Description
Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes are a nostalgic Southern cookie—lightly sweet, soft inside, and perfect with tea, milk, or coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract (optional)
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (or milk)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract if using. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients gradually, alternating with buttermilk, to form a soft dough.
- Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into circles.
- Place on sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
- Cool on wire racks. Serve plain or dusted with sugar.
Notes
- For crispier cookies, roll thinner and bake slightly longer.
- Add cinnamon sugar before baking for a sweet twist.
- Omit extracts for the classic, buttery flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 189
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 104mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 33mg
Keywords: Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes, traditional tea cake recipe, Southern dessert, butter cookies, tea cookie recipe