Paula Deen Southern Tea Cakes

Paula Deen Southern Tea Cakes are an easy dessert made with flour, buttermilk and softened butter, ready in 2 hours 15 minutes including chilling. They're a classic old-fashioned cookie recipe for holiday tables, church suppers or Sunday dinner, and the dough is make-ahead friendly.

Chill the dough for the full hour, because the soft, wet dough only rolls out cleanly once the butter firms up. Skip it and you'll fight a sticky mess that spreads thin and loses its shape in the oven.

Paula's recipe uses buttermilk with both baking soda and baking powder, which gives these tea cakes a tender, soft crumb instead of a snappy cookie. Rolling the dough a full 1/4 inch thick keeps the centers cakey, so don't be tempted to go thinner.

Paula Deen Southern Tea Cakes

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

72

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Calories

90

kcal

Soft, lightly sweet rounds with a tender, cake-like crumb and a pale golden bottom, baked on a lightly greased sheet pan. The buttermilk dough rolls out thick and cuts into any shape you like.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all purpose flour
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  

• 2 cups sugar
  

• 2 eggs
  

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
  

• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) softened Butter
  

• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. That way it's fully hot by the time the chilled dough is rolled and cut.
• Sift the dry ingredients: Sift 4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons baking powder together in a large bowl. Sifting spreads the leavening evenly, so the tea cakes rise the same all over.
• Mix the dough: Add 2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 sticks softened butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the bowl. Blend everything well, and expect a soft, wet dough.
• Chill the dough: Shape the dough into a disk on a floured surface, then cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour so it firms up enough to roll.
• Roll and cut: Flour the surface again and roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Then cut it into your favorite shapes.
• Bake the tea cakes: Place the cut dough on a slightly greased sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The recipe makes about 6 to 8 dozen tea cakes, so you may need a few batches.

Tools for this recipe

• J.K. Adams French rolling pin, Ateco 11-piece round cutter set, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?

You can stir 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1/2 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. That gives you a decent buttermilk stand-in, though the flavor is a little milder.

How do I store leftover tea cakes?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, where they stay soft for a few days. If you're not sure how long they'll last, freeze them and thaw on the counter.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, the dough needs to chill anyway, so you can make it the day before and keep it wrapped in the fridge. Let it sit out a few minutes if it feels too firm to roll.

Why is my dough so sticky?

This dough is meant to be soft and wet, so a sticky feel is normal. Chill it for the full hour and flour your counter and rolling pin well, and it will roll out fine.

What's the most common mistake with tea cakes?

Rolling the dough too thin is the big one, since thin cookies bake up crisp instead of soft and cakey. Stick to 1/4 inch and pull them as soon as the bottoms turn lightly golden.