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
Serving Size: 1 slice Calories: 266 Sugar: 17.3 g Sodium: 84.7 mg Fat: 12.7 g Carbohydrates: 34.8 g Protein: 4.1 g Cholesterol: 68.1 mg
Hi, I’m Jess, the creator of Sweetest Menu and the author of Something Sweet. A self-taught baker and published recipe writer who can’t stop making easy and delicious baking recipes.
Milly says
I have made this cake sooooo many times , love it!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad to hear that Milly!
Neha says
Hi, can this be made with whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Neha, I haven’t tried myself. I often find doing half regular flour and half whole wheat flour can work well in cakes and muffins. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Izzy says
I love this recipe but i was wondering if i could make them as cupcakes/muffins and double the recipe and still have the same moist buttery texture?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Izzy, you can definitely make this cakes into muffins. My Donut Muffin recipe is quite similar. I don’t often recommend doubling cake recipes since there is more room for error like over-mixing etc. But you could always give it a go!
Joslyn Farah says
YUMMY Thanks❤❤❤
Jessica Holmes says
So welcome!
Bernice says
Husbands favourite cake. Delicious
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! That makes me so happy!
Yvonne Harris says
Would I be able to double the recipe and make one large round cake?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Yvonne, you can double the recipe if you like! Depending on the size of your larger pan, the cooking time may vary. But you’ll know the cake is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Yvonne says
Hi Jessica, I ended up making 2 cakes as I was worried the outside would dry out before the middle was cooked, I also made some caramelized apples (and whipped cream to serve on the side with it).
I cut the cakes into wedges as per usual and spread them around the edge of a large plate, so that left a hole in the middle which I filled with the apple, it looked great, I wish I could send you a photo.
It was a big hit! Everyone loved it!
Jessica Holmes says
That sounds incredible Yvonne! I’d love to see a photo – you can always email me at jessica@sweetestmenu.com. Thanks for your lovely feedback!
Carolina says
This just became my family favourite cake. Easy to make and delicious!
Jessica Holmes says
Hooray!
Cat says
I bake all the time. Cakes usually last 2/3 days this was gone in one! I’ve had to make two in two days haha. Gorgeous cake.
Jessica Holmes says
How good is that! Love it!
Liz says
Quick and easy to make – I bake it in a loaf tin so it’s easier to slice – but it’s so bland. I’ve made it twice now and put more cinnamon and mace in but, to me, there is still something missing.
Jessica Holmes says
I’m sorry to hear that Liz. A loaf pan would change the ratio and mean there’s more cake and less cinnamon sugar topping, so that might be why.
Rita Raju says
So are you supposed to add the egh mixture to the flour mixture at any point??
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Rita, see step 3 of the recipe method. Here you add the flour mix to the butter, sugar and egg mixture, along with the milk.
Nav says
I think I have made nearly every song recipe that you have. So easy and quick. Recipes are simple to follow. The kids love every single bake.
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you loved it!
Sue Tomlinson says
I’ve never been a big fan of cinnamon. But this cake changed my mind!
Absolutely loved it. Will be making this over and over.. thank you for the recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
Wow, I love hearing that!
Isabel says
If i could give this more than five stars i would because its AMAZING!! It taste so good. Soft, Buttery, Cinnamon-ey. I will be making this again and again AND AGAIN because its SOOOO GOOD it was gone is seconds and is incredible when its still warm. Thank you so much for making this recipe because i love it!!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for the lovely feedback.
Audrey says
Just made this cake and it’s so delicious, very light and fluffy. I love the cinnamon flavour.
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Glad you loved it!
Cathy L says
So tasty and fluffy! I made muffins instead of a whole cake. I also added an extra half a teaspoon of cinnamon because I love cinnamon. They took 20 minutes in the oven. So easy and quick to make and the reward is the yummiest cinnamon muffins! Yayyy!
Jessica Holmes says
Ohh love that Cathy!