Tea Party Girl

P r e s e n t s

Tea Cakes

Across the World

TM

CONTENTS

2 Teacakes Across the World

3 Teacake – When to Eat It

4 Teacake Recipes across the Globe

11 New Takes on an Old Favorite

13 Conclusion

1

Welcome to Tea Party Girl’s Special Edition e-book :

“Teacakes Across the World”

As well as the incredibly convenient e-book format of this book, the appeal also

lies in the simplicity and wholesomeness of the food.

One can travel almost anywhere in the world and have a teacake. They are

delightful across the globe! Perhaps the most perplexing part about this, however,

is that a teacake is a completely different snack in each part of the world!

For example, in England, teacakes are light and sweet yeast rolls with fruit. Even

in one country, however, the teacake varies from region to region. In Kent, for

example, teacakes are often flavored with hops, while in Sussex, nutmeg,

cinnamon and even rosewater are used for a sweet and spicy flavor.

In Australia, a teacake is virtually the same across the continent. You can rest

assured ordering a teacake here will have you delighting in a heavy yet airy and

sweet sponge cake. Typically common ingredients such as flour, eggs, butter and

sugar are used in baking. The warm cake is then sprinkled with fine sugar and

cinnamon, for a bold and comforting flavor.

After all, isn’t comfort what tea is all about?

© www.teapartygirl.com

2

Teacake - When to Eat It

Traditionally, tea was established as an afternoon beverage. In the early days of

tea, Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, created the tradition of having friends over

for afternoon tea. This tradition began as she had that slump in energy late

afternoon, the one we all still seem to feel around the 3 p.m. “drag.” Only then, it

wasn’t coffee withdrawals causing the slumps. People only had two meals per

day back then, simply breakfast and dinner. When Anna started having light

snacks and tea, finding the delight it brought to her day, she invited friends to

join, and a tradition was born.

Today, we often delight in similar traditions, with small rushed breakfasts,

shifting our larger meals to the latter half of the day, for lunch and dinner. It’s not

uncommon to grab a cinnamon roll, donut or nut bread for breakfast,

compensating with only two real “meals” for the day. These rushed habits in

recent generations have caused an unusual trend: eating teacakes for breakfast!

Though they are traditionally eaten in the afternoon, these sweet delights are also

perfect for mornings on the go. Because they are quick to bake, they can even be

an enjoyable part of your morning with a cup of English Breakfast Tea.

So go ahead, delight in a teacake at any of time of day. Who says you can’t be

trendy and traditional?

3

Tea Cake – Australian Style

2 eggs

180g, (plus 1tbs) butter

¾ cup (plus one tablespoon) powdered sugar

40g flour (plain)

185g flour (self-rising)

125ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease cake pan and line with baking paper. An ideal size

for this cake is about 20 cm round. Melt 180g of butter to room temperature, and mix

with ¾ c. sugar and vanilla extract. Once the mixture appears milky, begin adding

and beating the eggs one at a time.

Sift flours and 2 tsp. of cinnamon and fold in with milk in two batches. Using a spoon,

pour into pan and smooth. Bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick in the centre is

inserted and removed clean.

Mix remaining sugar, cinnamon and melted butter together. Set aside. Allow the

cake to cool for 15 minutes and transfer to a cake rack. Pour the mixture over the

top, and allow to cool to taste.

4

Apple Tea Cake

4 eggs

2 tsps ground cinnamon

2 peeled apples, diced

2tbs lemon juice

250g powder sugar

250g flour (self-raising)

250g butter (unsalted)

Icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease cake pan (23cm is ideal). Line base with baking

paper. Mix 1tsp of cinnamon with lemon juice and toss apples in mixture. Set aside.

Mix 50g of sugar, 50g of butter and 50g of flour with 1tsp cinnamon until crumbly and

set aside. Use remaining sugar with 4 eggs and beat with mixer until fluffy. Mix in the

remainder of (melted) butter. Sift remaining flour into mixture, folding until well mixed.

Pour mixture into cake pan, and top with apple chunks and crumble mix. Bake for 50

minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before

transferring, and then serve cool, topped with icing sugar.

5

Irish Tea Cake

1 egg

2 to 4 teabags (to taste) For best results, use a black tea such as English for

stronger flavour, or rooibos for a milder flavour.

400ml boiling water

250g flour (self-raising)

200g dark brown sugar

500g mixed cake fruit

½ tsp mixed cake spice (This is typically a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and a little

allspice)

Using 400 ml of water, brew amount of tea desired according to directions. Remove

teabags, and add to dried fruit, soaking together for two hours or more. (Note, it is

common to soak the fruit over night for a stronger flavour).

Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a brick sized pan with baking paper. Mix dark brown

sugar, egg, cake spices and flour. Pour into pan and loosely cover with baking

paper. Bake for 60 minutes, covered, and 30 minutes, uncovered. Remove and allow

to cool when toothpick in centre comes out clean. Serve sliced with optional butter

spread.

6

English Tea Cake 1 egg ¾ pint cold tea 3 cups mixed fruit 1 ¼ cups brown sugar 2 cups cake flour Cherries to taste Combine tea, fruit and sugar and soak overnight. Next day, preheat oven to 170 C and grease loaf pan. Combine mixture with egg, flour and cherries to taste (just a few). Pour into pan and bake for 60-90 minutes, or until cake is firm to touch.

7

Russian Tea Cake

6tbs, plus 1/3 cup, powdered sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups flour (all purpose)

1 cup butter

1tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 175°C. Melt butter to room temperature, creamy consistency.

Combine with vanilla, 6tbs sugar and 2 c. of flour. Once thoroughly mixed, mix in

walnuts. Roll dough into ball shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheet. (Note:

these generally cook best when each ball is about 1 inch, 2 inches apart from

others). Bake for 12 minutes and allow to cool. Roll in 1/3 cup sugar at least once,

more to taste.

8

Tunnocks Tea Cake

1tbs milk 25g butter 50g wholemeal flour 50g flour (plain) 400g dark chocolate (be sure to not use chocolate with high cocoa solids) ½ tsp baking powder 25g powdered sugar Pinch of salt

For marshmallow: 3 egg whites

6tsps golden syrup 150g powdered sugar ½ vanilla pod (only seeds) ½ tsp salt

Note before beginning: You will need a silicone (or similar) mould for half sphere shapes (6x7.5 cm is best).

Using a double boiler, melt 300g dark chocolate over simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly for more flexibility. Preheat oven to 170°C. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and powder sugar, mixing in butter with the fingertips. Next, add milk and stir. Roll dough onto a floured surface. Keep dough 5mm thick and cut out six rounds with cutter (7.5cm if size of mould). Chill cut outs on plate for 10 minutes in fridge. Bake for 9-13 minutes or until consistency hard enough to form teacake base. Cool, then coat the mould with remaining chocolate using a spoon. Set aside.

Dip biscuits (cut outs) in remaining chocolate and place on parchment. Set aside.

To make marshmallow centres, mix all ingredients over double boiler. For best results, use electric whisk for about 7 minutes or until smooth and thick and not runny. Place mixture in piping bag. Flip biscuits (preferably onto new paper).

Melt any remaining chocolate and place into piping bag, set aside to cool slightly. Squeeze marshmallow mixture into chocolate lined moulds, until full. Squeeze chocolate on top and top with biscuits, smoothing together with butter knife or spoon.

Allow to cool completely and set, then remove and place on a cool plate. Do not refrigerate.

9

Southern Tea Cake

The Southern Teacake is extraordinary. It is believed to have been derived from

England during the colonization era, but the way it has been passed down makes it

an age old favourite. The recipe, at first, was not enjoyed by commoners. It took

years of substituting cheaper ingredients, finding more affordable goods, and just

simply being in better economic circumstances, before many in the southern United

States were able to enjoy it.

By the time it was passed down, this meant the variation you tasted was likely

something your great grandparents conjured up based on their pantry staples. It

became an affordable, cherished treat, and many in the south have memories of

these cakes from their grandmothers’ kitchens. Often reserved for holidays, these

treats displayed the humble upbringings of many southerners. The cakes

represented the finer things in life, and hope for better times ahead.

Because of the cake’s “evolution” through time, you likely won’t find many identical

recipes for these cakes. Each one is a representation of past families’ economic

circumstances and even access to common goods. Below is a traditional recipe

based on one printed in the 1800’s.

2 eggs 1 cup of unsalted butter 1½ cups, plus additional for topping, sugar 1tsp vanilla 1 heaping tsp baking soda 4 cups flour (all purpose) Pinch of nutmeg Pinch of salt

Set eggs at room temperature, and soften butter. Line cookie sheet. Preheat oven to

190°C. Mix butter and sugar until fluffy, and add vanilla. Begin adding eggs, stirring

between each one. Set aside. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg. Once mixed, add

to original mixture in increments of ½ cups until fully mixed. Lay dough on floured

surface.

Work into ball, sprinkling the top with more flour as you roll between ¼ and ½ inch

thick until dough no longer feels sticky to touch. Using a cutter, cut out rounds,

“biscuits,” and place them onto cookie sheet. Bake each tray with biscuits an inch

and a half apart, for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with sugar while warm.

For cooling, biscuits can be placed on a rack. (Note, if you have more than one

cookie sheet of biscuits, cook them each separately).

10

Thermomix Tea Cake

2 eggs

160g, plus extra for topping, raw (mixed and processed) or powdered sugar

75g milk

150g flour (self-rising)

125 butter (softened)

Vanilla extract

Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 20 cm cake pan with baking paper. Mix butter and

sugar, and beat on medium speed for less than 30 seconds. Add flour, eggs, milk,

vanilla and beat again for 60 seconds. Pour mix into pan, dusting the top with sugar

and cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool,

or slice and serve warm.

11

Vegan Tea Cake

Tea cakes don’t have to be traditional. In fact, their very moment of invention was

when one lady decided two meals in a day, as tradition held, simply weren’t enough.

“Tea and cake would be a delightful third meal,” she probably thought, as she sat

down to break traditions and make new ones. Little did she know, centuries later,

we’d be sneaking them as late night snacks and even on-the-go breakfast snacks!

Today, many are choosing vegan diets for health, moral or environmental reasons.

This doesn’t mean one should miss out on the delights of one of the world’s most

famous treats, however.

1cup almond milk

½ cup vegan butter

1 ½ cups flour (all purpose)

1tsp apple cider vinegar

¾ cup coconut or white sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ tsps baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp crushed dried lavender (you may substitute 1tsp of lavender extract)

Glaze:

2-4 tbs water (cold)

1 cup powdered sugar

½ tsp crushed dried lavender (see substitution above)

Preheat oven to 160°C. Using a cupcake pan, either grease each section or use

liners for best results. Mix apple cider vinegar with milk and set aside. Next, mix

flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Mix butter, lavender, vanilla and sugar with whisk or mixer until fluffy. Mix all

ingredients slowly and little by little until mixed well.

Pour into cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool,

then apply glaze.

12

Teacakes provide us with a way to connect with our past, as we reminisce of the

sweet smells of grandma’s oven…

They are a way for us to connect with each other across the globe, as the teacake is

almost universally enjoyed across the world…

The history of tea and the delicacies that often accompany it are a universal

language of hospitality in every continent. They are excuses to set aside time with

loved ones we may not normally make time for, and they are wonderful conversation

starters about the “good ole days.”

As we get to know traditions in other countries, and recipes from other families, we

are likely to create our own favourites that blend cultures and traditions. There is

something special about the old original recipes, however, that are well worth

preserving as we create our own traditions.

We hope that the recipes in this book will allow you to begin your journey into new

traditions with dear ones, creating lifelong memories. So go ahead, catch that

whistling kettle, and preheat your oven!