Southern Tea Cakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my tea cakes dry? ›

Accidentally over-measuring the flour is a common mistake and it can make a dough that's just too dry and doesn't cling together. Another common problem is adding all of your flour too quickly without giving it time to absorb into the wet ingredients.

Tea cakes are soft roll-out cookies that are tender, chewy and pleasantly dense. They are a cookie with a cake-like texture. The ingredients are very simple (flour, sugar, butter, milk, nutmeg, and eggs), and the gentle flavor of nutmeg is what makes these so special.

Tea cakes were initially made by plantation cooks for the guest of white slave owners. These tea cakes, which Etha Robinson describes as rustic approximations of European teacakes¹, were typically made with simple ingredients such as sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla when available.

Keeping the tea cake just in the wrapper in the cabinet will be sufficient in dry climate. When the weather is very humid, it's better to keep the cake together with the wrapper temporarily in a sealable bag or airtight container. At the same time, it's good to sometimes unpack the white cake and let it air.

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

There are several ways to fix a dry cake recipe: Add moisture: One of the most common reasons for a dry cake is a lack of moisture. You can add moisture to the cake by adding extra liquid to the recipe, such as milk, yogurt, or sour cream. You can also add fruits or pureed vegetables to the batter.

The Tunnock's Teacake is a sweet food often served with a cup of tea or coffee. It was developed by Sir Boyd Tunnock in 1956. The product consists of a small round shortbread biscuit covered with a dome of Italian meringue, a whipped egg white concoction similar to marshmallow, although somewhat lighter in texture.

Although they are widely known, tea cakes have not always gone by this name. They are referred to as currant buns or spiced buns in some regions of the UK. Similar baked goods have different names in other nations.

Outside the South, the words “tea cake” mean any cake served with tea. But to Southerners, tea cakes are more than that. They are the nostalgic cookies—crispy and golden around the edges, soft and cake-like inside—that are perfect for tea, or just about anything else you choose to drink.

"Supposedly, tea cakes were made about 200 years ago. Slaves used the ingredients they had: molasses instead of sugar, lard instead of butter," says Etha Robinson. "So basically," she continues, "it was a sugar cookie recipe, with spices.

Are tea cakes African American? ›

In enslaved households, molasses and other ingredients took the place of sugar and white flour in teacakes, and each family developed its own closely guarded recipe. Over time, teacakes become inextricably linked with Southern African American culture.

Travel cake also known as tea cake is topped with goodness of chocolate, vanilla or dry fruits, makes it a great bite for kids school snacks as well as adults over balcony coffee/ tea occasions.

Though tea cakes don't spoil as rapidly as some other products, they show telling signs of going bad. If you notice any mold or unusual discoloration on your tea cake, it's better to toss it to be safe. Also, if it smells sour or off, don't consume it. A stale tea cake can be hard or extremely dry in texture.

Tea Cakes and brownies have average shelf life of 3-4 days if kept outside in AC room, wheres in fridge they will last for around 10 days. Other items have long shelf life of 40-80days.

Afternoon tea began in the 1840s as a tradition of having a tea in the afternoons as a way to stave off hunger until the dinner meal was served. Along with quality tea, “tea cakes" were served with all kinds of appetizers that included mini sandwiches and other pastries as well.

Brush the cake with simple syrup.

One way to rescue a dry cake is to brush it with a simple syrup glaze. Simple syrup is made by boiling sugar and water together until the sugar has dissolved. It can be flavoured with extracts or fruit juice, and it can be used to add moisture and flavour to dry cakes.

Adding buttermilk or sour cream to the batter. Using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Brushing the cake with simple syrup or a mixture of sugar and water while it's still warm. Wrapping the cake in plastic wrap or aluminum foil after it's cooled to retain moisture.

Add Milk, Coffee, or Soda

Boxed cakes often call for water, but swapping it out for equal amounts of milk, coffee, or even soda will give you a moister, more tender, and flavorful cake.

Increase the temperature: If your cake is wet due to too much liquid, try increasing the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15 degrees Celsius) to help evaporate the excess liquid. Remove any excess liquid: If there is a puddle of liquid.