Old Fashioned Tea Cake Recipe

stack of two cinnamon sugar covered cookies on crumbled parchment

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: classic tea cakes, homemade tea cakes, old fashioned tea cake recipe, old fashioned tea cakes, soft tea cakes, southern tea cakes, tea cake cookies, tea cakes, vintage tea cakes

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Chill Time: 4

Total Time: 4 25

Servings:

Calories: 188kcal

These old fashioned tea cakes are soft, simple, and warmly spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. A classic tea cake cookie recipe perfect for holidays or everyday baking.

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter , softened
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 ¾ cups sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
Beat in the 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Set aside.
Sift or whisk together the 3 cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, being careful to blend until just mixed and not overmix.
Turn out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, covering fully and flattening. Refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a rolling mat or clean rolling surface, roll out a quarter of the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut using a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheet, placing them 1-2 inches apart. If you don't want to roll them, use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop to make round balls and push flat with the bottom of a glass.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned along the edges.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Continue with the remaining dough.
Serve plain, glaze or frost as desired.
If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

Use one of these simple icings or frostings:

Refrigerator: Keep these tea cakes in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days for maximum freshness.

Freezer: Freeze tea cakes in individual ziploc bags for up to 3 months.

Nutrition