes, providing structure. Be sure to measure it carefully for the best results.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These are the leavening agent that we’ll be using for the perfect rise and texture.
- Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the other flavors in the recipe, making the tea cakes more delicious.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a sweet, floral flavor that pairs perfectly with the butter in the recipe.
Equipment
- Biscuit Cutter – It’s perfect for cutting the tea cakes into the right size for this recipe.
- Cookie Sheet – This is where you’ll place the cut cookies and chill them in the refrigerator to prevent spreading. It’s also where you’ll bake the tea cakes in the preheated oven.
How to Make Tea Cakes
Preparation
To start, gather all your ingredients and make sure your butter is at room temperature.
Step 1 – Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a mixer, combine the butter and sugar and mix until they are light and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes on medium speed.
Step 2 – Add the Egg and Dry Ingredients
Once your butter and sugar are cream, add the egg and mix it in. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3 – Combine the Dry Ingredients and Milk
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the vanilla and milk. Your dough will be sticky.
Step 4 – Chill the Dough
Wrap your dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Step 5 – Roll and Cut the Cookies
After chilling, roll your dough to a ¼ inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out your cookies. Place the cut cookies on a cookie sheet and chill them in the refrigerator. This will help prevent spreading during baking.
Step 6 – Bake the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350˚ F. Once it’s ready, bake your cookies for 8-10 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges just start to turn brown.
Step 7 – Cool and Serve
Once baked, let your cookies cool on a rack. Enjoy your delicious, homemade tea cakes!
Expert Tip
To ensure your tea cakes turn out perfectly tender and moist, keep a close eye on them while they’re in the oven. They can dry out quickly, especially if over-baked. Aim to pull them out as soon as they’re lightly golden around the edges.
Recipe Variations
- Sprinkle: Before baking, sprinkle the tea cakes with sugar to give them a sparkly, sweet texture.
- Frosting: After the tea cakes have cooled, frost them with your favorite icing for a sweeter treat.
- Add spices: Mix in a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough for a warm, cozy flavor.
What to Serve With
- If you’re hosting a brunch, these tea cakes make a great addition to your spread. Serve them with fresh fruit, yogurt, and a selection of breakfast meats for a well-rounded meal.
- You can also serve these tea cakes with flavored spreads like lemon curds, fruit preserves, or honey butter. The contrast of the sweet, tender cakes and the tangy or rich spreads is a real crowd-pleaser.
- These tea cakes also make for a perfect afternoon treat when served with a hot cup of Earl Grey tea.
Make Ahead Instructions
Making this recipe ahead of time is easy. Follow the recipe, then chill the dough for up to 3 days before rolling and baking.
Recipe FAQs
Chilling the dough helps to solidify the butter in the dough, which is important for the texture of the tea cakes. It also makes the dough easier to roll out and cut.
Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with other extracts like almond or lemon to give your tea cakes a different flavor.
If the dough is too sticky, you can work with a little bit more flour. Be careful not to add too much, as it can make the tea cakes tough.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: Once they have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep well for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: If you’d like to make these tea cakes ahead of time, they freeze beautifully. Once they have cooled completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: To thaw, simply leave them at room temperature for about 1-2 hours.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Serving Size
- What to Expect: This tea cake recipe yields deliciously soft and buttery cakes, enough to make about 2 dozen tea cakes.
- How to Scale: If you want to make more than 2 dozen cakes, you can double the recipe. Just make sure to work in batches when combining the wet and dry ingredients, as well as when shaping and baking the tea cakes. Follow the rest of the instructions as directed.
Tea Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 Cup butter
- 1 Cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 ½ Cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ Cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. (About 2 minutes on medium speed with your mixer.) Mix in the egg.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add alternately the dry ingredients and vanilla and milk to the creamed mixture.
- Dough will be sticky. Fold into plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Roll the batter into ¼ inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter. Place cut cookes on a cookie sheet and chill the cookies in the refrigerator to avoid spreading.
- Bake in preheated 350˚ F oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to turn brown. Let cool on cooling rack.
So delicious! My family really loved this one. The cake like texture with the buttery flavor is a real winner!