Growing up in the South meant lots of bridal and baby showers.
Whether we were celebrating one of my aunt’s upcoming wedding or another cousin’s new baby, there were always cucumber sandwiches, ice cream punch, and tea cakes.
The Tea Cakes were always my favorite.
These dainty little bite sized cookies were coated in powdered sugar. One taste of the delicate, crispy tea cake and you were in heaven. If you were a young girl like me, you usually had a lap full of fluffy powdered sugar.
I’m reliving a bit of my childhood and adding to my School of Southern Cooking recipes with this delicious Lemon Tea Cake Recipe.
Lemon Tea Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 sticks of butter, softened
- 1 cup of oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons of lemon extract
- 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- sifted confectioner’s sugar for dusting the tops
Begin the tea cake cookie dough by creaming together the sugar, butter, oil, eggs, and lemon extract in a large bowl. Allowing the eggs and butter come to room temperature will insure the mixture comes together smoothly.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and confectioner’s sugar together in another large bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until thoroughly combined.
Use a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop to drop portions of the tea cake cookie dough onto a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. The cookies themselves will not turn golden. Pay close attention for light brown bottoms peeking out from underneath the cookies.
Sprinkle generously with confectioner’s sugar while the cookies are still warm.
Tootsie talked her brothers into helping her decorate the last batch of tea cakes with pink sugar sprinkles. According to her pink-a-licious self the cookies were “just too plain”.
Whether coated with powdered sugar or pink sprinkles, this Southern cookie recipe is a delicate treat.
The lemon flavor adds a brightness to the cookie. Just like when I was a little girl, these tea cakes would be perfect for a bridal or baby shower.
Buttermilk Biscuits {School of Southern Cooking}
Fried Green Tomatoes {School of Southern Cooking}
We all grew up with traditional sweet treats. Have you ever had a tea cake cookie? What is named something else in your hometown? What was your favorite cookie growing up?
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They give me huge motivation to keep creating and having fun with my 3 Little Greenwoods!
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Oh wow! These bring back so many memories. I love tea cakes. I’ve never had lemon tea cakes. I bet these are delicious
Oh my goodness! Just reading this made my mouth water! You can cook for any of my parties in the future 😉
Aww, you are too sweet! Thank you, Cassie!
I love anything lemon and these lemon tea cakes look so good. I am pinning for later 🙂
Thank you SO much for the pin!
These look amazing. Now I want to eat a cookie. lol. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
These little cookies are pretty awesome! Wishing I had one now too… 🙂
These cookies look delicious! What a great treat to make for a nice little friends gathering. Adding it to my planning book. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so flattered that you are adding the lemon tea cakes recipe to your planner. Thank you!
I just saw your pin of this and had to come check it out. These are definitely a southern specialty! I haven’t had these in years, though. Pinned to remind myself to make them.
I’m a sucker for ANYTHING lemon and these really are one of those perfect, constant southern treats 🙂
Would it be wrong to make a meal of just the biscuits and cookies? They both look delicious. I’m adding ingredients to the shopping list this weekend.
Those lemon tea cakes are making my mouth water!! Thanks for linking up!
These look really yummy, and I love lemon flavored desserts.
These recipe for Lemon Tea Cakes really are wonderful. I hope you have the chance to make them for yourself!
OMG! WOW! I so totally LOVE these cookies and brought back memories. I haven’t eaten this in YEARS!!! lol.. Thanks for sharing because this could now be a good little kitche project for both myself and my two little ones (ages 7 and 4).
My children are always helping me in the kitchen too! Especially after all the cookies are baked! 😉
These look so yummy! I’ve never tried lemon tea cakes, but I love just about everything lemon flavored.
If you love lemon then you must make these Lemon Tea Cakes! Thanks so much for the comment love!
My grandmother’s housekeeper, Annie, made the best teacakes in the world. 🙂 I recreated her recipe a few years ago. This is the one cookie that takes me back to my childhood in GA and all those sweet memories of being at grandma’s house and having teacakes. I love lemon so I can imagine that your lemon teacakes are amazing. Thanks for the memories.
There is no doubt your recipe is scrumptious! Tea cakes are simply the very best cookie and your lemon recipe sounds fabulous! I’ve probably eaten quite a few tea cakes at parties, showers and celebrations through the years!
I have that set of green bowls that your buttermilk biscuits are in! There were a gift about 36 years ago!
I love lemon sweet eats! These tea cakes take me back to my childhood. I would definitely love to try them. Pinning. 🙂
Thank you SO much for the pin!
Oh, yum! I’ve had these bites of goodness a time or two! Thanks for sharing. Visiting via Amaze Me Monday!
These crispy little tea cakes are so yummy! So happy to have you hop over to check out the recipe!
I love tea cakes. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ve never made them, but I think they are so good.
These are so pretty! Almost too pretty to eat…almost. Thank you for sharing with us at Merry Monday!
Oh these look so good! I love lemon. So very true about the south and showers. They will use any excuse to have one even if it is your second or third child.
My southern must be showing because all three of those things, lemon cookies, biscuits, and fried green tomatoes, are my favorite!! These look delicious! Thanks for sharing on Something To Talk About link party!!
I think we should make all three recipes and have a big ole Southern recipe taste testing party! 😉
I love these! I’m planning a tea themed bridal shower and may need to add these to our dessert list!
These look delicious- I love cookies that keep it simple and aren’t overwhelming in their sweetness. Thanks for sharing!
I stopped by from Tuesdays in Our Home.
These lemon tea cakes are so yummy! Thanks for hosting your fun party!
These look yummy and so proper!! Thanks for posting this recipe!!
Well… if you had seen my children gobble them up you would not think they were proper at all. 😉 They loved this crispy little cookies!
Wow! These look soooo good! I’ve pinned to give them a try.
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
Thanks so much, Cindy!
These look delicious! I’m planning to make them for a tea party. How many cookies would you say your recipe makes? Just wanting to plan out how much I need of the ingredients. Thanks!