Irish tea cake is a lightly sweetened vanilla cake that's perfect for serving with tea and coffee. Made with simple baking ingredients, this cake has a subtle flavor and a moist, tender texture.
Recipe was easy and the cake was so good. Sweet but not too sweet. Because I usually have all the ingredients on hand, it’s a great go-to for last minute get togethers. My husband is already asking if I’ll make it again! ★★★★★ - Ann
Why you'll love this recipe
Flavor/texture: Buttery, lightly sweetened, moist and tender.
Simple ingredients. Made with simple pantry staples like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Cake: 9-inch round cake
Serves: 8-10 guests
Similar to: Peach Cake, Lemon Coffee Cake, and Applesauce Coffee Cake
Jump to:
Ingredients and substitutions
- Unsalted butter - I recommend using a high quality butter for this recipe, like Kerrygold brand Irish butter.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens and attracts moisture to your cake.
- Eggs - Add structure and moisture.
- Vanilla extract - Adds depth of flavor to your cake.
- All-purpose flour - Adds structure to your cake. I do not recommend substituting with other types of flour. I have only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, so I can't say for sure how it would turn out with substitutions.
- Baking powder - Helps your cake rise in the oven. Cannot be substituted with baking soda, they are not interchangeable.
- Salt - Enhances the flavor of your cake without making it "salty".
- Whole milk - Adds moisture and richness to your cake. I recommend using whole milk or 2% for best results. Lower fat milks can make your cake turn out dry.
How to make Irish tea cake
- Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with a hand mixer.
- Add milk and dry ingredients, alternating until combined.
- Pour batter into a prepared 9-inch round cake pan and bake until center pops back when pressed.
- Allow to cool, then dust with confectioner's sugar just before serving.
Tips and tricks
Properly measured flour - Adding too much flour dries out a cake and dilutes the flavor. For 100% accuracy, use a kitchen scale. This ensures you're adding the proper amount of ingredients to the recipe. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Give your flour a quick stir, then gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup until heaping. Level off the top with the straight edge of a knife.
For a moist, perfectly baked cake - Take care not to overbake your cake, don't substitute or omit any of the moisture-adding ingredients (butter, sugar, eggs, milk), and take care to properly measure your flour. These are the three most common reasons a cake turns out dry.
Frequently asked questions
To bring butter to room temperature quickly, slice it into smaller pieces and set on the counter top for 30 minutes. To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes. Milk can be microwaved in 10 to 15 second increments, stirring in between, until room temperature. Take care not to melt butter or bring milk to a warm or hot temperature. Hot ingredients can ruin the texture of the batter, causing cakes to turn out dense when baked.
I test for doneness by gently pressing onto the top of the center of the cake with a finger. If the cake pops right back, it's done. If an indent is left, it needs more time. You can also use the toothpick method. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes back with batter, the cake needs more time. If the toothpick comes back with crumbs or nothing at all, it's done. Additionally, if you nudge the pan and your cake is jiggly, it's not done yet.
Fresh berries
Whipped cream
Dusting of confectioner's sugar
Strawberry topping
Raspberry sauce
Coffee
Tea
Much like coffee cake (which doesn't contain any coffee), tea cake isn't made with tea, but meant to be served with tea. Irish tea cake is a simple vanilla cake with a mild, buttery flavor. It's not very sweet and doesn't have a strong flavor, so it doesn't overpower the flavor of the tea you're serving. While Irish tea cake is traditionally served with tea (or coffee), it also makes a great lighter dessert or birthday cake for any time of year.
Troubleshooting
Baked goods can turn out dry for a few reasons:
- Baking too long.
- Adding too many dry ingredients.
- Adding too few wet ingredients.
- Butter-based cake is refrigerated (it feels dry when chilled, but softens when it comes back to room temperature).
It's important to follow the recipe exactly, including the measurements and exact ingredients listed. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer to make sure your cake doesn't get overbaked in the oven.
This is a baker's secret that's optional but effective! Brush simple syrup over your cake before frosting. A layer of simple syrup helps keep the cake moist for longer. Simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of water and granulated sugar, brought to a boil on the stove top until dissolved, then cooled to room temperature. I'd suggest about ¼ cup or less for this size cake.
Cake can turn out dense from expired leavening, overmixing the wet and dry ingredients (this overworks the gluten), not whipping the butter and sugar long enough, or adding extra wet ingredients (like adding sour cream or applesauce to make cake "extra moist"). If the balance of wet and dry ingredients is off, this can cause a change in texture, preventing your cake from rising properly in the oven.
All cakes, even vanilla cake, will brown on the outside edges due to a chemical reaction that happens when sugar is heated up. This is called a Maillard reaction and is completely normal. The insides will remain white and fluffy and the tops will be covered by frosting.
Sinking can happen for many reasons. Overmixing the batter (which adds extra air that's released during baking), underbaking, using expired leavening, using the wrong leavening, or accidentally doubling the leavening can all cause your cake to sink in the middle.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Irish Tea Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 g) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside (optionally, add a round piece of parchment to the bottom for easy removal later).
- In a bowl, add butter and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) beat until creamed and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until creamy and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and remove clumps.
- Add half of dry ingredients to butter mixture and gently mix until just incorporated. Add half of milk and gently mix to incorporate. Repeat once more to incorporate remaining dry ingredients and milk. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared 9-inch cake pan. Bake for about 26-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs, not batter. Or, gently press into the top of the cake with a finger. If cake springs back right away, it's done. If it leaves an indent, your cake needs more time.
- Cool cake in pan on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, turn out onto a serving plate and dust the top with confectioner's sugar just before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Serve with: Serve tea cake with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Storage: Cake is best served the same day, but leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.
- Freezing: Cake can also be frozen for up to two months. Thaw on the countertop for 1-2 hours before serving.
- More tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cake, based on reader comments and questions!
Hello, I’d like to make this recipe to have 3 servings, what size pan would you recommend. Just starting baking so not too familiar with these things.
Thank you!
Hi Valerie, I'd recommend cutting this recipe in half to make four servings, which would take exactly one egg. You could divide the batter between lined cupcake tins or use a 6-inch round cake pan to make a single layer mini cake. I haven't tested this size cake so I can't say for sure how long it would take, but the baking time will be reduced slightly.
Do you have recommendation for temp or cooking time if using a mini Bundt pan or cupcake tin?
Hi Kay, this recipe is very similar to my vanilla cupcakes recipe (https://thetoastykitchen.com/homemade-classic-yellow-cupcakes/), so I'd recommend 350F for 18-20 minutes in a cupcake tin. I haven't tested this recipe in a mini bundt pan but I'd estimate they take a similar amount of baking time as a cupcakes.
Thank you so much!
This recipe is so easy to follow and my cake came out AMAZING!!! I do not have an electric mixer and it still turned out delicious. I’ll be keeping this recipe forever! <3
Could I use a springform pan?
I haven't tested this specific recipe in a springform pan, but it should work just fine!
Springform pan worked great, just pinched some parchment between the top and bottom and sprayed no-stick
Yes, you can use a springform pan. It’s all I had and it came out great.
Recipe was easy and the cake was so good. Sweet but not too sweet. Because I usually have all the ingredients on hand, it’s a great go-to for last minute get togethers. My husband is already asking if I’ll make it again!
Perfect recipe, simple and quick, we have already made this a couple times!! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much Diane!
Hi Heather! I’m wondering if I would be able to use lemon extract in place of vanilla extract and would I use the same measurement? Thank you!
Hi Diane, I find lemon extract to be a bit stronger than vanilla, so I'd use half the amount.
Love the lemon extract, I did as you suggested and used 1 tsp, very nice! Love this recipe and the variations.
I just tried this recipe and I love it. Quick, easy and minimal ingredients and still delicious.
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you for the recipe. Turned out perfect and so delightful! I’m having a piece with a cup of tea right now!
Thank you Susan, so glad you enjoyed it!
This is my second time making this cake. We like to have something with coffee and this truly fits the bill. My husband especially likes it because it isn’t overpowering.
Thank you Windspirit!