Best cinnamon tea cake (easy recipe)

This is one of the simplest and most delicious easy cinnamon tea cake recipes you’ll ever make. It is the perfect cake for afternoon tea. 

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Recipe

‘It’s tea cake day’.

A few years back I learned that in my last year of school, Mum and Dad would wake up on a Sunday and Mum would turn to Dad and say ‘it’s tea cake day.’

On Sundays, we often had ‘Sunday lunch.’ It was typically a BBQ chicken, a scotch loaf (the most delicious, soft, white fluffy bread) and probably salad but back then I wasn’t a salad eater.

I was pretty much white food only. 

Don’t worry I’ve come a long way.

I got into a little bit of a habit of whipping up tea cakes (topped with cinnamon sugar) every Sunday after lunch. 

It became my Sunday routine.

Half of it, I’d slice up and pop in the freezer for my morning tea throughout the week. The rest, well let’s just say it was enjoyed for afternoon tea.

My favourite piece was the crunchy end and I’d often lather the slice in butter while it was still warm.

Now, being a Mum who has to make school lunches every day I can’t wait for the day my boys bake something for their lunchboxes on a Sunday arvo!

Wow
Have to say one of the best cakes I’ve ever had.
So moist so delicious. I sprinkled cinnamon sugar over the top as I mixed cinnamon in the cake mix & will definitely be making it over & over again.
Thanks Claire so much for sharing.– JUL

Cinnamon tea cake is the first cake I ever learned to make.

My Grandma Guppy, who died at the grand age of 100 (almost 100.5), taught me in her kitchen when I was about 4 or 5.

I have inherited the original ‘tea cake tin’ which bares a few dints and marks from its many years use out in the bush before starting city life.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget memories of making tea cake with her.

Then lathering it in butter and sprinkling on the cinnamon and sugar – which had to be in the perfect ratio of cinnamon to sugar.

What's the difference between tea cake and sponge cake

Tea cakes are more dense than sponge cakes.

They have more butter and less raising agent (aka baking powder) than sponge cake.

You might also like cinnamon pound cake.

If I close my eyes I am there.

I can smell the cake and the cinnamon and see her hands. I can see the plate too. 

A small, side-plate size with yellow around the outside and a blue trim. 

I just made this tonight, and it was my first bake from scratch – it was amazing! The recipe was very easy to follow. I took advice from another review and added some extra cinnamon (I love it so much) and couldn’t be happier with the results. Thank you for this. It’s going to be a new tradition in my family as well :)– Kate

My oldest can almost make it himself now and my little lady is well on the way. 

There's nothing like keeping memories alive through recipes (it's one of the reasons we created our recipe card boxes).

I’ve made it more times than I can remember and I still love it just as much as I did when I was little.

So much so that a few year ago, I made a little video of it (yes I look rather a lot younger – that’s because I was – pre kids!).

Apart from the fact that it now reminds me so much for my beloved Guppy, it's also budget friendly, easy enough for kids to make and really quick.

Plus, it's made out of ingredients you most likely already have at home yet another reason why I love this cake and I know you will too.

Oh and... you can make it into cupcakes if you want or add two tablespoons of cocoa to make a chocolate cake. So it's versatile as well.

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Why make this easy recipe

Apart from the fact that it now reminds me so much for my beloved Guppy, cinnamon cake is also budget friendly, easy enough for kids to make and really quick.

Plus, it’s made out of ingredients you most likely already have at home yet another reason why I love this cake and I know you will too.

Oh and… you can make it into cupcakes if you want or add two tablespoons of cocoa to make a chocolate cake. So it’s versatile as well.

Ingredients

To make this classic recipe for cinnamon tea cake you will need: 

• Butter - softened but not melted butter
• Caster sugar - also called superfine sugar. I've also made this with rapadura sugar. Use a tiny bit more butter if using rapadura as it's a little drier. 
• Vanilla extract - we like to use homemade vanilla extract
• Egg - at room temperature if you remember to take it out in time
• Milk - preferably full fat milk
• Self raising flour - here's how to make your own self-raising flour using plain flour (or all purpose flour) and baking powder
• Caster sugar mixed with cinnamon - for sprinkling
• Extra butter - for spreading

Instructions

You can make cinnamon tea cake in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or in a electric mixer with the paddle attachment. 

I learned to make it by hand & so always use a bowl and spoon to make the cake batter. 

Start by pre-heating the oven to 175C fan-forced (medium oven as the original recipe says) and grease and line a loaf cake pan with parchment paper. 

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  

Add in the egg and vanilla and mix it through. 

Now my Grandmother taught me to do the next step alternating ⅓ of flour and milk at a time and mix until smooth.  

Sometimes I do it like this, other times I throw in all the flour then all the milk

Spread the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. 

In a small bowl combine the extra sugar and cinnamon. 

Now this is the key to a delicious tea cake. Quickly turn the cake out of the tin onto a wire cooling rack. 

Spread with butter and immediately sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

There's no cinnamon in the actual cake - the cinnamon flavour comes from the topping. 

The best time to eat cinnamon tea cake is warm fresh from the oven and spread with more butter. This delicious cake is just like a warm cinnamon donut. 

Store leftover cooled cake in an airtight container. 

The best thing about this cinnamon tea cake recipe is that it freezes well too. 

I like to slice it up and wrap individually. 

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What is tea cake and where did it come from?

If you guessed that tea cake originated in the UK you are correct. 

This type of cake was originally created as a breakfast or mid-morning food served to the workforce who couldn’t get home for food.

Other sources claim that it got its name from being the cake served with tea in the afternoon in classic English cultures. 

I personally wouldn’t mind it at any of these times.

One thing that seems to be agreed upon is that it is traditionally served spread with butter (I looove it spread with butter when it’s still warm).

Some also claim that the original tea cake contained dried raisins or sultanas that had been soaked in tea before being added to the cake.

Can you use margarine in place of butter?

In terms of the cake turning out – yes you can use butter in place of margarine. BUT, I am highly against margarine.

It really isn’t great stuff usually loaded with trans fat which can contribute to heart disease.

It’s factory-made stuff and I’m all for natural as much as possible.

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What about you?

What’s the first cake you ever baked?

Do you still make it?

If you're after a healthier cinnamon delight then you'll love my Paleo cinnamon pancakes.

Recipe