I had to Google tea cakes. I was thinking you were talking about petit four type cakes, but the tea cake recipes I saw are just cookies--like Mexican wedding cookies covered in powdered sugar. Can you tell us which you are looking for?

And because I'm nosy, are you having a tea party?

church I grew up in, Tom McLain was famous for his tea cakes. It was publshed in the church recipe book.
Everyone raved over Brother Tom's tea cakes.

Don't recall if they were chewy or not.

I'll post his recipe, if you want. I have to go hunt for the recipe book :o)

Brother Tom's tea cakes

1 egg
1 c sugar
1 stick margarine
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon flavoring
2 1/2 c plain flour

cream together the egg, sugar and margarine. add the soda, vanilla, and lemon flavoring, stir in the flour

roll out on a floured board and cut with a biscuit cutter

place on ungreased baking sheet

bake 325 for 10 minutes until lightly browned

makes about 5 dozen

***I copied it exactly from the l983 edition of the church recipe book

This is a favorite of mine - but I don't know if it is what you are looking for: (I sometimes substitute frozen strawberries for the raspberries) It is a Better Homes & Gardens recipe.....

Raspberry Ripple Tea Cake
Yield: serves 8

for the filling

1 (12 ounce) package frozen raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

for the batter

2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, sliced into thin pats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10" round tart pan that has a removable bottom; set aside.

To make the raspberry filling: in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar and cornstarch over medium heat; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Push raspberry mixture through a fine, mesh sieve, discarding seeds and pulp. Set filling aside to cool slightly; alternatively you may store airtight, refrigerate and use within 3 days.

To make the tea cake batter: in a large mixing bowl, stir together flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. *Measure and set aside 1/2 cup of this flour-crumb mixture and reserve for crumb topping. To remaining flour mixture add baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir well to combine. Make a well in the center of flour mixture to accept wet ingredients.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg; stir in buttermilk until combined. Add all at once to the well you just created in the center of the flour mixture. Stir gently until just moistened; batter will be thick. Spread two-thirds of this batter over the bottom and up 1" of the sides of prepared tart pan, using fingers to pat into place if necessary. Next, carefully spread the prepared raspberry filling on top of this batter. In small, irregular mounds, drop remaining batter on top of filling, spreading ever-so-gently with fingers or back of spoon if necessary. Allow mounds of batter to rest atop raspberry filling without pressing into bottom layer of batter. Sprinkle entire cake with the *reserved flour-crumb topping.

In the center of a preheated oven, baked tea cake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean (filling will turn toothpick red). The cake should appear lightly browned (baking times may vary from oven to oven, so keep a close eye on your cake after 30 minutes). When tea cake is properly baked, remove tart pan from oven and allow to cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. When time has elapsed, remove cake from tart pan and place on cake stand or serving plate.

Cut cake into wedges or squares and serve warm.

Glenda..was that Tom McClain or Mclain? We use to have a neighbor named Tom McClain (spelling might have been different) that cooked/baked ALL the time. His wife was "sickly"...and he did most all the cooking and cleaning. Bald headed guy! Wonder if it's the same guy? I'm thinking this man went to a Methodist Church.

Brenda, that was Tom McClain. He his wife, Ruth, and kids went to First Baptist, downtown Gadsden. I grewup with his kids and Tom and Ruth were friends of my parents.

He did love to cook, and Ruth died, and he remarried. Can't remember who. Congregation was amazed that he remarried after she died. Think he worked at Goodyear.

I've always remembered his tea cakes

LOL....I remember his tea cakes too! Small world,huh?

OK..back to the Tea Cakes request!! lol

How about that. AND yes the bald head.

I can't remember his daughters name, cause she was 2 years younger than me, Oh, Katherine, was her name.

Her brother was David, and he was in the high school band the same time I was PLUS he dated and married a sorority sister of mine from college, but they later divorced.

tea cake definitions

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: (Britain) flat semisweet cookie or biscuit usually served with tea
Synonym: tea biscuit

Meaning #2: (US) any of various small cakes or cookies often served with tea

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The only cookies my DM ever made she called Tea Cakes. She never used a recipe; just made them.

As I remember they were what we call sugar cookies.

Wish I had some right now.

Sue

Thanks every one for your responses....Brother Toms tea cakes sound like what I am looking for....no I am not having a tea party...lol...my reason for looking for the recipe is that one of my DGD loves her other grandmothers cakes but the GRAN will NOT share the recipe with anyone...go figure....my grandmother use to make these and would put them in a cloth sack and store them in an old crock jug...i am 79 so that was a looonnnggg time ago but I still remember them...thanks again...Mary

Teacakes in my area are a light bread with fruit and spices in them...delicious split in half and spread with butter! (I like them toasted and buttered)

Karen UK

LOL Karen.
You, living in Britain, would be the quintessential expert when it comes to little cakes, cookies, etc! lol

I dont know about an expert Jasdip ...but I'm very good at testing them! lol

Karen UK