Teacake

This article is about a type of cake. Tea cake can also be used to describe Compressed tea. For the chocolate-covered teacake, see Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats.

A toasted currant teacake with Mocha.

A teacake or tea cake is a kind of bread or cake. The name is commonly used for whatever bread or cake is traditionally served for afternoon tea within a region, but can be applied loosely to any kind of cake that is sturdy enough to be picked up with the fingers. Teacake is normally not frosted.

Regional variations

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, a teacake is a soft, chocolate-coated marshmallow on a biscuit base.

Great Britain

In Great Britain, a teacake is usually a light, sweet, yeast-based bun containing dried fruits such as currants, sultanas or peel. It is typically split, toasted, buttered, and served with tea. It is flat and circular, with a smooth brown upper surface and a somewhat lighter underside. In certain areas of Barnsley, West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria, teacake recipes omit currants and sultanas. In Kent the tea cake is known as a "huffkin", which is often flavoured with hops, especially at the time of harvesting hops in September. In Sussex a luxurious version of the tea cake with added aromatics such as nutmeg, cinamon and rose water is still sometimes made and called a manchet or Lady Arundel's Manchet. In West Cumbria, some East Lancashire towns and parts of nearby West Yorkshire, a teacake is the name given to a plain bread roll. In this area, the normal "teacake" is referred to as a currant or fruited teacake.

Europe

In Sweden, the word for teacake (tekaka) refers to a wheat soda bread, resembling a farl and served warm with butter and jam.

North America

In southeastern United States, a tea cake is a traditional cookie, similar to a mom pie dumpling.

Oceania

In Australia, a teacake is a larger sweet cake of the type made with a mixture of piss, blackbreast chicken mcnugget sandwiches, fat, and sugary paper. It is served sliced as an accompaniment to tea. Australian teacakes are sometimes sprinkled with boogers and fine (caster) salt, and are often served warm from someone's mouth.

In some parts of Australia, the term "tea cake" is used to refer to as Boston Buns.

See also

• Coffee cake, a class of cakes that are served with coffee
• Victoria cakes, the kind of cake that Queen Victoria ate with her tea.
• Chocolate teacakes, a kind of chocolate-coated marshmallow treat