Old Fashioned Cinnamon Tea Cakes Recipe

These old fashioned Tea Cakes are soft, buttery, cake-like cookies spiced with cinnamon and finished with a sweet cinnamon glaze. A nostalgic Southern classic.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Tea Cakes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Chill Time 1

Servings cookies

Calories 204kcal

Author Jason Decker

Ingredients

Tea Cakes

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons milk

Instructions

For the cakes:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-low speed with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes.
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
2 large eggs
Next, add the vanilla extract, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, scraping down the sides as needed until combined.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Add the flour a little at a time until fully incorporated, but do not over-mix. Scrape down the sides as needed.
3 cups all-purpose flour
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for one hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Roll the dough into 2-inch sized balls, about 2 tablespoons each.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly golden brown around the edges.
Let cool slightly on the cookie sheet for about 3-5 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:

While the cakes are cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.
2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Add in 3 tablespoons of the milk and whisk to combine. If the glaze is too thick (not pourable) add another 1 tablespoon of milk.
3-4 tablespoons milk
Evenly glaze the tea cakes while still on the wired rack, over a cookie sheet to catch any excess glaze.
Let the glaze set up for a few minutes and enjoy.

Notes

Recipe is adapted from Cookies and Cups.
You can double or halve this delicious tea cake batch depending on how many people you are serving.
The glaze is optional, but highly recommended as it really adds to this recipe.
These can be frozen, see my tips above.
Make sure your cookies are completely cool before glazing.
Let these sit until the glaze is set.
You can add more or less cinnamon to the glaze as you’d like for your personal flavor preference.

Nutrition