15 British Afternoon Tea Treats You Can Bake at Home

Nothing says “British afternoon tea” like a tray of freshly baked treats that are perfect for sharing. From light and fluffy scones to delicate shortbread, you can recreate these classic delights in your own kitchen. Baking at home not only fills your space with irresistible aromas but also gives you the joy of crafting homemade versions of your favorite tea-time classics.

Scones

To make classic British scones, you’ll need 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt, 1/4 cup of cold butter, 3/4 cup of milk, and 1 egg. Preheat your oven to 400°F and mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the milk and egg to form a dough. Roll out the dough and cut into circles before baking on a lined sheet for 10-12 minutes. Serve warm with clotted cream and jam for the full afternoon tea experience.

Victoria Sponge Cake

For a traditional Victoria sponge cake, you’ll need 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, then fold in the flour gently. Divide the batter between two greased 8-inch round pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Once cooled, fill with strawberry jam and whipped cream, and dust the top with powdered sugar.

Shortbread

To bake buttery shortbread, you’ll need 1 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Start by creaming together the butter and sugar until smooth, then slowly mix in the flour until a dough forms. Press the dough into a lined 8×8 inch baking tin and prick the surface with a fork. Bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Once cooled, cut into squares or fingers and enjoy with your tea.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

For a zesty lemon drizzle cake, you’ll need 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour, the zest of 2 lemons, and the juice of 1 lemon. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, followed by the lemon zest. Fold in the flour gently before pouring into a greased loaf tin. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. While the cake is still warm, drizzle over a mixture of 1/4 cup of sugar and the juice of the lemon.

Bakewell Tarts

To make these classic tarts, you’ll need 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of cold butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of raspberry jam, and 3/4 cup of almond flour. Preheat your oven to 350°F and mix together the flour and cold butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and egg to form a dough, then roll it out and press into tart tins. Spread a layer of raspberry jam in each tart and fill with almond flour and egg mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

For these fragrant cookies, you’ll need 1 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 cups of flour, and 2 tablespoons of ground Earl Grey tea leaves. Start by creaming together the butter and sugar until light, then mix in the ground tea leaves and flour. Roll the dough into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Slice the dough into rounds and bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. The result is a crispy, delicate cookie perfect for any tea lover.

Welsh Cakes

To make traditional Welsh cakes, you’ll need 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of mixed spice, 1/2 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of currants, and 1 egg. Mix the dry ingredients together, then rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the currants, followed by the egg to form a dough. Roll out the dough and cut into rounds, then cook on a lightly greased griddle for 2-3 minutes on each side. Dust with sugar and serve warm.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

For this rich dessert, you’ll need 1 cup of chopped dates, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 cup of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of flour, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Start by soaking the dates in boiling water with the baking soda. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour and soaked dates. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Serve with a toffee sauce made from butter, cream, and brown sugar.

Battenberg Cake

For a Battenberg cake, you’ll need 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of flour, pink food coloring, apricot jam, and marzipan. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a square baking tin with parchment paper, creating a divider in the middle. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and fold in the flour. Divide the batter in half, coloring one half pink. Bake the two sections for 20-25 minutes, then cut into strips and assemble in a checkerboard pattern with jam and marzipan.

Jam Tarts

To make simple jam tarts, you’ll need 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of cold butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and your favorite jam flavors. Preheat your oven to 375°F and mix together the flour and cold butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and form the dough into a ball. Roll out the dough and cut into rounds, pressing each into a muffin tin. Spoon in a little jam into each round and bake for 15-18 minutes until the pastry is golden.

Treacle Tart

For a traditional treacle tart, you’ll need 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 cup of golden syrup, and 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Mix the flour, butter, and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs, then press into a tart tin. Warm the golden syrup in a pan, stir in the breadcrumbs, and pour the mixture into the tart shell. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and firm.

Rock Cakes

For easy rock cakes, you’ll need 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of dried fruit, and a splash of milk. Preheat your oven to 375°F and rub the butter into the flour until it forms crumbs. Stir in the sugar and dried fruit, then add the egg and a little milk to form a stiff dough. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.

Eccles Cakes

To make these fruity Eccles cakes, you’ll need 1 package of puff pastry, 1/2 cup of currants, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Roll out the puff pastry and cut into circles. In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the currants and sugar. Spoon a little of the fruit mixture into the center of each pastry circle, fold over the edges, and crimp shut. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until golden and crispy.

Madeira Cake

For this classic cake, you’ll need 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the zest of 1 lemon. Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth. Pour the batter into a greased loaf tin and bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes. This light, buttery cake pairs perfectly with a cup of tea.

Flapjacks

To make these chewy flapjacks, you’ll need 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, 4 cups of rolled oats, and 1/4 cup of golden syrup. Preheat your oven to 350°F and melt the butter, sugar, and syrup together in a saucepan. Stir in the oats until fully coated, then press the mixture into a lined baking tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and firm. Let cool before cutting into squares.

This article originally appeared on RetailShout.

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