Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes is a classic, vintage recipe. It’s a bit of a cross between a cookie and cake, not too sweet, and utterly delicious. Tea cakes are the perfect ending to any meal or a great mid-afternoon snack with coffee, tea, or milk.
Tea cakes are a simple, traditional cookie that has been part of Southern households for generations. Lightly sweet with a lightly crisp exterior and an almost cake-like crumb, they’re made with very basic ingredients and simply flavored, so they fit into even the most modest grocery budget.
They’re easy to make, and they keep well, which is part of why they’ve remained a favorite for so long. They’re the perfect cookie to enjoy with coffee or tea, to share casually, and to be baked again and again.
This recipe reflects the kind of baking I grew up with: dependable and rooted in tradition. If you’re looking for a classic Southern teacake with a tender crumb and familiar flavor, look no further. You’ve found it.
Recipe Snapshot: Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Cuisine: Southern, Vintage
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 30
Primary Ingredient(s): Flour, butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Thank you for this recipe for old fashioned tea cakes. It took me back to a sweet childhood memory of a family reunion at Grandma’s.“
— KHorner
What Makes This Recipe Special
Old fashioned Southern tea cakes stand out for their simplicity and unmistakable sense of home. The recipe relies on common ingredients and a straightforward method. There’s nothing flashy here, just plain, familiar flavors.
What truly sets them apart is longevity. Nothing trendy, nothing new, this is a recipe passed from hand to hand, baked for family, and remembered fondly. Making tea cakes is as much about slowing down and honoring memory as it is about baking something delicious, which makes the experience as rewarding as the result.
For readers who enjoy the stories that often surround traditional recipes, I’ve written more about my personal memories over on my Substack, Notes From the Kitchen.
Ingredient Notes
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There’s nothing at all fancy in this recipe because it originated in a time and place when people made do with the little they had on hand. Very smart and frugal folks!
- Butter — have it at room temperature.
- Sugar — plain, white granulated sugar is all you need.
- Eggs — they should also be at room temperature.
- Buttermilk — here’s how to make a substitute if you don’t have it on hand.
- Flour — you’ll need plain, all-purpose flour; I can always recommend White Lily!
- Baking soda
- Vanilla extract — no need to spend a lot for fancy vanilla to use in this recipe. A standard brand like McCormick is great!
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations to Try
- You can vary the tea cakes by adding lemon zest, nutmeg, or cinnamon. But I’d suggest you try the classic recipe first to judge which additional flavors you might like best.
- Other flavorings can be added to the dough. Try half almond and half vanilla flavoring or substitute rum flavoring.
- Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar while still warm.
- To be really vintage and authentic, use half butter and half lard (or shortening) in your recipe. The lard will give the tea cakes an incredible texture.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on pages 282-283 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How to Make Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Mix the Dough
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter until soft and pale yellow in color.
- Gradually add the sugar to the butter, beating well.
- Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the buttermilk and beat well again.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and soda.
- Turn the mixer down to the slowest speed and gradually add the flour and soda mixture into the creamed mixture.
- Add in the vanilla.
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Shape and Chill the Dough
- Shape the dough into a round or rectangle, cover with plastic wrap, and chill several hours or overnight.
Cut Out and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets.
- If you chill the dough overnight, remove it from the fridge about 15 minutes before rolling so that it very slightly softens.
- Working with 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll the dough to a 1/4” thickness on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into rounds using a large biscuit cutter or a drinking glass dipped into flour. Gather the scraps together, re-roll, and cut until all dough is used.
- Place the rounds 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
- Sprinkle tops lightly with additional sugar.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow the tea cakes to cool for several minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Recipe Success Tips
- When rolling out the dough, it’s important that it’s at least 1/4″ thick to give the tea cakes a slightly “cake-y” interior texture.
- To make rolling the dough easier, you can use either waxed paper or parchment paper. Place one piece on your countertop and sprinkle it lightly with flour. Put a portion of the dough on the paper and sprinkle its top with flour as well. Add another piece of paper to the top (making a sandwich of the paper and dough) and roll out.
- To prevent the tea cakes from spreading while baking, make sure the dough is still quite cold as you roll and cut it. Then put the tea cakes directly into the oven to bake. Keep any extra dough covered in the refrigerator until needed.
Questions About Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Store tea cakes for 7-8 days at room temperature in a covered container.
Tea cakes are great with ice cream, mixed fresh fruit, or fruit jams and preserves.
Try dipping the tea cakes halfway in melted chocolate for a real treat!
More Southern Heritage Recipes You’ll Like
If you like this old-fashioned recipe, you’ll also want to check out these.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Recipe
Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Additional sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter until soft and pale yellow in color.1 cup butter
- Gradually add the sugar to the butter, beating well.2 cups sugar
- Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.3 eggs
- Add the buttermilk and beat well again.2 tablespoons buttermilk
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Turn the mixer down to the slowest speed and gradually add the flour and soda mixture into the creamed mixture.
- Add in the vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla
- Shape the dough into a round or rectangle, cover with plastic wrap, and chill several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets.
- If you chill your dough overnight, remove it from the fridge about 15 minutes before rolling.
- Working with 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4” thickness on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into rounds using a large biscuit cutter or a drinking glass dipped into flour. Gather the scraps together, re-roll, and cut until all dough is used.
- Place the rounds 1 inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
- Sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.Additional sugar for sprinkling
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow tea cakes to cool for several minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- When rolling out the dough, it’s important that it’s at least ¼” thick to give the tea cakes a “cake-y” interior texture.
- To prevent the tea cakes from spreading while baking, make sure the dough is still quite cold as you roll and cut it. Then put the tea cakes directly into the oven to bake. Keep any extra dough covered in the refrigerator until needed.
- Store tea cakes for 7-8 days at room temperature in a covered container.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
My grandmother used to make these for me. So thankful to find an authentic recipe!
how can I double this recipe?
If you want to make double the tea cakes, I would advise you to make two batches instead of doubling the recipe. A double recipe of tea cakes would be a huge amount of dough to handle.
I was going to make these on a Monday but then some things came up after I had already made the dough. my question is how long will the dough keep in the fridge/freezer?
The dough will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
exquisite!!!!!! 😋😋😋
Thank you!
I made this recipe substituting some of the egg and flour with sourdough starter. It’s Excellent!
That sounds interesting. Glad it turned out good for you.
Thanks for your help, my Grandmother used to make these for us all the time and I miss them.
Just like my grandmothers many years ago. Thank you
That makes me very happy!
I love this recipe. I have made it several times. I change up the type of extract I use. However, I never leave out vanilla extract. I just add to it with others. Sometimes I had 1/2 tsp of nutmeg or Allspice.
Looking forward to trying these but i do have a few questions. Can you put icing on these cookies and will they hold up well? What spices would you suggest to add different flavor and how long do these cookies stay fresh?,
Hi Suzi – I’ve never seen these cookies with an icing — they’re delicious on their own — but I’m sure they’d hold up well as they’re quite sturdy. See the section in the post titled “Variations and Options” for flavoring suggestions. And, as stated in the post, they keep for at least 7-8 days in a tightly closed container at room temperature.
we put icing on them or more of a glaze… butter or margarine bag of powdered sugar can of evaporated milk and vanilla
I have a recipe that called old fashion sugar cookies . But it’s the tea cakes I’m sure .. mine has cream of tarter in them an I make them in large pan like dish pan . Takes bag of flour bag of sugar qt butter milk a more ingredients crisco is the shortening called for . Makes 6 doz very large cookies. I mix it up separate in 6 an freeze works very well.. then Pat in round disk bake 6 at a time for 17 min they r wonderful.. if u like full recipe I’d be glad to share .. ??
I would love a recipe for a big batch. My grandmother made them and welost the recipe.
This recipe uses 5 cups of flour and makes about 30 cookies. That’s about the maximum my KitchenAid mixer will handle. If you have larger equipment, I suppose you could multiply it to make as many as you want or simply make several batches.
Thank you for this recipe for old fashioned tea cakes. It took me back to a sweet childhood memory of a family reunion at Grandma’s. They used a flatbed pickup truck to lay out the feast. The tea cakes were close enough to the edge for me, as a five year old, to reach them before the blessing was given. My older sister pushed them out of my reach, but I thought they were the best thing I had ever tasted! That was only 63 years ago! I’m making my family happy with your recipe! Thx again!
I’m so glad this recipe brought back a happy memory for you!
Thank you Lana for the recipe. Been using for awhile and a true crowd pleaser. Just like my Grandmother use to make and ALWAYS have on hand.
How many cookies do you get from this recipe?
Hi Christy – I get about 30 cookies from this recipe using a large biscuit cutter. It just depends on what you use to cut them out.
My grandma made these for us every Christmas. However she did not leave her recipe when she passed because she did not have one. My Aunt picked up the tradition but would not share the recipe but gave us some each year until her stroke. With my mom passing this year, I wanted to make some of this tradition that’s been going on for so long. Your recipe was spot on. The only thing is my cakes did not brown on top. I put them under the broiler to get that hint of brown. Is there anything you can recommend to brown these delicious treats?
Hi Roxanne — My tea cakes don’t brown much, either — just a bit around the edges. But there are a couple of things to try. First, make sure your baking soda is fresh (baking soda encourages browning). You can also increase the baking soda by an additional 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. A bit of additional sugar in the dough could help as well — no more than 1/4 cup. Also, make sure you’re using a thick, good quality baking pan.
love these cookies. my grandmother made them and sometimes would dip tops in chocolate. I have to admit, lol, I’d eat the whole bowl of raw dough rather than the cooked cookie! lol it is really delicious. we grew up in southeast Alabama.
My mother would make these all the time because she always have these ingredients in the pantry. I’m a southerner and this recipe brought back memories. Thanks for keeping classic recipes for the young cooks and some season cooks.