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tea cakes on a wooden serving board.
cookingwithmykids

Tea cakes

Tea cakes are a tasty bake – a sweet flavoured bun filled with dried mixed fruit. This classic treat is perfect served warm and buttered and enjoyed with a cup of tea.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Proving time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Afternoon tea, Snack
Cuisine: British
Calories: 369
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g (4 cups) strong bread flour
  • 1.5 teaspoons of salt
  • 60 g (4 tablespoons) caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1.5 packets fast action dried yeast
  • 50 g (¼ cup) butter, softened
  • 275 - 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) warm water
  • 150 g (¾ cup) sultanas or dried mixed fruit
  • 50 g (½ cup) chopped peel
  • 1 egg beaten

Equipment

  • Digital scales
  • Measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • Measuring jug
  • Free-standing mixer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Bowl
  • Dough cutter
  • baking tray
  • Silicone pastry brush

Method
 

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl
  1. Measure out the flour and add that to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your free-standing mixer.
    In separate corners, add the salt, sugar, cinnamon and yeast.
Add the butter and water
  1. Measure out the butter then cut it into a few pieces. If it's not soft enough to mix in pop it in the fridge for a few seconds to soften it, but not long enough for it to melt.
    Add the softened butter to your mixing bowl.
  2. If you're using a free-standing mixer, attach the dough hook and turn it on to a low setting. Start pouring the water in while the hook mixes it in for you. Add the water slowly until the dough is nice and soft, but not soggy. You might not need all of the water.
    If you don't have a free-standing mixer, add the water a little at a time. Stopping to stir it in after each little addition. Again, you might not need all the water, so stop adding it once the dough is nice and soft but before it's becomes soggy.
    Knead the dough, either with your dough hook or your hands for 5-10 minutes until it is soft and smooth.
  3. Pop the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it and set it somewhere warm for 1-2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.
Make the tea cakes
  1. Prepare a baking sheet by either greasing it or laying a sheet of baking parchment paper on top.
  2. Once the dough has doubled in size, tip it onto a floured work surface. Knock back the dough (ie punch the air out of it).
    Measure out the dried fruit and candied peel. Spread the dough out a bit then pour the fruit on top. With your hands, knead the fruit in for a minute, trying to make sure it all ends up well dispersed through the dough.
  3. Divide the dough into 8 evenly sized pieces.
    Roll each portion into a ball. You want to make the top neat and smooth by tucking the bottoms in to create some surface tension on top as you shape the tea cakes into a round ball.
    Pop them on your prepared baking tray a few centimetres apart as they’ll grow as they prove and bake. Once on the tray, press down the tops slightly to flatten them and give them the classic tea cake shape.
  4. Cover your tray with an oiled sheet of cling film / glad wrap and set them aside somewhere warm for 30 minutes to an hour until they have doubled in size again.
Bake the tea cakes
  1. Heat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan, 390 F.
  2. Before you put the tea cakes in the oven, get your kids to brush the tops with a little bit of beaten egg.
  3. Bake the tea cakes on the top shelf of your oven for 10 – 15 minutes. They're ready when they've risen and turned a lovely golden brown colour.
    Remove them from the oven the leave them to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before popping them on a wire rack to cool completely.