RECIPE: Tea Cake
Okay, only two people voted on the subject of today’s post, but the vote was unanimously in favor of tea cake this week!
I guess it was about a month ago or so just after I had made the wonderful strawberry rhubarb jam that an old favorite recipe of Drew’s was dusted off. There is this much loved and sadly out of print baking book, Better Homes & Gardens Old-Fashioned Home Baking on our new kitchen shelves (thanks again to Drew). It is from 1990 so there are reasonably priced copies available, you just have to seek them out. There are a several recipes in this cookbook that we use on a fairly regular basis and if there is some baked item we’d like to make and do not already have a preferred recipe we turn to this book first. One of the regulars is the tea cake that Drew bakes, with one significant change to make it a tad easier to whip up.
The cake is rich and dense with a medium crumb. Then, there is a yummy layer of moist and fruity goodness that is topped with a subtle crumble topping. It is neither too sweet nor too savory, but perfectly balanced. I adore having a slice with my morning coffee and did just that for a good many days (once the tea cake dry spell was broken I asked Drew to make it again in rather quick succession and I’ve been jonesing for another dose lately) when I was designing and swatching and writing up the yet to be disclosed sawtooth edged pattern. I’d take my phone, loaded with audiobook and a big mug of coffee and slice of the tea cake to sit at the table under the plum tree and knit. It was a wonderful way to start the day and I can’t wait to be back in knitting mode again rather than editing and writing so I can enjoy that again.
In the original recipe, the fruity layer is made by cooking frozen strawberries or raspberries (thawed) with their juice and some cornstarch on the stovetop to thicken. Drew has simplified this step by substituting jams of many varieties. It means one less pot to wash and saves a bit of time since it also needed to be cooled slightly before used. Plus, it is a great excuse to splurge once in a while on those really intriguing sounding jam flavors. The photos in this post were a version he baked using my freshly made strawberry rhubarb jam, but the following week we had it with a fig ginger jam that we bought at the local kitchen mecca, The Cupboard. That was really different but very good as well. We’ve had it with plain strawberry, raspberry and apricot jams. I’ve been contemplating trying my pumpkin or plum butter in it for a little different twist. Ultimately, the flavor choice is up to Drew since this is “his” recipe.
Are we the only ones where both of us cook, but we each have certain things we make and the other doesn’t even though they would be completely capable?
Tea Cake
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Old-Fashioned Home Baking
Ingredients
- 6-8 oz of Fruit Jam, Butter or Preserves
- 2¼ C all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour works too)
- ¾ C sugar
- ¾ C butter (1½ sticks)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¾ C buttermilk or sour milk
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 X 2″ tart pan with removable bottom or springform pan.
- In a large mixing bowl stir together flour and sugar, then using pastry cutter, cut in butter until a coarse crumb is achieved. Set aside 1/2 C of this mixture for crumb topping. To remaining crumb mixture add baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well.
- In a smaller bowl beat together the egg and buttermilk and add all at once to the crumb mixture. Stir just until moistened thoroughly.
- Spread 2/3 of the batter evenly in the pan and up the sides about 1″. Spread jam carefully over the top of the batter. Dallop the remaining batter on the jam evenly and then sprinkle with reserved crumb topping.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 15 minutes then remove from pan and cut into 8 slices.
Notes: As I mentioned above, use any jam or preserve you’d like and do not be afraid to try unique flavors. If your jam of choice is a bit thin go ahead and mix in 1 T of cornstarch and cook briefly and let cool slightly. If it is quite thick and too difficult to spread on the top of the batter try heating it slightly and then spread. Due to the moistness of the jam the cake can mold if left at room temp for more than a few days, especially in the warm summer kitchen. If the cake will be around more than 2-3 days refrigerating it is recommended, but serve at room temp.
