Friday Recipes: Tea Breads

Today I am going to share with you a variety of tea bread recipes. 

Some of these recipes date back to the early 1900's. I hope you enjoy them, and even more so, I hope you'll stop by and comment if you decide to make any of them. Let us know how you liked them!

You can always find plenty of recipes on Old Fashioned Living by using our search box.

Chocolate Tea Bread

1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar and egg in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended; stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased 8-1/2x4-1/2x2-1/2 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Thinly slice and serve on platter with tea.


Lemony Tea Bread

3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel or lemon balm
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons shredded lemon peel
2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a small sauce pan, heat milk, lemon balm or peel, and thyme until just warm. Remove from heat; cool. Stir together flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fluffy. Alternately add the herbed milk and the flour to batter, beating on low speed until just combined. Fold in lemon peel. Turn into greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 45-50 minutes or until golden. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and just enough lemon juice to make a drizzle. Spoon over bread. Slice and serve on a pretty paper doily lined plate.


Mini Lemon Tea Breads

2 large lemons
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) margarine or butter
3 large eggs
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease ten 4"x2 1/4" loaf pans. From lemons, grate the peel and squeeze 1/4 cup lemon juice. In large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With pastry blender or two knives butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon peel. In bowl beat eggs, milk and lemon juice; stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Spoon evenly into pans; top with remaining lemon peel. Place loaf pans on a baking pan for easier handling. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on racks.

Notes: You can use one 9"x 5" loaf pan and bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.


Norwegian Tea Bread

1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
splash vanilla extract
6 oz. chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350. Combine the sugar, butter and eggs together in a bowl. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl, and slowly add to the butter mixture. Batter will be stiff. After mixed, add the vanilla and chocolate chips. Stir well. Use ungreased cookie sheet and make 3 rows of butter logs. Place in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Cut while still warm on the cookie sheet...at an angle. Serve.


Peach Tea Bread

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh peaches
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 5 loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In medium size bowl, combine peaches and lemon juice. In another bowl, combine oil, milk, eggs and vanilla. Add oil mixture to flour mixture and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overbeat. Fold in peaches and nuts. Spoon into greased pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until top is golden brown and center springs back when lightly touched, or test for doneness with a toothpick. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm.


Lemon Tea Bread

1/2 c. butter 1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
grated rind of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Add the lemon rind. Bake in a greased and floured 9" x 5" loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, mix juice and sugar in a small pan. Heat slightly. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, slowly spoon over topping until all is absorbed. Cool in pan.


Lavender Tea Bread

3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers, finely chopped, or 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped flowers
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs

Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat milk with lavender almost to a boil, then steep until cool. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in bowl. In another bowl cream butter and gradually add sugar, then eggs, one at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with lavender milk, in three parts. Mix until batter is just blended, do not overbeat. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, drizzle with a simple sugar glaze or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with sprigs of fresh lavender.


Sage Tea Bread

1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan, heat milk and sage just until warm. Set aside to cool. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture. Pour into a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.


If you enjoyed these, please check out our entire Tea Time section on Old Fashioned Living for more recipes, tea party ideas and more.