This simple cake is one of my favorites year round. It's delightful with afternoon tea and wonderful as a dessert with a caramel whiskey sauce. My girls will even eat it for breakfast with fruit.
This is a dense cake, not a sponge, and has a mild flavor that allows it to pair with nearly anything.

There is never a wrong time to serve this cake.
Irish Tea Cake

This tea cake is perfect for an afternoon snack, an after dinner dessert or a brunch. We've even eaten it for breakfast with fresh fruit. It's just a great cake that is easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar (for dusting; optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time then stir in the vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk.
If the batter is too stiff, a tablespoon or two of milk may be added.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate.
Dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving.
Notes
Use a flour sifter to dust confectioners sugar evenly across the cake.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 227Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 188mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 3g