Cinnamon Tea Cake

Moist and fluffy Tea Cake generously slathered with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar on top. This is one of the easiest and most reliable cake recipes I have. This Cinnamon Tea Cake is completely fool-proof and will only take you 15 minutes to get everything ready for the oven. It always comes out perfectly crumbly and downright delicious.

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Tea Cake

I am a huge fan of quick and easy cakes, and this one is way up there together with my Simple Vanilla Cake and One-bowl Banana Cake recipes, which are all done and ready to be baked in just a quarter of an hour. Imagine, all you have to do is put all the ingredients into an electric mixer, pour and bake! And that is not even the best part! It comes after you take the cake off the oven, spread the butter on top, and dust it with cinnamon sugar!

It is a warmly-spiced, sweet cake made of tender and moist crumbs- and yes, it's as good as it sounds! As the name suggests, this cake is best enjoyed with a hot cup of tea or coffee. It also makes the perfect dessert or afternoon sweet treat.

Cinnamon Tea Cake Ingredients

For the Tea Cake

• Unsalted butter: adds a delicate, rich flavor and helps create fluffy and tender crumbs.
  • Can I use oil instead? Yes, you can. The cake will not taste as rich, but it will come out moist and stay moist for days. 
  • Can I use Salted butter? As self-rising flour commonly includes salt, using salted butter may affect the taste of the tea cake. 
• Caster sugar/ superfine sugar: Adds sweetness to the batter and makes the cakes softer and moister. I prefer using superfine sugar in quick cake recipes as they dissolve faster.
  • Can I use granulated sugar instead? You can if it is what you have. They are basically the same except for their texture.
• Milk: adds protein, flavour and supports the browning of the cake.
  • Can I use vegan milk? For sure! The best options are oat, soy, and almond for baking cakes. 
• Eggs: binds all the ingredients together and give the cake structure and stability.
  • What are vegan substitutes? Though I have never tried using them, apple sauce, aquafaba, and flax eggs are said to be great vegan alternatives to eggs when it comes to baking. 
• Vanilla essence OR vanilla extract: this fragrant flavouring will give the batter a delightful taste. You can replace 1 tablespoon vanilla essence with 2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Self-raising flour: this is a three-in-one mixture of plain flour, baking powder, and sugar.
  • Can I use plain flour? You can substitute 1 ½ cups of self-raising flour with 1 ½ cups of plain flour combined with 3 teaspoon of baking powder.
• Custard powder: You should be able to find custard powder in the supermarket's pudding mix/jelly aisle. Custard powder is essential to this cake's texture and flavour.

For the Cinnamon Topping

• Caster sugar: you can also use granulated sugar to add more texture to the topping. 
• Cinnamon: this warm and woody spice will take the tea cakes to a whole new level of deliciousness! 
• Butter: melt and spread on top of the tea cakes to make them extra rich and buttery! 

How to Make Cinnamon Tea Cakes

Easy and simple doesn't mean mediocre! And this tea cake recipe is proof of that. The most you will be doing is adding ingredients into the bowl, and your electric mixer will do all the hard stuff! 

Preparations:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
• Grease and line a 20 cm (8 inches) square cake tin with baking paper.
• Take your butter off the fridge for 30 minutes before starting to soften it. For the topping, you can melt it in the microwave.
• Fit your electric stand mixer with a whisk attachment.

Steps:

1. Add all the cake ingredients to a large electric stand mixer bowl. Start with low and gradually transition to high speed. Beat on high for 3 to 4 minutes until the batter turns pale and airy. Scrape down the bowl occasionally. 
2. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for  40-45 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
3. Make the cinnamon topping by mixing the sugar and cinnamon together. Spread melted butter on top of the cake and sprinkle over cinnamon sugar. Serve warm and enjoy! 

Helpful Tips

• Do not overmix the batter, or your cake will end up tough and chewy. You also need to make sure not to undermix. If you have not sufficiently mixed the dry and wet ingredients together, the batter will be watery, resulting in a cake that is too moist and falls apart. 

• To check if your tea cake is done baking, you can insert a skewer in the center. It should come out clean without crumbs clinging to it. 
• You can also use a loaf baking tin or a bundt pan to make this cake. Take note, though, that using different-sized pans means making adjustments to your baking time. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are tea cakes? The definition of tea cakes changes depending on where you are. Some define them as miniature cakes, cookies, compressed-tea leaves, a bun, etcetera. This particular tea cake is meant to be eaten with your fave tea or coffee in the morning or afternoon. 
• Is it the same as coffee cake? Though there are similarities in making them, plus the fact that they are served alongside tea or coffee, Coffee Cakes are different because they are usually made with streusel topping. 
• How do I store my tea cakes? You can keep the cake un-refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Can I freeze them? To freeze the teacake, allow it to cool completely (don't use cinnamon sugar topping), wrap tightly in cling wrap, and place in a large zip-loc or freezer bag. Keep frozen for up to 6 months. To thaw, defrost at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight. Top with cinnamon sugar topping and serve as normal.

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