Black Folks Southern Tea Cake Recipe
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This “Black folk tea cake recipe” (that’s what they’re called!) is an old-fashioned nostalgic Southern soul food treat!
What are tea cakes?
Black folk tea cakes are a delightful Southern dessert. These little round cakes are light, airy, and sometimes compared to soda bread or pound cake. Like sweet little biscuits, tea cakes are highly valued in the South as the perfect complement to high tea. Pinkies up and teabags down!
Tea cakes are typically served with hot tea at events like weddings, christenings, family gatherings, or any other fancy dress-up occasion that Black folks enjoy. The name “tea cakes” comes from the tradition of serving them at teatime. But don’t be fooled by the name—they are delicious with hot tea, Southern iced tea, or even on their own!
What do old-fashioned tea cakes taste like?
Southern tea cake should have the texture and taste of a sweet biscuit without being crunchy or stiff. The vanilla extract brings all the flavors together in harmony. There is a hint of nutmeg and a bit of citrus zest. It is light enough for tea yet irresistible enough to want more than one!
Black history origin of tea cakes
Tea cakes have a significant African American history dating back to the 1600s. They were created by enslaved African Americans to replicate the fluffy European confections that white Americans enjoyed. Due to the limited food supplies available to African Americans, they made their own version of tea cakes based on what was available to them.
As a result, tea cakes have become an integral part of African-American food culture. Elbert Mackey even wrote a whole book dedicated to tea cake stories and recipes called The Tea Cake Roundup. His book aims to preserve the endangered legacy of this traditional African American treat.
Ingredients
You’ll recognize Black folks’ tea cakes as a nostalgic Southern treat if you’re from the South. They’re made with simple ingredients. Brown sugar, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and a dash of lemon zest add just enough flavor to keep things interesting without being overwhelming.
Measurements for the recipe can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour or cake flour is the backbone of the tea cake recipe, giving it structure. Cake flour yields a softer texture, while all-purpose flour is more commonly used and accessible.
- The reserve cup of flour is used to roll the dough easily. Lightly sprinkle some reserved flour on the counter before rolling, and add more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Baking powder is the leavening agent that ensures the tea cake rises, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
- Butter adds richness and moisture, enhancing the cake’s flavor and tender crumb.
- Granulated sugar provides sweetness and helps in browning, giving the cake a perfect golden hue.
- Light brown sugar adds a hint of molasses flavor and moisture, contributing to the cake’s depth of taste.
- Salt balances the sweetness, accentuating the overall flavors of the tea cake.
- Ground nutmeg’s warm, nutty essence infuses traditional spice notes.
- Lemon zest offers a burst of citrus, subtly brightening the rich flavors. When I make this recipe for a Christmas dessert, I replace the lemon zest with orange zest. Orange citrus combines nicely with the nutmeg for a warm, sweet holiday appeal!
- The egg acts as a binder, ensuring all ingredients meld seamlessly together.
- Sour cream’s acidity tenderizes the cake, while its fat content adds creaminess.
- Mayonnaise is a Southern secret ingredient for moist cakes, adding an extraordinary texture.
- Evaporated milk enhances the cake’s moisture and richness.
- Vanilla extract introduces a sweet, aromatic aroma, rounding out the flavor profile of this cherished dessert.
- Powdered sugar and lemon juice (optional) are used for the optional icing. A kiss of lemon is added to a soft sugar base, giving these tea cakes a finishing frost!
How to make Black folks’s tea cakes
The best part? You can make a batch of my Grandma’s delicious treats in about 20 minutes!
Step-by-step instructions with guided pictures are in the printable recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl using an electric mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients.
- Mix until well blended to make the tea cake batter.
- Sift together the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg, and add them to the tea cake batter and mix again.
- Add the batter to a lightly floured surface and roll the dough.
- Cut out the tea cakes with a biscuit cutter.
- Place the rounds onto a baking sheet and bake.
- Optionally, add lemon glaze frosting when the tea cakes have been baked and cooled.
🎙 Listen to The Soul Food Pod episode: Black Folks Southern Tea Cake Recipe
Watch the recipe video for how to make Southern tea cakes with key moments.
Should you ice tea cakes?
Teacakes are traditionally served without icing. So it’s up to you to add it—or not!
Storing leftovers
Store your tea cakes in an airtight container at room temperature, preferably with a lid that seals tightly because an airtight container prevents moisture from entering the cakes and ruining them.
Avoid storing them in the fridge because they will dry out much faster than if kept at room temperature.
Can you freeze tea cakes?
Yes, you can freeze tea cake dough. I usually divide my teacake dough in half and freeze one half by placing it in a zip-lock freezer bag. The dough will last in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, simply thaw the dough, cut it into rounds, and bake!
Equipment
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Ingredients for a Black folk tea cake recipe
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 cup extra for rolling the dough (I used all-purpose flour, but you could also use cake flour)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup butter unsalted & softened
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for the tea cake icing (optional)
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium-size bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for about 2 minutes until creamy.
- Add the egg, lemon zest, sour cream, mayonnaise, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract.
- Mix until well blended to make the tea cake batter.
- Sift together the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg over a sheet of parchment paper large enough to fit your baking sheet.
- Fold the parchment paper to pour the sifted flour mixture into the tea cake batter and then mix again.
- Add the batter to a lightly floured surface and roll the dough to approx ¼ inch thickness. This is where the extra cup of flour will come in handy to help with rolling because the dough is sticky!
- Cut out the tea cakes with a 2 ½" up to 3″ biscuit cutter. (I used a 2 ¾” biscuit cutter.)
- Place the rounds onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about one inch apart. (You may need to bake more than 1 batch if all your rounds don’t fit on your baking sheet.)
- Bake until light brown for 5-6 minutes in the oven—but don’t let them get too brown!) (Tea cakes don’t take long to bake, so keep a close eye on them to avoid burning! Like a biscuit, you want them firm on the outside and fluffy on the inside.)
- Optional: When the tea cakes are finished baking and cooling, optionally make the lemon glaze frosting by combining the powdered sugar and lemon juice.
- Mix well with a whisk to remove any lumps from the powdered sugar.
- Use a small spatula or spoon to drop a dollop of icing onto each cooled tea cake. The icing will harden in about 5 minutes.
- Optionally, garnish this Southern Black folk tea cake recipe with a sprinkle of lemon zest, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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What a sweet treat! I have most of the ingredients in my kitchen. Should I try my first luck in baking?
You can do it! Southern tea cakes bake very quickly so this is an easy recipe to make.
This isn’t the way we make our tea cakes. I’m sure they’re good but ours is bigger, thicker, and soft like “cake” in a cookie form packed with warm spices and flavors. It’s a coincidence I made some today. I which I could share a photo.
This is a great recipe! I’m from the south and this is the best tea cake I’ve ever had.
This is a great recipe! I’m from the south and this is the best tea cake I’ve ever had.
Thanks so much for the compliment. Warms my heart that you love this recipe!
I just wanted to say thank you for the history lesson! I had remembered reading something about the cultural history around southern tea cakes years ago but couldn’t remember the details. There is a older couple that always sells them at our farmer’s market and they are fantastic. I was telling my daughter that tea cakes had a history behind them but just couldn’t remember.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soul food history of tea cakes. I’d be thrilled to find tea cakes being sold at a farmer’s market – you’re a lucky lady!!
I can’t believe I just discovered your 🤫! Please forgive me,
I’m embarrassed to even admit that but better late than
never as the saying goes! Nevertheless I was searching
for a tea cake recipe to make this Christmas. I have a
question. Can tea cakes be made in flavors? I saw a
recipe in chocolate another in orange. I look forward to
your reply. Thank you.
We’re glad you found The Soul Food Pot recipes! Yes, you can add flavorful additions like lemon or orange zest to spice up your Southern tea cake.
Made these yesterday while thinking about my grandmother. Though I reduced the brown sugar by a 1/4 cup, used demerara sugar, and Greek yogurt instead of mayo they turned out great.
My youngest son said are these the same things grandma, my mother used to make?
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
What an honor that your son thought these Southern tea cakes were made by your grandmother!! My heart sings 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! My Big Mama used to make these when I was little — I remember her cutting them with the mouth of a mason jar. Hers were always w out the icing on top. She passed before I could get the recipe from her. Excited to give this one a try!
I’m so happy there’s so much nostalgia for you in this Southern tea cake recipe!
I love this recipe
thanks,
My parents used to make teacakes. It was a basic recipe of butter, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, flavor, maybe cinnamon or nutmeg spices. They either were cut out or rolled out. My daddy was born in the late 1890s. He was a great cook and this is how he made his tea cakes.