Today I found this recipe in one of the many notebooks I made when I had access to all the newest and best cookbooks while working in a retail gourmet store. It should have that faint beige color (from the instant tea) and slight spice taste, plus, it has caramel icing.

Russian Tea Cake
uses a 9x13x2" pan, bakes at 350F

1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine, soft
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup instant tea with lemon and sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1 cup orange juice

Grease and flour pan. Combine butter, sugar, vanilla in a mixer bowl. Beat well to blend. Add eggs one at a time. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients, stir to mix. Add to batter alternately with the juice. Pour into pan, bake 25 minutes at 350. Test done with a toothpick.

Caramel Icing:

1 stick butter
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
1 16oz. box confectioners' sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring butter, sugar, and milk to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and conf. sugar. Beat until very smooth. Pour icing over warm cake.

Thanks, Teresa. I've collected quite a few recipes now and am close to start trying. I will try yours, too, if I'm not successful(sp?). This has been very frustrating, to say the least.

arline

I just saw your tea cake recipe quest! I've been trying to make them off and on for 30 years. I even wrote to the LA Times' Culinary SOS for a recipe, but they published one that was NOTHING like what I was looking for. Have you come up with a similar recipe yet?

Candy

No, Candy. I've tried several diff. recipes and made slight changes but haven't had success yet. Have been busy the last two months but will resume my attempts in the fall. Let me know if you've had ANY success, even in a small way, won't you?

arline

This recipe probably isn't it, but it is a cookie that puffs up and sort of is a cross between a cookie and a cake.
Frosted Tea Cakes Recipe

Clare

I wonder if the color isn't from using actual brewed tea in the recipe? That would also lend them a unique taste.

I know I ran across a muffin or cake recipe that had tea in it, I'll keep looking.

I'd use plain tea and omit the spices.

I can't imagine that happening in the 1940's when the recipe originated.

The company says they developed the recipe about 1945 and bakeries in LA just didn't use tea in their recipes in that era.

Carol

Ya never know. Tea has been around a long time.

20 years ago or so I worked in a French restaurant. One day the chef flavored the creme caramel with brewed tea for something different.

Of course I could be wrong. And tea has been around a long time (even in the coffee-loving U.S.). But I keep thinking of the many shortages at the end of the war. My bet's on a pretty basic recipe overall.

Regardless, the baker who created the original recipe had to be quite clever.

Carol

Arline,
You have to remember I haven't had one in YEARS, so this is only closest to what I think they were like. As you can see, I used a recipe with buttermilk, since you discovered that to be one of the ingredients.

Tea Cakes

1 C butter
2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 C flour
1 C buttermilk

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs (one at a time) and then the soda and salt. Add flour alternately with buttermilk. Fill cupcakes 1/2 full. Bake @ 350 for about 25 minutes. Cool. Makes 24

Glaze

1/2 C packed brown sugar
3 T margarine
1 T milk
1 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Melt brown sugar and margarine in microwave about 30 seconds. Stir in milk, then powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Dip tops of tea cakes into warm glaze and let cool.

I also have a recipe using tea, but I liked this one better. What do you think?

Candy

I've seen WWII era recipes that had honey or dark corn syrup or golden syrup as the sweetener. Maybe that's the brown sugar like component and the moistness?

WW2 RECIPES

SYRUP LOAF

Cooking time: 30 minutes. Quantity: 1 loaf.

4 ozs self raising flour or plain flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.
Pinch of salt.
2 tablespoons warmed golden syrup. ¼ of a pint of milk or milk and water.

Method:
Sift flour (or flour and baking powder), bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Heat syrup and milk (or milk and water), pour over the flour and beat well.
Pour into a well greased 1 lb loaf tin and bake in the centre of a moderately hot oven to cook for 30 minutes or until firm.

Honey Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (some butter can be used in place of some of the shortening)
1 cup honey
1 egg, well beaten
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sour milk (1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar)
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Cream shortening in bowl. Add honey and egg.

In bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add alternately with sour milk to shortening mixture. Add nuts.

Pour batter into greased and floured 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Smooth top of batter with spatula. Batter will be sticky. Bake in preheated oven 35 minutes or until done.
Recipe makes about 12 servings.

But I bet you've seen these already!

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to read the above progression of messages, but the following ingredients are definitely in the tea cakes: flour, OIL, buttermilk, BROWN sugar (that's what gives it the caramelized flavor and color), eggs. A little hint is the mention on their website that the USC hospital used to make something similar in the 40s-50s, but it was in cake form - probably large sheet cake for easier portioning in the hospital. Then, it was "modified" to what it is today. Pics are above if you haven't looked.

arline

Omg Arlinek, me and my mom live in the Los Angeles area and we are up right now at 1:00am just surfing the Internet and then my mom said I have to find a recipe for these tea cakes that they sale in her cafeteria at work, so we searched and searched and right now we stumbled over a picture that was posted by you on youtube but she didn't know how she found the picture of the tea cakes but she was sooooo EXCITED yelling that's them that's them and some how we found this blog off google so we read each one of everyone's responses in the search for this recipe because my mom has been looking for that same exact recipe too for years lol.... My mom ended up falling asleep on the phone with me so I decided to go ahead and write this... My mom has been at her job in LA. For over 35+ years and she said they have had those tea cakes in her cafeteria at her job for years and years and she loves them just like you. We were glad to hear about Martino's Bakery in Burbank and was going to head there tomorrow but realized they are closed on Sunday's , darn.... But like you, my mom is really really interested in finding that recipe too so I was wondering if you had any luck with all the different recipes you have tried???? I am not sure how old all of these messages and posts are, but I hope you get this one and hopefully you have a winning recipe because that will just make my moms day, Thanks!

mrsjas: Nope, I haven't yet ("found the right recipe"). I start and then stop trying periodically (in frustration) though I have been "close" and still have some accumulated recipes that I haven't tried. It's been rather elusive finding THE recipe. If YOU have any luck, please let us (me) know. I really miss them, especially being here in San Diego.

Not read the progression?! They'd be missing out. I clapped and exclaimed ha ha! as my head flew back in delight! when you got your cakes and they were the real thing. Love the picture. I hope you get to your final destination. I've enjoyed it (even the link which reminded me of the Big Boy in So CA, when I lived there).

I've read this thread with interest, and what keeps coming to mind is the following oatmeal cake with broiled icing.Obviously you would skip the icing. But the problem is that it doesn't have buttermilk. I'm posting the recipe for the cake part anyway, because it sounds very similar in taste and texture, and the era is right:

Oatmeal Cake from Maida Heatter's "New Book of Great Desserts"

1 cup quick (not instant) rolled oats
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark or light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13x2 inch metal cake pan. Dust it all over with rolled oats (in addition to those called for in the recipe), then, over a piece of paper, tap out excess. Set aside.

Place the cup of oats in a bowl, stir in the boiling water to mix, and let stand for 20 minutes.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Beat in the vanilla. Add both sugars ad beat well. Then add the eggs and beat well. Beat in the rolled oats. On low speed add the sifted dry ingredients, scraping the bolw with a rubber spatula and beating only until incorporated.

Turn into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 40 minutes until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan and until it springs back when lightly pressed with a finger tip.

I have made this cake many times and it is really wonderful.

Jo

Did you ever find this recipe? I've been thinking about finding it for years and was excited to see these posts.

Irish - I am not sure if this recipe will work but I found a thread in Chowhound asking for the same recipe. Some one posted this one and said it was very close to the ones at Martino's bakery though not exactly the same. I guess the key to the glaze is browning the butter first. Someone mentioned a LA times article that says Martinos heats his buttermilk.. May be a good experiment to try making it with heated buttermilk. I will post a link to the chowhound thread also if you are interested on reading their comments.

Here is the link to the chowhound thread

Nope, still looking and trying a recipe occasionally. I still have recipes here to try; it's just so elusive and frustrating. I won't stop, though, and WILL update when I've had success.

I am familiar with Martino's tea cakes and could not find a recipe that came even close until recently. Gracie's Pastries in LA was famous for their square tea cakes back in the 60's and 70's. I tried a recipe for their tea cakes that finally surfaced and finally! ....a moist, buttermilk cake with a browgned butter glaze that some reviewers think is even better than Martino's.

I hope you enjoy the tea cakes as much as I do :)

"DADâS DANISH TEA CAKES

Whenever I mention to folks who grew up in the Los Angeles area during the 50s, 60s or 70s, that my father owned Grace Pastries, tea cakes and dobash cakes inevitably enter the conversation. While I admit his multi-layer dobash cake was great, the tea cakes always had a special place in my heart. His original tea cake recipe for 70 DOZEN and called for 16 lbs of brown sugar and 24 lbs of buttermilk (just to name a few ingredients), proved a little too unwieldy not to mention, impractical for us home kitchen bakers. So without further ado, here is the tested, tried and true recipe for a more manageable number of Grace Pastriesâ Danish Tea Cakes.

Makes 24

For the batter:

1-1/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup extra fine white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs (minus 1 tablespoon)
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2-1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
For the icing:

6 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups confectionersâ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons hot water
Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, vegetable oil, salt and vanilla. Add the eggs in three parts. Cream slowly for six minutes, continually scraping down the sides. Add 3/4 cup of the buttermilk, cake flour and baking soda until smooth. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of buttermilk.

Line the muffin cups with paper liners. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out on cooling racks. Repeat with any remaining batter. Let cool completely before topping with the icing.

Heat the butter slowly and cook until until golden brown.

In a separate bowl, mix confectionersâ sugar, vanilla and hot water together. Add the melted butter. Whisk until smooth.

While the icing mixture is still warm but the cakes are cooled, dip the tops of the cakes into the icing mix and cool again, careful not to layer the icing on too thickly.

Voilà !

Dad baked his tea cakes in restaurant grade square muffin tins using regular, round cupcake liners. Some specialty cookware stores may have the square tins, and you can also find them online but I found mine at, of all places, Marshallâs in the kitchen section. Enjoy!"

* Please take the time to follow the link and read about the history behind these wondrous tea cakes. Although the bakery has been closed for many years, the memories of a special family and their impact on so many loyal customers live on.

Now.....if anyone remembers and has a recipe for the LAUSD cookies from the 50's and 60's, it would be greatly appreciated :) They were cut into squares and tasted like a buttery, soft thin brownie and came in vanilla, chocolate and peanut butter flavors depending on the day/week.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles. While I was attending Cal State Univ., Los Angeles I bought and ate these tea cakes in the cafeteria. This was from '79 to '83. They look and sound like the tea cakes Arline was referring to. As I remember them, they were heavenly. Never tasted anything like them since. Our old college cafeteria was knocked I think in the 80's and a new one was built in its place, serving only fast food. The tea cakes are gone. I live in the SD area now and doubt I'll be down in Burbank anytime soon to try the tea cakes at Martino's bakery. Arline, if you ever find a recipe for those wonderful tea cakes, please let me know.

I grew up in So Cal too and I've been craving these tea cakes since the 70's!! My grandmother used to buy them for us every weekend and I've not seen them in any bakeries, nor have I seen any recipe posts online - and I have been searching! Yours is the first post I've ever seen regarding these tea cakes! Did you have any luck in finding a recipe or a bakery that currently sells them?

No, I've not had any luck. I sorta gave up for awhile, though I do have several recipes still to try but lost interest for awhile due to my lack of success ... and got tired of trying so many recipes that didn't quite work out.

I tried the recipe for Dad's Teacakes from Chowhound a few months ago and the cake portion is exactly the tea cake you are describing. Although I never patronized Grace's Bakery as I was a SFV girl, I used to purchase the square teacakes at Fedco in Van Nuys. I think Martino's used to supply several businesses with their tea cakes for resale. The icing recipe for Dad's Teacakes is similar in consistency and color but not the exact taste of the Martino's tea cakes. I purchased Wilton square cupcake/muffin pans at our local Walmart here in Nevada. I purchased an SOS cookbook recently that has a tea cake recipe in it with a slightly different icing recipe which I am going to try. I have been reading that the tea cake recipe from Martino's is a closely guarded secret. I also read somewhere that the secret to the icing in the Martino's recipe is cooked milk. I believe the icing recipe in the SOS cookbook has milk included in the ingredients and the icing is cooked. I assure you the cake portion of the Dad's Teacakes recipe is spot on with the flavor from the tea cakes I used to get at Fedco. I was shocked to find out the cakes are dipped in the icing to attain the smooth look. I use standard sized, round paper muffin tin liners. I think the Dad's tea cake recipe is the closest we are going to get at this point. It is a wonderful recipe that I have made many times in the last couple of months. I have not met anyone here in Nevada who is acquainted with the unique and addicting taste of these tea cakes. I am grateful to the daughter of the founder of Grace's Pastries for posting the recipe. Her father George sounds like an amazing man.

great to discover this thread... i grew up on these tea cakes, which i remember getting at fosselman's ice cream of all places. the martino's people told me they had 50+ supply routes, so it seems likely you'd run into these things lots of places.

i am a frequent flier at martino's. my baker friend always thought the recipe had some kind of caramelized sweetened condensed milk in it. i'm unmotivated to try a recipe because i live close enough to the mother ship. i think they told me the recipe is partially owned by pillsbury, which is weird, but interesting.

Thanks, soupcon. 'Ya know, I can visualize the caramelized sweetened milk being in the mix! There's that "elusive taste" that I can't put my finger on. I'll have to try that - thank you!

arlinek: Anything new on this thread? Following with great interest.

Sigh ... no, but I still have several variations to try, but damn life keeps getting in the way - lol. I'm a little excited about the above remark of the carm. sweet. condensed milk - I really think that's a good lead. Just have to devote some time to making again. Became a little discouraged over a year ago when several diff. attempts didn't capture what I was seeking! Keep tuned, same station.

Hi arlinek

I see your still on
the quest of the tea cakes I gave up we just don’t eat many sweets anymore but
sitting here I can still taste them in my memory. I haven’t been back to
Burbank since granite shopping back in 2007 but will be going down soon. My
father passed away last June and left several properties I need to deal with
but our first stop will be Martino’s to get some tea cakes to see if they match
my memory. I agree that caramelized sweetened condensed milk may be the elusive
taste that’s missing. If we have time we may drive out to Northridge get some
Cupids.

Claudia

Oh, Claudia - Sorry about your Dad - you're going to be in our old stomping grounds! We lived less than 10 min. from Cupid's - loved them and still do. Boys have visited there on occasion and pop them in a cooler and have brought them to us in San Diego! Hah!! When we (seldom) re-visit L.A., we make a round of prob. 100 miles to stock up on all our old favorites (Brent's Deli in Northridge, Porto's, for another, in Burbank - but they have one now in Orange Co., too).

Thank you arlinek dad was 93 I always teased him about
having been retired longer than he had worked. We plan to visit several places
in the Valley it will probably be the last time there. Life has another adventure
for us. DD and SIL are moving their business out of Ca to Lake Havasu City. DGS
just bought a house there also so it looks like we will be looking to buy or
build something there soon. GGS number 2 is on the way and we want to be close
enough to see all our kids more often than we do now. We had a home at the
river before so it will kinda like going home but without the flat bottom and at
my age I’m sure I don’t want to start waterskiing again but it will be fun to
watch the GG kids learn.

I have followed this post since Arelink 06-09-08 OP. It has intrigued me. Last fall I made the recipe msmmrox27 posted on April 13 2013. My family really liked them. They are not overly sweet which I liked and they do freeze well. Baked in the square muffin pan.

Having lived in the midwest all my life I have no idea what the original Tea Cakes tasted like....but if you are looking for something new you might give this recipe a try.

I've made this cinnamon teacake...it's good and not very sweet.

From Food Timeline

"Cinnamon (Woodbury Cake)
...a Madison tea would often include Cinnamon Cake...
Butter
Sugar
Flour
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Milk
Cream 2 tablespoons butter with 1 cup sugar. Add 2 cups sifted flour mixed with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 2 tablespoons cinnamon. Add milk and beat together thoroughly. Bake in a large pan at 350 degrees F. 20 to 30 minutes, or until done."
---Presidents' Cookbook (p. 91)

I found a place in Burbank CA, that sale the tea cakes.

http://www.martinosbakery.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/martinos-bakery-burbank?select=ePEVfGCY32SGFtb1pi3fqQ

I have not tried them yet. But I will be buying a dozen this week. I have not had them in years. There goes my dang diet. LMAO

they are the originals! :)

Nstyl: Yes, they've been mentioned above by me (OP) and others. They are indeed the same ones! Do buy yourself some, I think you'll love them.

I just started reading this post and I have never had a tea cake that I can recall. However I do have the square cup cake pan. It is very old and I have had it a very long time. I am 80 years old.

Sue

YES IT IS MARTINO'S BAKERY IN BURBANK

Has anyone tried the icing with the condensed milk? I'm not a baker, but I'll try the recipe if someone confirms it's THE one! I've been dreaming of these things since I left CA in the 1970s!

What do you have to lose? Try it! If it's the one, you're a winner; if it's not, you're out the cost of a few ingredients and an hour of your time!

My mother would buy the square Tea Cake from Amy's Bakery in Montebello, CA since I can remember. They still sell them. You can see the image of it on their website. Take the 60 fwy, exit Wilcox or Garfield Ave. Go south to Beverly Blvd. and Amy's Bakery is on the NW corner of Wilcox & Beverly. Make sure to grab a number as soon as you enter. Once when I worked in Lancaster, CA a rep came in and dropped off a pink box of little pink & yellow tea cakes in our lounge. I knew exactly what they were but no one else did but the box did not have a bakery name on it. They went for the other box of pastries and needless to say by the time the day was over I had eaten the entire box! (good for me) :) Last time I bought a tea cake from Amy's (in the 80's) I ate the whole cake before we got it home. (with my bare hands) No, I don't do that kind of stuff! It surprised me too! Yes, these cakes are that good. The cake from Amy's Bakery is like a 9x9 and has the light brown colored glaze/frosting on it. In my opinion, it's the best.

I grew up in Burbank and have been gone for many years...however, I love and often crave Martino's teacakes still! Tried the recipe posted here. They were really, really good, and the icing was very much like Martino's teacakes, but using the cake flour rendered the cake very dense. Just a thought...has anyone thought of, or tried, using almond flour? I am curious if it works or not. Thanks for all these great posts. Martino's teacakes are like none other in this world! ( :

Here is the recipe from a now closed bakery in Gardena California that sold them... http://www.dailybreeze.com/article/ZZ/20090707/NEWS/907079797

They actually served these delicious little cakes at schools in Glendale in the 80's! I'll have to go pay Martino's a little visit next time I'm down south - but in the meantime, here's another version of the recipe: http://www.danettesrecipes.com/2013/04/buttermilk-teacakes-with-vanilla-glaze.html

My parents had a deli in Van Nuys in the 60's and used to get all their pastries from Martino's. I loved the tea cakes...and they also had the best chocolate cream pies. Many years went by and I found the martino tea cakes at a deli at the Northridge Mall once...and was so happy I ordered two lol. They were the best cakes I have ever put in my mouth. Going to try danettes copy cate recipe ...hoping it sends me back to the 1960's,

Please let us know when you try that recipe!

I just saw this copycat "recipe" for teacakes from Martino's Bakery - https://www.thepkpway.com/martinos-bakery-tea-cakes/

I made these Kathy, and they are so close to Martino's. Seems like the cake is not quite as moist. The frosting tasted right, though. They even looked exactly like Martino's. What ingredient am I missing? Almond extract, or shortening instead of margarine? They were so good, but something is a tad off.