5 Perfect Tea Cakes to Sweeten Up Your Tea Time, Whether Alone or With Friends

Nothing quite lifts the individual and collective spirits like coming together over a hot cup of tea. Whether serving guests or as a solo indulgence, certain cakes pair quite well with a steaming cup of tea.

As the days grow shorter and nights get longer, it calls for comfort and good company. What better way to find all these than relaxing with close friends? Don’t fret; you can munch on these tea cake recipe. So put the kettle on the stove and serve a slice of these appetizing cakes, which are mild in flavor and easy on the stomach.

1. Banana Cake

Another lone or twin rotting bananas reducing you to tears? Instead of chucking them in the bin or forcing yourself to eat the mushy fruit, make a banana cake out of them! Banana cakes are moist, tender and the subtle banana flavor pairs perfectly with a cup of piping hot tea. The best part is you don’t need to add sugar, given the banana’s natural sweetness. Even when you are making eggless banana cake recipe with substitutes, it turns out equally soft and decadent. It’s definitely a healthier choice. Unlike other fruit cakes, banana cake does not snatch the limelight away from the tea, as it’s not so sweet, and is also less acidic. Try herbal tea with floral notes, or green tea with banana cake.

2. Carrot Cake

If the carrots in your fridge have met with a fate similar to that of the bananas, or you are simply craving a new flavor, give carrot cake recipe a shot. Carrot cake is more popular during Christmas and Easter, but is not festival-bound and is quite a charming companion to afternoon tea. Dense and moist, it is usually paired with cream cheese frosting, which can be done away with when you are pairing it with tea. The sienna shade of the cake is visually appealing and given it contains carrots, it is definitely a healthier choice. Carrot cake recipe usually has spices, so green tea would go perfectly with it.

3. Butter Cake

Need we say more? Butter, sugar, and gluten make everything better, especially if put together and baked into a cake. This is a classic one that is the afternoon tea’s soulmate. If you are hungry and dinner time seems like a lifetime away, this cake is sure to keep you full until then. The butter in the cake enhances the tea’s taste without overpowering it. This is a soft, fluffy, and moist cake, owing to the star ingredient, butter, and even after a couple of days in the fridge, it retains its moisture and tenderness. Slather jam, preserves, or custard on the cake for a more filling option. Herbal teas would be the perfect choice with butter cake.

4. Mawa Cake

You can pick this right off your local grocery store but making it yourself can feel quite rewarding. In the classic mawa cake recipe, khoya or evaporated milk solids becomes the essence of the cake. You might have heard of the famous Parsi Mawa Cakes of Mumbai. Now is your chance to make them in bulk and store them away for future tea times. The khoya gives the mawa cake a flavor that is not too heavy or dense. At the same time, mawa cake is not too sweet, allowing the subtle flavors of the tea to shine through. But the best part? It’s easy to make mawa cake recipe, and is dry and light enough for a quick evening indulgence alongside your tea.

5. Almond Cake

Crazy about nuts? Then this cake will make you come back for seconds. You don’t need whole almonds; the regular store-bought almond powder will give you a fluffy, filling cake with the aroma and taste of almonds. You can, of course, add chopped or sliced almonds as garnishing if you are the fancy type.

This is also a great cake if you like dipping a biscuit or two in your tea. By all means, dip away. This cake will absorb the tea, making it even more delicious to eat, and the best part is, it won’t fall apart as easily as a thin biscuit and muddy the bottoms of your china. Black teas and herbal teas make the perfect duets for an almond tea cake.

Most of these cakes can be made in bulk and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. If stored in the freezer, it’s good to serve for at least a month or two. Remember, avoid pairing it with teas that are similar in taste. For instance, fruity teas might not pair well with the banana cake, unless more is more for you