Southern Tea Cakes

Southern Tea Cakes are an old fashioned cake like cookie made with simple ingredients passed down for many generations . They are buttery soft, slightly sweet , and the perfect cross between a cake and cookie . A tried and true recipe from my Southern Grandmother

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When I was growing up these tea cake cookies showed up at every gathering from wedding showers to potlucks and bake sales . This vintage cookie taste like my childhood. They are not flashy or overly decorated , just pure comfort food. This is the kind of cookie you grab with a cup of coffee while sitting at the kitchen table visiting a little longer than you planned .

My Mom grew up in a Texas community with strong Eastern European influences , so Tea Cakes weren’t something she experienced until she married my Dad and moved to Louisiana . My fraternal Grandmother passed away before I was born , but thankfully my Mom hand written a handful of her recipes including her Southern Tea Cakes recipe . This recipe comes from my true Southern G-Mom , a Mississippi native who later settled in Louisiana . Over the years I have made a few modern tweaks but at its heart it’s still very much her recipe and the tradition she passed down . I photographed these on her china handed down to me , and I can just imagine her gathered around the table with her prayer group , coffee cups filled and a plate of Tea Cakes in the center .

What are Tea Cakes ?

Southern Tea Cakes are a traditional old fashioned soft cookie popular in the deep South(Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia) . They are cake like and much softer than a sugar cookie . They bake up soft and buttery with slightly crisp edges with a rich vanilla flavor . Made with simple staples and historically served with coffee or tea to guest during visits .

Why you will love this recipe:

• Classic nostalgic southern flavor
• Made with Pantry staples ingredients plus butter and eggs , no fancy ingredients
• Easy to make, no chilling or rolling required, This is a drop cookie
• A perfect light dessert or afternoon snack with coffee or Tea
• The perfect cookie for Bake Sales or Potucks

What you will need to make this Tea Cakes recipe :

• Butter
• sugar
• eggs
• Vanilla
• flour
• baking powder
• corn starch
• salt
• Mixer
• parchment paper
• baking sheet
• Medium cookie scoop-Tap HERE for my favorite scoops

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How to make Southern Tea Cakes :

• 1 Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy with either a stand up mixer or hand hand mixer . Make sure it is light and fluffy
• 2 Add one egg at a time mixing well in between
• 3 Mix in Vanilla
• 4 In separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt .

• 5 Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients a little at a time .
• 6 Mix until just combined
• 7 Drop a heaping spoonful of dough onto the lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart . The scoop I use is 2.7 Tablespoons , a large amount for a nice sized cookie .
• 8 Baked at 375 for 12-14 minutes or until just brown around the edges . Then let them cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet .

Tips and Variations :

• For the best flavor use a good quality vanilla and not imitation vanilla
• Make sure the butter and eggs are room temp
• Mix the butter and sugar well but once the flour is added do not over mix
• Use a cookie scoop to ensure all of the cookies are the same size
• Let them cool on the cookie sheet
• Add a pinch of nutmeg for an old school flavor
• Add Lemon zest for a bright fresh lemon flavor
• Add a glaze or frosting for a sweeter touch

In conclusion

Southern Tea Cakes are not fancy , this is why they have have stood the test of time . These traditional southern cookies represent slowing down to visit with friends and family. I hope you enjoy this tried and true recipe that my family has enjoyed for several generations .

If you like this recipe check out these :

• Homemade Banana Pudding
• Southern Ambrosia Salad
• Old Fashioned Pea Salad
• Southern Sweet Tea

Southern Tea Cakes

Southern Tea Cakes are an old fashioned cake like cookie made with simple ingredients passed down for many generations . They are buttery soft, slightly sweet , and the perfect cross between a cake and cookie . A tried and true recipe from my Southern Grandmother .

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American/Southern

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 176 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup unsalted butter room temp
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs room temp
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extracts
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy with either a stand up mixer or hand hand mixer .
  1 cup unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• Add one egg at a time , mixing as you go .
  3 large eggs
• Then add the vanilla extracts and blend completely .
  1 Tablespoon vanilla extracts
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour , baking powder, cornstarch , and salt .
  3 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Slowly add a little of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients . Mix until just combined.
• Drop a heaping spoonful of dough onto the lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart . The scoop I use is 2.7 Tablespoons , a large amount for a nice sized cookie .
• Bake about 12-14 minutes , the edges should be slightly brown. See notes
• Let the cookies cool about 10 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer them to a cooling rack . Store these in a sealed contained up to 5 days .

Notes

If you make your cookies smaller the cook time will be a little less . 

Nutritional information is estimations and can greatly differ in cooking methods . 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 85mgPotassium: 20mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 237IUVitamin C: 0.004mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Southern Tea Cakes Recipe, Traditional Tea Cakes

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