Tea Cakes Recipe

An Original Tea Cakes Recipe Based on Mrs Beetons Tea Cakes

A good tea cakes recipe produces soft, individual cakes delicious warm on their own or with some real butter, even perhaps with some sultanas or currants added.

Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour and Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour. This tea cakes recipe should produce eight tea cakes.

Ingredients You will require for your tea cakes recipe.

• 900g/2lb flour
• ½tsp salt
• 125g/¼lb butter or lard
• 1 egg
• A piece of german yeast the size of a walnut
• Some warm milk

Cooking Method ...

1. Put the flour (which should be perfectly dry) into a basin; mix it with the salt and rub in the butter or lard. Then beat the egg well, stir in the yeast and add both to the flour. Then add as much warm milk as needed to make the whole mixture into a smooth paste. Knead it well.
2. Allow your tea cake recipe mixture to rise near a fire or somewhere warm, and when well risen form it into cakes. Place the cakes on a tray and allow to rise again for a few minutes before placing them into a moderately hot oven and baking for ¼ to ½ an hour.
3. These are very nice with a few currants and a little sugar added to the other ingredients; they should be put in after the butter is rubbed in.
4. Your Tea Cakes should be buttered, and eaten hot as soon as baked; but, when stale they are very nice split and toasted;
5. If stale, lightly dip in milk, (or water for the lactose intolerant), then coverand place in the oven until hot, and they will be almost as good as new.

Our English Tea Cake Recipe ...

A good tea cake recipe is rich, fruity and moist. The best have a little warmth to give and are scrumptious with some real butter.

Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour and Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour. This tea cake recipe should produce one cake, enough for eight generous slices.

Ingredients you will need for your tea cake recipe

• 125g/5oz mixture of dried fruit, such as raisins, sultanas, currants, chopped dates and chopped dried apricots
• 75ml/2½fl oz Cointreau, brandy or whisky
• 200g/7oz butter, plus extra for greasing
• 150g/5oz caster sugar
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 free range eggs
• 250g/9oz flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• icing sugar - for dusting

Cooking Method...

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Line the base of a 20cm/8in cake tin with greaseproof paper and rub the sides with butter to grease it.
3. Place the dried fruit and alcohol in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for a few seconds and then pour into a bowl and allow to cool.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft, add the sugar and beat, then add the oil and the eggs one by one, beating all the time.
5. Gently stir in the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, fruit and liqueur.
6. Transfer the cake batter into the prepared tin, smooth the top and cook in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake centre comes out clean.
7. Cool slightly before removing the cake from the tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.
8. Dredge with icing sugar when cool

Our Scrumptious Lemon Tea Bread Recipe ...

A good tea bread light but fullsome, crumbly but firm enough to take some butter. The best have a piquancy, an aroma of lemon or nut and are delicious warm or cold. Our lemon tea bread has a lovely sticky lemon glaze.

Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour and Cooking time 1 hour to 1 hour 30 mins. This sweet tea bread recipe should produce one loaf, enough for eight generous slices.

Ingredients you will need for your lemon tea bread recipe

• 250g (9oz) Plain Flour
• 7.5ml (1½ level tsp) Baking Powder
• 3.75ml (¾ level tsp) Salt
• 350g (12oz) Caster Sugar
• 175g (6oz) Butter
• 15ml (1 tsp) Grated Lemon Rind
• 3 Eggs
• 175ml (6 fl oz) Milk

For The Glaze

• 75ml (5 tblsp) Lemon Juice
• 25g (1oz) Caster Sugar

Cooking Method...

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
3. Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt and flour. Then cut and rub in the butter using your fingertips and then stir in the lemon rind.
4. Beat the eggs lightly, then mix in the milk. Add this liquid to the dry ingredients all at once and stir until the flour mixture is just moistened.
5. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the pre-heated oven for 1¼ hours, or until a skewer incerted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the loaf tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out ont the rack.
7. To make the glaze -- Bring the lemon juice and sugar to the boil and boil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture has thickened slightly.
8. Brush the still warm, not hot, loaf with the glaze and leave to cool completely.