Let’s end 2024 with an easy recipe for a delicious little tea cake. In Everything I Want to Eat (Abrams, 2016), Jessica Koslow, who owns Sqirl in Los Angeles, introduces her restaurant’s recipe for Cardamom Doughnut-ish Tea Cakes like this: “I know there are a lot of challenging recipes in this book. Here’s one that’s not. But don’t be fooled by how straight forward it is. These tea cakes are one of our biggest crowd-pleasers.” I tried this recipe because I wanted an easy donut recipe. The following fits the bill if you are okay a doughnut’s kissing cousin.
For the Tea Cakes
150 g unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the muffin tin
255 g all-purpose flour
135 g sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
240 ml whole milk
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
65 g sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of fine sea salt
Unsalted butter, melted
Make the Tea Cakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter just the bottom surface (not the sides) of a 12-well muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt.
In another bowl, crack the egg and whisk to break it up. Gradually whisk in the melted butter and milk.
Pour into the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. (If the batter looks lumpy and slightly undermixed, it’s perfect.)
Scoop the batter into each well of the muffin tin, filling them only three-quarters full. Bake until the tops are very light golden and spring back when you press on them, about 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes in the tins.
Meanwhile, Make the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Once the tea cakes have cooled off a little, turn them out of the tins. Dip the tops into the melted butter, then into the cinnamon sugar. Any bald patches can be brushed with melted butter and dipped into the sugar again.
These are best eaten immediately, but can be stored, covered, overnight.
With a pleasing springy texture and delicious cardamom aroma and flavor, I think these little cakes make the perfect holiday treat. Added bonus: washing-up after baking is as easy as making the cakes.