Tea Cakes Buttery Delicious

I could go on and on about how much I love cookies and biscuits. They’re great on their own or served with a cup of tea or coffee! They’re also a great finger food, especially for the holidays. No one can resist a good cookie! If you love these tea cakes, you’ll have to try Linzer cookies, hamantaschen, madeleines, or Scottish shortbread next!

Ingredient List For Homemade Tea Cakes

Let’s break down the magic of these tea cakes, one ingredient at a time. You can find exact measurements in the recipe card at the end of the post!

Unsalted Butter: This is the creamy star of the dough. It makes everything soft and smooth. Granulated Sugar: Adds just the right sweetness to make the tea cakes super tasty. Large Eggs: These keep the tea cakes moist and soft. If you bring them to room temperature first, they’ll mix in easily. Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds a nice tangy taste and a bit of moisture. It also gives the tea cakes an even more tender crumb. Vanilla Extract: A trusty flavor booster! All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cookies their structure. Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Make the tea cakes fluffy and soft when baking. Salt: Enhances all of the flavors. Ground Nutmeg: A bit of this spice gives the tea cakes a cozy flavor. You could also use a little cinnamon if you wanted.

How to Make Homemade Tea Cakes

Grab your ingredients and get ready to make the best batch of buttery, crumbly cookies! These tea cakes are so tasty you’ll wonder why you’ve never made them from scratch before!

Prepare Your Dough

Bake

Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room temperature ingredients. The butter, eggs, and buttermilk will all be able to blend together to form a smooth, uniform dough if the ingredients are at room temperature. Set them out on the counter 2-3 hours before you plan to bake. Use a Floured Surface: The dough is very soft, so dust the work surface with flour as needed to prevent it from sticking. Change Cooking Time: Depending on the size of your circle cutter, the cakes may need more or less time to bake. For example, I used a 3-inch biscuit cutter, and it took about 9 minutes to bake in my oven. But, the key to doneness is to watch for the sheen on the cakes to disappear. The underbaked dough will look shiny but will change to matte as soon as they are ready to come out of the oven. Make sure there is no lingering small spot of shiny dough before removing them from the oven. Add Powdered Sugar: For a little extra sweetness, dust the cooled cakes with powdered sugar. Alternatively, sprinkle the dough circles with coarse sugar or cinnamon sugar before baking. Omit Spices: Not everyone loves nutmeg, so feel free to dial back on the ground nutmeg or omit it completely. For a different flavor, you may add 1-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest to the dough.