The Best Afternoon Tea Recipes to Try at Home

Afternoon tea is a quintessentially British tradition enjoyed by people of all ages. It can be a great way to spend time with friends or family, and it’s also a perfect opportunity to try some delicious new recipes! In this blog post, we will share some of our favourite afternoon tea recipes with you. We hope you enjoy them!

Strawberry Cake

One of our favourite afternoon tea recipes is this delicious strawberry cake. The sponge is light and fluffy, and the strawberries add a lovely sweetness to the cake. It’s the perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of tea!

Ingredients:

• 225g self-raising flour
• 225g butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• four eggs
• 100g strawberries, hulled and sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark four.
2. Grease and line two 20cm/eight-inch cake tins with baking parchment.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
5. Fold in the flour until you have a smooth batter.
6. Stir in the strawberries and pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
8. Leave to cool completely before serving.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This is a classic afternoon tea recipe that’s sure to please. The cake is moist and full of zesty lemon flavour, and the sugar glaze on top gives it a lovely sweetness. Serve this cake with a cup of tea or coffee, and you’ll be in for a real treat.

Ingredients:

• 225g self-raising flour
• 170g caster sugar
• 125ml milk
• 60g butter, melted
• Juice of one lemon
• Zest of one lemon

For the sugar glaze

• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

To make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark Four.
2. Grease and line a 20cm/eight-inch cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar.
4. Pour in the milk and melted butter, and mix until everything is well combined.
5. Add the lemon juice and zest, and mix again.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

To make the sugar glaze:

1. Put the sugar, water and vanilla extract into a small saucepan over a low heat.
2. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat and bring it to the boil.
3. Remove from the heat and spoon over the warm cake.
4. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Apple Cake

This apple cake is a perfect afternoon treat. The cake is moist and full of delicious apple flavour, and the cinnamon sugar topping adds a lovely spice to it.

Ingredients:

• 225g self-raising flour
• 175g caster sugar
• 125ml milk
• 60g butter, melted
• Two apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the sugar topping

• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark four.
2. Grease and line a 20cm/eight-inch cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar.
4. Pour in the milk and melted butter, and mix until everything is well combined.
5. Stir in the apples and cinnamon until you have a smooth batter.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, and sprinkle over the sugar topping.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
8. Leave to cool completely before serving.

Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake is sure to satisfy any chocolate cravings! The chocolate sponge is moist and delicious, and the chocolate ganache on top gives it a lovely richness.

Ingredients:

• 225g self-raising flour
• 175g caster sugar
• 50g cocoa powder
• 125ml milk
• 60g butter, melted
• Two eggs

For the chocolate ganache

• 100g dark chocolate, chopped
• 100ml double cream

Instructions:

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark four.
2. Grease and line a 20cm/eight-inch cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and cocoa powder.
4. Pour in the milk and melted butter, and mix until everything is well combined.
5. Beat in the eggs until you have a smooth batter.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
7. Leave to cool completely before adding the ganache.

For the chocolate ganache:

1. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat until it comes to the boil.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until everything is well combined.
4. Leave to cool before spreading over the cake.

Scones

No afternoon tea would be complete without scones! These ones are light and fluffy, and they taste even better when served with clotted cream and jam. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could try adding some dried fruit or chocolate chips to the mix.

Ingredients:

• 225g self-raising flour
• 55g caster sugar
• 60g butter, chilled and diced
• 150ml milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark Six.
2. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar.
4. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
5. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the milk.
6. Mix until everything is well combined, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly.
7. Roll out to a thickness of about two cm/one inch, then use a cutter to cut out scones.
8. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving – nothing beats a freshly-baked scone!

These are just a few of the delicious afternoon tea recipes out there – why not experiment and invent your own creations? After all, part of the fun of baking is coming up with new and exciting flavour combinations!

Get in touch to share your favourite afternoon tea recipes – I’d love to hear from you! And if you’re looking for more inspiration, check out my other blog posts on the subject. Until next time, happy baking!