Name: Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes – Easy Dessert Recipes for Any Day
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt

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If there’s one cookie that knows how to keep things humble and honest, it’s the Southern tea cake. These aren’t your average sugar bombs from a box. Nope. They’re soft, buttery little rounds with just enough sweetness to keep you reaching for another. I first tasted one in my grandma’s kitchen when I was too short to see the countertop. She called them ‘tea cakes,’ but I called them magic. The kind of simple joy that sticks around. We’re talking about a recipe passed down through generations, scribbled on index cards, sometimes smudged with a little vanilla or flour. And the best part? You probably already have everything you need sitting in your pantry. If you can mix butter, sugar, eggs, and a little bit of love, you’re already halfway there. I like to make these on lazy Sundays when the house is quiet and the smell of vanilla and nostalgia fills the kitchen. They’re perfect for holidays, weekday treats, or sneaking into lunchboxes. Southern tea cakes don’t try too hard—and that’s exactly why we love them.

1) Key Takeaways
2) Easy Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes Recipe
3) Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
4) How to Make Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
5) Tips for Making Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
6) Making Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes Ahead of Time
7) Storing Leftover Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
8) Try these Cookies next!
9) Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
10) Nutrition

1) Key Takeaways

Old-fashioned Southern Tea Cakes are soft, buttery, and subtly sweet
These cookies are simple to make and use pantry staples
Perfect for holidays, coffee breaks, or just-because baking sessions
Best when slightly underbaked for a tender texture

2) Easy Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes Recipe

Let’s talk comfort. Not the flannel-pants-on-a-rainy-day kind, but the kind that comes from an easy dessert recipe that wraps you in nostalgia. Southern Tea Cakes do that without trying too hard. They’re gentle on the sugar, firm in spirit, and soft where it matters most — the center.

I like to think of this recipe as an edible throwback. The ingredients? Probably already sitting in your kitchen. The steps? Straightforward and totally beginner-friendly. This is one of those sweet easy recipes you keep taped inside your cupboard door.

From the first whiff of vanilla to the last bite that melts like butter, you’ll get why these belong in your regular rotation. Whether it’s a Tuesday night or the middle of the holiday season, these little guys deliver the kind of quiet joy that doesn’t need a parade. And yes, they go great with coffee.

3) Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes

1 cup unsalted butter, softened – This is the rich, creamy base of our dough. Room temp butter mixes easily and makes your cookies fluffy instead of tough.

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar – Sweet but not too sweet. Just the right amount to give the cookies their classic Southern balance.

2 large eggs – They bind everything together and add a touch of richness. Always go for room temperature eggs, they blend better that way.

1/4 cup whole milk – A splash of this loosens the dough and keeps things tender. It’s a small thing, but it matters.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract – Use the real stuff if you’ve got it. It gives these cookies that warm bakery smell.

4 cups all-purpose flour – The backbone of any cookie. Don’t skip the leveling off or you’ll throw the balance off.

1/2 teaspoon baking soda – Helps them puff up just enough without turning cakey.

1/2 teaspoon salt – A tiny pinch that makes all the other flavors pop. Trust me, don’t leave it out.

4) How to Make Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so you don’t end up with sticky bottoms.

Step 2. In a big bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until it’s fluffy. Like, clouds-in-the-sky fluffy. Don’t rush this.

Step 3. Add your eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each. This helps everything stay smooth and lump-free.

Step 4. Pour in the milk and vanilla. Give it another stir until it’s all cozy and combined.

Step 5. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add this to your wet mixture and mix until you’ve got dough that feels like Play-Doh.

Step 6. Scoop out small dough balls and flatten them just a bit with your fingers. They don’t need to be perfect. Imperfection is charming here.

Step 7. Place them on your prepared tray with a little room to breathe. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are barely golden.

Step 8. Let them rest for a few minutes on the sheet before moving them to a wire rack. This keeps the bottoms from getting too crisp.

5) Tips for Making Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes

Don’t overbake these. Seriously. If they start looking too golden, you’ve probably gone too far. They’re supposed to be soft and chewy, not crunchy.

Try chilling the dough for about 20 minutes before baking. It’s not mandatory, but it does help the cookies keep their shape and adds a little more depth to the flavor.

If you want to jazz them up, a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar or a dusting of powdered sugar after they cool works wonders. But they shine all on their own, too.

6) Making Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes Ahead of Time

You can totally make this dough ahead of time. In fact, I recommend it. It gives the flavors time to settle into each other and makes baking even easier when you’re short on time.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to bake, let it sit at room temp for about 10 minutes so it’s easier to scoop.

Another pro move? Freeze the dough balls on a tray, then toss them in a freezer bag. You’ll have easy dessert recipes at your fingertips whenever the mood strikes.

7) Storing Leftover Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes

Store leftover tea cakes in an airtight container on the counter. They stay fresh for about 4 days, which is usually longer than they last in my kitchen.

If it’s warmer than usual or you want to keep them longer, pop them in the fridge. Just bring them back to room temp or warm slightly before serving.

And if you want them to feel like they just came out of the oven, a quick 5 seconds in the microwave will do the trick. Just don’t forget they’re in there.

8) Try these Cookies next!

9) Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes