25 Old Fashioned Tea Cake Recipes

It’s the birthday month of the blog and the blogger 🙂

I know it’s not a typical birthday cake recipe, but I love plain Tea cakes! If you ask me they are the bestest!

I’ve been wanting to bake this tea cake forever and finally baked it the other day. Though it’s a no-frills cake, it tastes wow!

You can have it plain or you can dress it up with some custard/whipped cream and berries/fruit compote. Either way, it’s fab!

MM celebrates her 16th birthday this month!! I’m happy that the blog has come this long, though there is much scope for improvement 😉 Thank You for being a part of MM!!

I do really hope you give this recipe a try and love it like just we did.

Recipe from Bava R. Lukose’s Suriyani Cookery

Plain flour (maida)
gms (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter, softened
(I used full fat)
(optional, refer notes)

Preheat the oven to 180 C, for 10 mins before baking. Grease an eight or nine- inch cake tin (I used a 9 -inch loaf tin with butter and line with parchment paper.
Sieve together plain flour and baking powder.
With an electric beater, beat together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract (if using) until it’s light and fluffy.
Add flour and milk alternately to the above. Start and end with flour.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the pre-heated oven for 45-50 mins or until the center of the the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the cake rest in the cake tin for 10 mins and transfer onto a serving plate. Once the cake is cooled completely slice and serve.

I recommend using a wide and deep cake tin for this recipe.

The baking time may vary depending on the oven and also on the size of the cake tin you use.

The original recipe uses 1 tsp caraway seeds instead of vanilla extract. If you are using caraway seeds, add it in the end.

The batter may curdle in between (mine was super curdled) but it will come together in the end.

These dainty and delicious old fashioned tea cake recipes are perfect for brunch and more. There’s nothing quite like a piping hot cup of your favorite tea and a sweet treat alongside it! This list has everything from traditional English biscuits to fancy French pastry, and more modern ones like cherry limeade poke cake.

Disclosure: This post may contain affilIiate links or sponsored content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.

Dainty Treat Recipes

These recipes will quickly show you that bigger isn’t always better. These small and dainty treat recipes may be small but they definitely do not lack in flavor.

Orange Cranberry Coffee Cake is lovely and delightful for a tea time brunch. This recipe takes 45 minutes total to whip up. You will need a mixer, mixing bowls, a rubber spatula, parchment paper, and an 8 X 8-inch baking pan.

This old fashioned tea cake recipe needs butter to add flavor and give the cake a tender texture. You also need superfine/caster sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, almond milk, pears, raspberries, almond flakes, and whip cream.

Easy French Financiers are delicate almond cakes with browned butter that everyone will love. You can make this dessert in 25 minutes flat. You will need unsalted butter, powdered sugar, almond flour, regular flour, egg whites, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and raspberries.

Butter cake takes a little under an hour to make. It will cost about $4 total and result in 6 servings. All you need is an oven and some common pantry staples like eggs, baking powder, sugar, flour, butter, cream cheese, and milk.

Pandan cake is a beautiful old fashioned tea cake recipe. You can expect a fluffy light variation of chiffon cake. Key Ingredients include pandan extract and coconut milk. This is a popular dessert in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, China and Hong Kong.

Cherry Limeade Poke Cake will really impress a crowd for a brunch or tea party. It is a moist and soft yellow cake topped with cherries cooked in lime juice and lime flavored light whipped topping!

Mini Portions Of Old Fashioned Tea Cakes

These small and classic tea cakes are a great snack any time of day. These sweet treats are also perfect to enjoy as a light dessert. With so many different variations of Old Fashioned Mini Tea Cakes, you’ll never get bored of them.

Molten lava cake is also known as fondant cake and it’s a popular soufflé dessert with a liquid hot center. It originates from France called the “moelleux au chocolat” which translates to soft cake with chocolate.

If you’re looking for a blueberry flavored old fashioned tea cake recipe look no further. You can expect a light and airy sponge type cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and blueberry Jam.

Pumpkin mini cakes with cinnamon streusel topping are perfect for tea or brunch. They are cute little personal portions that everyone will love. Key ingredients include cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, Greek yogurt, pumpkin purée, and chopped pecans.

Everyone will love mini cannoli cheesecakes with a slight hint of orange and covered with chocolate chips. This recipe makes 12 servings With ingredients like waffle cones, butter, vanilla, cream cheese, sour cream, corn starch, sugar, and a few other pantry staples.

Lemon coconut mini cakes are perfect with a cup of tea or a latte. They are soft with a bit of coconut and lemon glaze. This recipe makes 12 portions with easy ingredients like coconut milk, vanilla, cake flour, salt, sugar, butter, lemon, and a few other items.

What is better than a normal cake? Cake bars! They’re so much easier to to cut than your regular count cakes. They’re also perfect snacks to take to a bake sale or to enjoy at any get together or party.

Cake bars make the best old fashioned tea cake recipes like this one with cranberry and lemon. They are hassle free and quick to prepare. The triple layers are out of this world delicious with a sweet and tangy taste and a meringue layer that will knock your socks off.

When you make these lemon bar shortbread cakes it’s important to let your pan cool on the countertop for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also make storage easier by using a glass pan with a lid. The author recommends using fresh lemons over the bottle.

Strawberry shortcakes are 100% homemade with no processed sugars or preservatives. So if you’re looking for a dessert that is gluten free, vegan, allergy free, and oil free look no further.

Cherry oatmeal cake bars are easy to make and perfect for any day of the week. They store well in Tupperware and are freezer friendly. You can easily use regular flour or gluten free flour blends.

Churro bars are absolutely scrumptious and made with easy ingredients. You can expect a lovely creamy texture and a delicious cheesecake taste. All you need is butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt, flour, sugar, and ground cinnamon.

Traditional Tea Cakes

Traditional Tea Cakes originated in Britain to only serve with afternoon tea. These delicious cakes have quickly turned into a snack that is enjoyed all day long. These “cakes” are more like cookies and pair well with most cold and hot drinks.

These southern tea cakes are the traditional version of the recipe. They have a sweet pastry taste and texture that makes them the popular treat that they are. You will need high quality butter for optimal results.

You will love lemon English cookies because they are made with five basic ingredients. For example you will need castor sugar which is also called ultrafine sugar. It is simply ground down granulated sugar that’s perfect for baking.

Russian tea cakes are traditional and lovely plus they look like tiny snowballs. You can whip these up in less than an hour which includes cleanup time. Plus you can make them ahead of time as they will stay good for one to two weeks in an airtight container.

French Financiers are the best old fashioned tea cakes. This recipe certainly will not disappoint either. This recipe can be made with various flavors like Stasio, hazelnut, and almond.

Cup Cakes For Tea Time

Who doesn’t love a good cupcake? Full of delicious flavor packed into one small cake, talk about delicious. These cupcake recipes are delicious and easy to make. Whether you want a bold flavor, a fruit flavor or a more subtile flavor, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you below.

Pineapple upside down cupcakes are absolutely superb with caramelized pineapple and other delicious converse. They are easy to bake from scratch and have an easy clean up method. It’s best to use nonstick cupcake molds!

Lemon cupcakes with Earl Grey frosting will put a smile on everyone’s face. The ricotta cheese ingredient creates the fluffiest texture that’s spongy and firm. They are not overly sweet but rather well balanced and fun.

Vanilla cupcakes with cinnamon swirl inside and delicious buttercream frosting are perfect for a crowd. You will need unsalted butter softened to room temperature as well as superfine granulated sugar or castor sugar. Other ingredients include eggs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, a pinch of salt, and sour cream.

Serve up some Tres Leche cupcakes using yellow cake mix, eggs milk, and vanilla extract. For the delicious milk mixture you will need sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy whipping cream. You will also need powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and fresh sliced strawberries.

Try some orange Creamsicle cupcakes for your old fashion tea cake recipe idea. You don’t need cupcake liners all you have to do is spray the pan with nonstick spray. They are fun to decorate with small orange wedges, orange sprinkles, orange straws, flowers, or candied orange slices.

What is a tea cake in the UK versus America?

In the UK a traditional tea cake is a yeast-based sweet bun that is light and airy. It usually contains dried fruit and is served toasted with butter. However, in the US a tea cake can be anything from cookies to small or light cake.

You may also enjoy: 25 Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie Recipes, Old Fashioned Butter Almond Cookie Recipe, and Vintage Style Breakfast Coffee Cake Recipe.

Now you are ready for teatime and brunch with all these old fashioned tea cake recipes. From minis to cups and everything in between, indulge your sweet tooth once in a while!

You can’t go wrong with an old-fashioned tea cake recipe with a cup of earl Grey or even a latte. From English biscuits to French pastry etc

Cut yourself a big slice, pop on the kettle, and sit back and relax.

We’ve pulled together a selection of our favourite sweet and fluffy butter cakes and tea cakes to enjoy alongside your mid-morning or afternoon cuppa.

Rhubarb crumble cake

Rich, tart rhubarb with rolled oats and cinnamon makes this classic British cake an even more comforting winter treat.

Cut yourself a large slice of this warm, moist apple cake – delicious served fresh from the oven with a drizzle of cream and a mug of tea.

This simple apple tea cake is dense, moist and delicious. Glazed with apricot jam and studded with tender apple pieces, it makes a great afternoon tea treat.

This dense, moist almond carrot cake has a delicious lemon cream cheese frosting. If you prefer, you can use orange juice and zest in place of lemon in both the cake and frosting.

Vanilla butter cake

A good basic, light cake that is perfect as a base for kids’ birthday cakes. It is also nice plain or with cream and berries.

Raspberry and custard tea cake

This moist and buttery tea cake, adorned with raspberries and almond flakes is a wonderful afternoon or after-dinner treat – especially with thickened cream.

Finished with a drizzle of toffee, this coffee and walnut cake is the perfect afternoon tea treat, offering complex flavours and a great, dense texture.

Don’t miss out on your favourite sweet treats just because you have an intolerance to gluten. This beautiful raspberry and lemon syrup cake is free of wheat and dairy, and still tastes incredible!

This spiced walnut cake with a brandy syrup is rich with the fragrance of cloves, cinnamon and orange.

Flourless chocolate hazelnut cake

Don’t miss out on the goodness of chocolate cake just because you’re gluten free. This dark, rich and nutty cake cuts out the flour, but not the warm and gooey textures.

Caramelised apple and cinnamon tea cakes

Topped and tailed with caramelised apple, these delightful tea cakes can be served up for morning or afternoon tea, and would be a different and welcome addition to the school lunchbox.

Summer is here which means it’s time for desserts to get dressed up with fresh, locally grown berries – if you can find them! I’m not a big lover of sugary sweet desserts, which is why this Bakery Style Vanilla Tea Cake is perfect for someone like me. The dominant flavour in this cake is the vanilla, and the sugary sweetness that you are likely to find in other cakes is nowhere to be found!

Don’t mistake me – this cake is anything but bland! In fact, I ate a slice of it without anything on it at all. It is super moist and soft and so delicately sweetened. If you’re a lover of vanilla, this cake is for you! And, because it’s such a mellow cake, it’s perfect for paring with your favourite fresh berries. My favourite berries happen to be strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries – and, in that order!

You can certainly choose any berries that you like. In fact, this cake would pair well with fruits too. Freshly sliced, summer ripe peaches would be divine! So would other stone fruits such as nectarines, plums, and apricots!

Make your own online recipe box!

My Bakery Style Vanilla Tea Cake is the ideal cake for me, because my cake decorating skills are terrible! The dusting of confectioner’s sugar and the pile of fresh berries is my lazy attempt at cake decorating. I’ve tried many times to decorate a cake using frosting and fondant, but I can’t seem to master the art at all. I’ve purchased the frosting bags and tips in all shapes and sizes, but even they don’t help.

I love pretty things, just like everyone else, but I also pride myself on catering to the home cook, just like me, who doesn’t rely on a fancy cooking apparatus, who doesn’t have any formal chef training, and who has one goal: get a great tasting dish on the table. It’s that simple.

With that said, however, I do think that this cake is the answer to all of us who suffer from that damn cake decorating disease. (Yes, I just wrote that!) A cake such as this is not only super delicious and moist, but I think it’s pretty as well. And, anyone – yes, anyone! – can make a cake look just a pretty as this one does!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown cookies and cakes.
Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies.
Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking. In baking it helps to enhance and balance sweetness.
Milk – When a baking recipe requires milk, I always use whole milk, unless otherwise stated.
Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar. It is used in frostings quite often. When dusted lightly onto cakes and cookies, it adds just a touch of sweetness, but more importantly, it looks very visually appealing!
Fresh Berries

HOW TO MAKE A BAKERY STYLE VANILLA TEA CAKE

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Next, in a bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar until well combined. You can use a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy – about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.

Next, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until well combined. The mixture will be very thick! Finally, add the milk and mix into the flour mixture. The milk will lighten up the batter.

Pour the batter into a nine inch round pan that has been greased and floured. Tap the cake pan firmly on your countertop or onto a wooden cutting board to flatten the cake batter into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Test to see if the cake is fully baked by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready. If not, bake for another 3-5 minutes and test again.

Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool in the cake pan for fifteen minutes. Remove from the cake pan and allow cake to finish cooling on a wire cooling rack. When ready to serve, dust with confectioner’s sugar and top with fresh berries.

HOW TO GREASE AND FLOUR A CAKE PAN

The experienced baker knows all too well that it is important to have a well greased cake pan. Too many of us home cooks have had the unfortunate experience of a cake sticking to the pan. It happens to all of us at some point, but the more experience we become, the lesser the chance of ruining a perfectly good cake.

Sometimes all you need to do is grease pan. You can do this with butter, shortening, or with a non-stick cooking spray. Other times, you need to grease and flour the pan. In this instance, you grease the pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle in a coating of flour. I like to add a tablespoon of flour to the pan and maneuver the pan so that the flour moves around the inside of the pan, sticking to the grease to create a wall of protection between the pan and the batter.

Ensure the pan is fully coated, then turn the pan upside down and gently tap out any excess flour. This will prevent those ugly white spots once the cake is fully baked. Here’s a quick video that will show you just how to do it!

PRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT

When it comes to presenting this Bakery Style Vanilla Tea Cake or any other cake, I’m all about a pretty cake stand. In fact, I have about six full-sized cake stands, two mini cake stands, and three cupcake cake stands. A good cake stand is imperative to any home cook. I use mine for cakes, obviously, but I also like to stack muffins and cookies in them for a pretty – and inviting – display on my table or counter. Who wouldn’t like to visit a friend who has sweet treats piled high under a clear-domed lid of a large cake stand?

Presentation, however, is in the eye of the beholder. You might look at the photos of this cake and think that it’s not very pretty at all. But, I think it looks great! But, more importantly, it tastes great! If you’re serving this cake as a dessert, slice it all up and place it on a cake stand like you see here. You can pile the berries on the cake too, or serve them on the side.

Now, you can search high and low for a dessert topping in these photos and you won’t find one. That’s because I had prepared whipped cream for the photos. I thought the cake would look lovely with a big dollop of whipped cream on the cake. But, I completely forgot to add the whipped cream to the cake before taking the pictures. Still, I think the cake looks wonderful! Now, let’s dig in!

LEFTOVER CAKE

If you have any leftover cake, you can store it for 3-5 days on your countertop on a cake stand with a lid. Alternatively, you can wrap the cake well with plastic wrap. If you do plan to store the cake, remove all of the berries and fruit from the cake first. You can pop those back into the fridge to snack on later, or add them to your morning smoothie.

Even though the cake is safe to eat after being left on the counter for a few days, this cake does lose its moistness after a day or two. But, never fear! If your cake becomes a little stale, pop a slice in the microwave for 10 seconds. It will soften it up quite nicely. And, since it is now warm, it is a good time to add a scoop of ice cream!

Do You Like This Recipe?

You should consider trying these other delicious recipes too!

Currant Coffee Cake

With two whole cups of red currants, and lemon zest, this Currant Coffee Cake tastes tangy, sweet, and very refreshing. With a sweet walnut crumb topping, this is one cake that should be served with a hot tea or coffee.

Check Out The Recipe

This Bakery Style Vanilla Tea Cake looks superb gussied up with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and a pile of fresh berries. A delightful treat anytime, this cake is the epitome of a beautiful, yet simple, summertime dessert! Bake, slice, and serve with ice cream or whipped cream!

Pin Recipe

Print Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.
Next, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until well combined. The mixture will be very thick!
Finally, add the milk and mix into the flour mixture. The milk will lighten up the batter.
Pour the batter into a nine inch round pan that has been greased and floured. Tap the cake pan firmly on your countertop to flatten the cake batter into the pan.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Test to see if the cake is fully baked by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready. If not, bake for another 3-5 minutes and test again.
Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool in the cake pan for fifteen minutes.
Remove from the cake pan and allow cake to finish cooling on a wire cooling rack.
When ready to serve, dust with confectioner’s sugar and top with fresh berries.

Nutritional information does not take into account the berries or any whipped topping.

Did you make this recipe?

Upload a photo and tag me so that I can see it!

This Earl Grey Tea Cake has hints of lavender and bergamot orange mixed into a delicious vanilla cake.

I have been dreaming of this cake for quite a while now. Something about baking with tea is very intriguing to me. I mean sipping tea with desserts is a perfect after dinner past time isn’t it, so why not add tea to the dessert itself? YES. I’m not sure all teas are cut out for baking, but Earl Grey tea certainly is. It’s flavour lends itself perfectly to a simple vanilla cake.

Steeped in whole milk, and added to my basic vanilla pound cake recipe, this cake is divine. Oh my.

The flavour is light and sweet and perfect for breakfast, or lunch or really any time. Because cake needs no excuse does it? 😉

Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Yield: Bundt cake

butter
sugar
eggs
vanilla
flour
baking powder
whole milk
Earl Grey Tea bags
icing sugar for garnish

Prevent your screen from going dark

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a Bundt pan by buttering the pan and lightly dusting with flour. Set aside.
Heat up the 1 cup of milk (I just microwaved mine until hot), then add the 2 tea bags to the hot milk and let steep at least 10 minutes. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time.
Then add vanilla, and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, and baking powder.
To the butter mix, add 1/3 of the flour mix, then 1/2 of the tea milk. Repeat until all combined.
Pour into the prepared Bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Keywords: bundt cake, cake recipe, Earl Grey Tea cake

More Delicious Bundt Cake Recipes

Have a delicious day!