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May 79 min read

5 Classic British Tea Time Recipes

Updated: Aug 20

Spend your afternoon enjoying a slice of British history and drizzle of royal indulgence with these delicious British tea time classic recipes.


As a British-American living in Northern California, there’s nothing more delightful than to take a mid-morning cup of tea into the garden and enjoy a serving of one of the following classic tea time recipes while watching birds, squirrels and insects go about their business.  Elevenses, we call such mid-morning refreshment.  And most of the year is made of perfect elevenses days in the garden here in California. Of course, being British, one can’t help but be focused on the weather, checking it daily—numerous times daily, in fact—especially when one is aware that loved ones are drudging through the drizzle over there in Jolly ol’ England. So, being appreciative of sunshine as I know nearly all Brits are, and tea time… and tea time treats, I can’t help but sip in honour of family, friends and sunshine.  And I encourage you to do the same!


Indulge in your own elevenses or afternoon tea with these properly British tea time recipes. And when there are a handful of friends to join you, create a lovely stunning centrepiece with one of these traditional favourites by adding colourful edible flowers from the garden.  (Be sure they’re safe to eat!)


tea cups and saucers afternoon tea setting

Scones with Clotted Cream and Jam

  • History: Scones trace their origins back to Scotland in the early 16th century, where they were first made using oats. Over time, the recipe evolved to include flour, butter, and baking powder. The tradition of serving scones with clotted cream and jam became popular in the 19th century during the Victorian era, particularly in Devon and Cornwall.

  • Royal Connection: Queen Victoria is said to have enjoyed scones with clotted cream and jam during her afternoon tea gatherings, contributing to their widespread popularity.

  • Trivia: In Devon, it's customary to spread clotted cream first and then top it with jam, while in Cornwall, it's the opposite!

  • More Trivia:  Throughout the UK, estates open to the public usually include a tea shop, not far from the gift shop.  These lovely little dens of kettles, teabags and sugar lumps are not complete without their baked accompaniments: the five treats on this list, tea cakes and the like.


Scones with Clotted Cream and Jam RECIPE

Ingredients:


INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 425F/220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the salt, baking powder and flour in a large mixing bowl.

STEP 2

Rub in the butter with your fingers to a fine crumb texture. Stir caster/baker's sugar into the mix.

STEP 3

Warm the milk on the hob or in the microwave, just until warm to the touch. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice to the milk and set aside momentarily.

STEP 4

Put a baking tray for the scones in the preheated oven.

STEP 5

Create a well in the flour mixture, add the warm milk ingredients, and quickly combine the two with a knife to maintain a light, fluffy dough. It will seem wet and sticky to start.

STEP 6

Dust a work surface with flour and tip out the dough. Dust your hands and the top of the dough, and fold the dough 2 or 3 times until it becomes less sticky and more smooth. Create a dough mound approximately 4cm or 1 1/2 inches. Dip a cookie cutter or the rim of a suitable glass into the flour and then into the dough, cutting four scones into shape. Repeat, consolidating the dough to form another 4cm deep layer for four more scones.

STEP 7

Brush the scone tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the heated baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes until the scones have risen and are golden on top.

STEP 8

Enjoy either warm or cold on the day of baking. Split the scones in half and dollop with jam and clotted cream. If you can't find clotted cream, stiffly whipped heavy cream works well, and served with jam, the cream really needs no sweetening. Should you prefer to freeze some of the scones, pop them in airtight containers/bags once cool. Once defrosted for serving again, simply pop them in the oven on a low temperature for a few minutes to warm and refresh them.


Traditional English Scone Recipe PDF
Traditional English Scone Recipe

English Cucumber Sandwiches

  • History: Cucumber sandwiches became fashionable in the late 19th century as part of the Victorian tea culture. They were considered a light and refreshing addition to the tea table, featuring thinly sliced cucumbers on crustless white bread.

  • Royal Connection: Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Queen Mary, is known to have favoured cucumber sandwiches during her tea parties, adding to their aristocratic appeal.

  • Trivia: The thinness of the cucumber slices and the removal of crusts were believed to signify refinement and gentility.

  • More Trivia: Though not a baked good, currently in British culture, the humble Cucumber Sandwich has been elevated to include such exotic ingredients as mayonnaise, cream cheese, dill, and labneh (a thick and tangy yogurt cheese).


Traditional English Cucumber Sandwich RECIPE

Ingredients to serve 4:

  • 8 slices of good quality, soft, white sliced bread

  • Unsalted butter to spread, softened

  • 1 Peeled, thinly sliced cucumber

  • 10 Fresh Mint leaves, chopped

  • White pepper to lightly season

  • Salt to season


INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

Rinse the cucumber slices in a colander, then lightly salt. Put aside for 20 minutes. (Taste later to see if over-salted and rinse to the desired saltiness if necessary.)

STEP 2

Lay out the cucumber on a paper towel and pat dry.

STEP 3

Generously butter each slice of bread.

STEP 4

Lay the cucumber on one slice of the bread, lightly season with pepper, then add a second layer of cucumber onto the first layer. Here, you can sprinkle the layers lightly with the chopped mint.

STEP 5

Press the two slices of bread together well and cut off the crusts (don't be afraid to smoosh them as this helped them to hold neatly together when arranged on a plate). To serve, cut into four fingers.


You can make your sandwiches with alternatives to butter, using cream cheese, marmite, relish and such. However, the classic recipe for British cucumber sandwiches is as above.


Traditional English Cucumber Sandwich Recipe
Traditional English Cucumber Sandwich Recipe


Authentic English Victoria Sponge Cake

  • History: Named in honor of Queen Victoria, this sponge cake recipe dates back to the 19th century. It consists of two layers of light sponge cake sandwiched together with raspberry jam and whipped cream, and dusted with powdered sugar on top.

  • Royal Connection: Queen Victoria is known to have enjoyed Victoria sponge cake with her tea, and it became a staple in British tea time traditions.

  • Trivia: The classic debate over whether to put jam or cream first on the cake has sparked friendly arguments among tea enthusiasts for generations.

  • More Trivia: Victoria Sponges can be scaled down to cupcake size or scaled up to the size of this particularly large recipe.  And either size can be arranged beautifully to create a stunning tea time setting for guests.



Traditional Victoria Sponge RECIPE

Ingredients to serve 4:

  • 440g (2 cups) butter, soft

  • 440g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) caster sugar (or baker's sugar in the US)

  • 440g (3 1/2 cups) self-raising flour

  • 8 eggs

  • 10-12 oz good raspberry jam

  • 12-15 oz stiff-whipped double cream (or stiff-whipped heavy cream in the US)

  • 1 heaped tablespoon of powdered sugar (for dusting)


INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

Grease and flour two sponge tins.

STEP 2

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

STEP 3

Add eggs slowly with a bit of flour, then fold in the rest of the flour.

STEP 4

Pour into tins and smooth over as a bit stiff.

STEP 5

Bake at 350F/180C for 20-30 minutes until toothpick or knife comes clean from a centre pierce.

STEP 6

Once cool, cut the rounded top off the base layer. Layer the base generously with jam and cream, then top with the second cake layer. Dust with powdered sugar.


Traditional English Victoria Sponge Recipe
Victoria Sponge Recipe

Scottish Shortbread

  • History: Shortbread has Scottish origins, dating back to medieval times. Originally made with leftover bread dough, it has evolved into a rich and buttery treat consisting of flour, butter, and sugar. These three ingredients are all that you need for the traditional recipe.

  • Royal Connection: Mary, Queen of Scots, is said to have been particularly fond of shortbread, popularising it among the Scottish nobility.

  • Trivia: The traditional Scottish term for shortbread, "butteries," reflects its rich buttery flavour. And of course, the traditional Scottish Shortbread recipe only consists of three ingredients: butter, sugar and flour.

  • More Trivia:  Add other ingredients and it’s not Scottish Shortbread anymore.  It’s just… shortbread.


Traditional Scottish Shortbread RECIPE

Ingredients to serve 4:

  • 340 g (2 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour

  • 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

  • 227 g salted butter, softened (2 sticks/1 cup), or add a pinch of salt to unsalted butter

  • 1 tbsp sugar to sprinkle on top


INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

Heat oven to 375º F (190 ºC). Mix the butter and sugar, however, DO NOT CREAM them together. The butter should be at room temperature, without being too cold and therefore stiff, or too warm, and lose its shape. The sugar and butter should be well blended, but not a creamed paste.

STEP 2

Add the flour and mix to a stiff consistency. Don't overwork the dough. A sign to stop is when it begins to come together.

STEP 3

Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 2cm (3/4in) into a rough shape of your baking tin. You can use tins that are rounded (and cut triangle pie-slice shapes), rectangular (and cut squares or fingers), or decorative moulds and bread tins. Trim the edges to fit into the approximate-sized pan of your choosing.

STEP 4

Place the dough in your tin. Cut into traditional shortbread fingers (or triangles/squares) with a knife/rigid spatula/ bench scraper. Prick the shortbread with a fork, about halfway through.

STEP 5

Place tins in a preheated oven for 15 to 30 minutes (increasing time for larger pans) or until the dough becomes slightly brown around the edges. Your shortbread should not be dark brown anywhere and instead, be pale in colour. Sprinkle with sugar once removed from the oven and let cool inside the baking tin before removing the fingers to rest on a cooling rack as they will crumble apart until the heat fully dissipates.


Traditional Scottish Shortbread Recipe
Traditional Scottish Shortbread Recipe




Lemon Drizzle Cake

History: Lemon drizzle cake gained popularity in the mid-20th century as a simple yet flavourful cake infused with lemon zest and topped with a tangy lemon glaze. It became a favourite in British households and tea rooms.

Royal Connection: While not specifically associated with royalty, lemon drizzle cake has become a beloved teatime treat enjoyed by many, including members of the royal family.

Trivia: The tangy lemon glaze on top of the cake not only adds flavour but also keeps the cake moist and fresh for longer.

Top Tip: Double the recipe.  You won’t be disappointed.


English Tea Time Traditional Lemon Drizzle RECIPE

Ingredients to serve 4:

For the drizzle topping:


INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 350F/180C/160C fan/gas 4

STEP 2

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and light.

STEP 3

Add eggs one at a time and mix slowly between each addition.

STEP 4

Sift in the flour and gently fold the mixture together until well combined.

STEP 5

Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.

STEP 6

Bake at 350F/180C for 45-50 minutes until toothpick or knife comes clean from a centre pierce.

STEP 7

Make the drizzle by mixing the sugar and lemon juice while the cake is cooling in its tin. Prick the cake all over on the top with a fork, allowing the juice to seep into the cake through the holes. The sugar will then create a lovely crisp top. You can top it with a decorative bit of lemon and edible flowers for a beautiful presentation.


Traditional Lemon Drizzle Recipe
Traditional Lemon Drizzle Recipe


Enjoy other amazing foodie delights at the uniquely British institution, The National Trust. The National Trust is a charity organisation founded in 1895 to preserve and protect historic buildings and land in the interest of the nation. It is now a membership organisation providing entry to some of the UK's most beautiful estates. Not to mention, the Trust has a reputation for sympathetically refurbishing outbuildings on their estates into delightful tearooms and gift shops for the weary wander.


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