The English Tea Cake is a quintessential staple of British afternoon tea, evoking images of cozy kitchens and steaming pots of Earl Grey. Far from the dense, frosted “cakes” found in American bakeries, this is a light, yeast-leavened sweet bun, traditionally studded with dried fruits and infused with a hint of warm spice.
The English Tea Cake:
The classic English Tea Cake is prized for its soft, pillowy texture. It is typically enriched with butter and milk, resulting in a golden crumb that is lightly sweet but not overwhelming. Common additions include:
- Sultanas or Currants: For bursts of natural sweetness.
- Mixed Spice: For a gentle, aromatic warmth.
It is almost always served split in half, heavily toasted, and slathered with salted butter while still hot enough to melt it into every nook and cranny.
The English Tea Cake is the refined choice for a light afternoon snack, whereas the Yorkshire Tea Cake is the hearty, “proper” version meant to sustain you through a cold northern afternoon. Both, however, agree on one golden rule: they are merely a vehicle for as much high-quality butter as one can reasonably justify.
Traditional English Tea Cakes
Equipment
- 2 Large baking trays, parchment lined
Ingredients
- 500 gm Bread flour
- 1 tbsp fast acting dried yeast
- 3 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Mixed spice
- 75 gm Butter, softened
- 300 ml Whole milk
- 150 gm Golden raisins
Instructions
For the dough
- Warm the milk for 60 seconds in the microwave so it is tepid but not hot. Around 110º.
- Place all the dough ingredients in the stand miker, except for the golden raisins.
- Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix for 2 minutes at speed 1. Add the golden raisins and mix for a further 10 minutes at speed 2.
- Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover. Place in a nice warm place and allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hours. You need it to be about double the original size.
Time to shape your tea cakes
- Tip the dough out onto a well oiled work surface and form it into a log shape. Divie the log into 12 pieces if you are making English Tea Cakes or, 9 pieces if you are making the Yorkshire variation. If you wish to be precisse, the English variant should weigh 100 gm and the Yorkshire variant 125 gm.
- With your cupped hands roll ech piece into a ball and place on the baking sheets, spaced well aprt so they have plenty of room to rise. Flatten each ball gently with the palm of your hand.
- Cover with a cloth or greased plastic wrap.
- Set asside in a warm place to risse for about 45 minutes.
Time to bake
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF
- Lightly brush the tea cakes with a little milk to glaze.
- Bake for 20 minutes for the English variation or, 25 minutes for the Yorkshire variant. They should be a nice golden brown.
- Place the tea cakes on a cooling rack.