Introducing my easy Cinnamon Tea Cake. It comes together in minutes and boasts a buttery crumb and a sweet cinnamon sugar crust. The perfect cake for morning tea!
The humble tea cake ❤️ I’m so excited to share my Cinnamon Tea Cake recipe with you today. It’s incredibly easy to make but it tastes like you’ve slaved away in the kitchen for hours.
It has a super soft and tender crumb that’s buttery and sweet, and a crisp cinnamon sugar topping.
You only need a handful of ingredients and you’ve got the perfect cake to share with family and friends.
Why you will love this recipe
- Beautiful texture: The cake is soft and tender.
- Great for beginner bakers: It’s quick and easy to make.
- Everyday ingredients: You only need a handful of ingredients
- Tasty: It tastes like a hot cinnamon donut
I made this for a dinner party I attended last weekend, and it was a hit! There wasn’t a crumb left!
– Marissa
Recipe testing
Lately I’m becoming more and more obsessed with easy bakes, like Buttermilk Scones and one layer cakes like my Raspberry Almond Cake. And I have you to thank for it.
My most popular recipes are almost ALWAYS ones that are quick and easy to make and can be replicated again and again with success. I think that’s why my Apple Cake is one of the most popular recipes on my entire site.
And I’m right there with you. Yes, sometimes I love a challenge or to create something more extravagant, but let’s be real. Most of the time, I need foolproof bakes that can whipped up quick when friends are popping over for morning tea or an easy dessert I can take to dinner after a busy day at work or chasing the kids.
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So what makes this Cinnamon Tea Cake so special? Well apart from being easy to throw together, it’s actually one of my all-time favourite cakes. I have a whole stack of it in my freezer because sometimes you just need a quick cake fix.
And even though this cake has no frosting, that buttery cinnamon crust makes me weak at the knees. After this cake is baked, you actually brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle over cinnamon sugar. If you serve this cake warm, you could close your eyes and think you are eating a warm cinnamon donut. #hello
Jess’s tips for perfect Cinnamon cake
- You will need an electric mixer for this recipe. Start with room temperature butter, you don’t want it fridge cold but it shouldn’t be melty by any means.
- We start by beating together the butter and sugar, this process is known as creaming. After a few minutes, the two will combine and turn pale and creamy. This process helps create a nice light and fluffy cake. It can be tempting to beat for 30 seconds or so just to combine the butter and sugar but if you keep going for another minute or so, you’ll see it change texture and almost look a little ‘whipped’. Perfect!
- Next comes the eggs. Sometimes when you add the eggs, the cake batter can turn lumpy and look a little curdled. That’s fine.
- Add half of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and cinnamon) and ALL the milk. Start to slowly mix together and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Transfer mixture to a cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- When you remove the cake from the oven, generously brush melted butter all over the top. Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. This Cinnamon Tea Cake is delicious served warm.
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Let’s Bake
Cinnamon Tea Cake
A delicious light and tender Cinnamon Tea Cake.
Ingredients
Tea cake
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) full fat or whole milk
Cinnamon sugar topping
- 20 grams (1 tablespoon) butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar or granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until pale and creamy, approximately 1-2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat briefly – don’t worry if the mixture goes lumpy – then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add half of the flour mixture, along with all the milk and slowly mix together on a low speed. Add the remaining flour mix and continue to mix until cake batter is smooth and creamy.
- Pour cake batter into your prepared tin and bake in the oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake is still warm, generously brush with melted butter and then sprinkle over cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy a slice while the cake is warm.
Nutrition Information
Kate james says
Yum 😋 This is an absolutely delicious and super easy cake. We have just eaten it warm and we all loved it. It took 36 minutes in my oven. Thanks for sharing. So yummy.
Jessica Holmes says
That’s wonderful to hear Kate! Thank you for the lovely feedback.
Nasmeh says
My new favourite cake recipe!!! So glad I found Jessica and her website! Thank you for sharing your super delicious recipe 😋☺️
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So glad you loved this one Nasmeh!!
Liam says
A nice simple recipe for such a delicious cake. The moister is so perfect balance where it’s not so wet it’s overwhelming, but not dry so you need a glass of milk. Dare I say, it is almost perfect.
Jessica Holmes says
How wonderful! Thank you for your kind review Liam!
Bhav says
Can I use oil instead of butter?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Bhav, I wouldn’t recommend it with this one as the cake needs the butter for flavour.
Priyatharesini says
This turned out delicious and an instant hit with my family. Thank you for making this recipe available.
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So happy to hear that!!
Sayward Courtois says
Easy. Kids raved. Followed recipe exactly and added one Thai banana. Super moist. Perfect crumb. Excellent recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that so much!
Chris says
I don’t really like sweets or cake. I just like baking. This was delicious! Great recipe
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Chris!
Marissa says
I made this for a dinner party I attended last weekend, and it was a hit! There wasn’t a crumb left!
Jessica Holmes says
How wonderful! Love hearing that Marissa.
Cynthia says
What a wonderful recipe! I have all the ingredients in the house, so I’m making it now. I enjoy anything cinnamony! Thank you.
Jessica Holmes says
I hope you love it Cynthia!
Wendy Stewart says
The best moist tea cake I have ever made
Jessica Holmes says
I love that Wendy!
Steph says
Made this with gluten free flour and it was one of the best tea cakes I’ve ever had. So good!
Jessica Holmes says
What high praise! So glad you loved it Steph!
Ellie says
Really yummy exactly what I was craving
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it Ellie!