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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Easy Cinnamon Tea Cake

    Published: Oct 2, 2022 by Sally · 16 Comments

    Jump To Recipe

    This wonderfully soft, buttery cinnamon tea cake comes together in just one bowl and is such an easy, never fail treat perfect for morning tea. This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients, and will be ready to eat in just 30 minutes!

    This recipe was originally published in March 2020 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful content. The recipe remains the same!

    One of the things that was always a consideration when I was baking as a kid growing up in a rural area was the fact that I couldn’t just pop down the street to pick up new ingredients. My baking decisions were always determined by what mum already had in her pantry.

    This is the recipe I would make over and over again as it’s the one that we seemed to always have the ingredients for. It’s simple and delicious, with warming and cosy, buttery cinnamon sugar on top and a soft and tender cake.

    This cake is so simple but tastes exactly like a cinnamon doughnut in cake form!

    This cake made a resurgence in my kitchen during what we will now refer to as ‘the pandemic years’ as it was the perfect cake to bake when rationing ingredients became a reality.

    I love this cake when I want a smaller bake or something that will freeze well, but in all honestly this cake is definitely at its best fresh from the oven while still warm.

    This is the classic cinnamon tea cake recipe that you’ll find handwritten in your grandmother’s recipe box but adapted to be made dairy free. But even without the dairy we still get that soft, buttery taste and texture that’s expected.

    This cake is pretty fool proof, but don’t let its simplicity let you think that it’s not a crowd pleaser. It is the perfect treat for morning or afternoon tea or really just anytime when you need cake.

    Key Ingredients

    This dairy free cinnamon tea cake is made with just a few pantry staples, most of which you might already have in your cupboard and fridge ready to go!

    • Dairy-free butter – this is a key ingredient in the cake itself as well as melted and brushed on top so it’s important to use a good quality brand that has that buttery taste. Nuttelex buttery is my go to for this!
    • Sugar – just regular white sugar.
    • Egg – for best results make sure it’s at room temperature.
    • Vanilla – for flavour.
    • Dairy-free milk – I like to use oat milk, but almond milk or soy milk would also work well. I wouldn’t recommend coconut milk in this recipe as the flavour will be too strong.
    • Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
    • Baking powder – help keep the cake soft and light.
    • Ground cinnamon – used both in the cake batter and also combined with some extra white sugar sprinkled on top.

    Step-By-Step Instructions

    I’m a bit pushy about this cake, but in all seriousness, it is probably the easiest recipe that I have on the blog and it’s one of my favourites. It all comes together in one bowl and an electric mixer makes easy work of it.

    You’ll need a springform pan for the best results here as it’s easier to add the topping to the warm cake then release the sides. I usually make this in a 9 inch or 23 cm round pan but smaller works as well, just adjust your cooking time as needed.

    To make the cake, start by creaming the dairy free butter and the sugar together in a large mixing bowl using your handheld electric mixer. Add in the egg and vanilla and continue to mix until everything is smooth and creamy.

    To your bowl, add in the milk and the dry ingredients and mix through until a thick and creamy batter forms.

    This cake is super forgiving, so don’t be precious about it, throw it all together and mix it up.

    Pour the batter into a greased and lined cake pan and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched.

    While the cake is still warm, brush the top generously with melted dairy free butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar. The best time to eat this is immediately while it is warm and buttery and smells incredible.

    If you like the sound of this cake but are looking for something a bit fancier, why not try this chai spiced tea cake which to me is just an evolution of this humble tea cake. Or if you’re looking for a vegan option, try my vegan coffee cake which is similar but just very extra with a cinnamon sugar filling and crumble topping.

    More easy cake recipes:

    One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake
    Marble Sheet Cake
    Blueberry Almond Crumb Cake (Gluten-Free)
    Mini Vegan Chocolate Cake

    Cinnamon Tea Cake

    This wonderfully soft, buttery cinnamon tea cake comes together in just one bowl and is such an easy, never fail treat perfect for morning tea. This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients, and will be ready to eat in just 30 minutes!
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Morning Tea
    Cuisine: Australian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 slices
    Author: Sally
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    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup (60 grams) dairy-free butter
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 egg room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ⅓ cup dairy-free milk
    • 1 cup plain flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Topping:

    • 1 tablespoon dairy-free butter melted
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a round 9 inch springform cake pan with oil spray and baking paper.
    • In a large mixing bowl, beat dairy-free butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until pale. Add egg and vanilla and continue to beat until creamy. Add in milk and slowly mix through until incorporated.
    • Sift together the plain flour, baking powder and cinnamon directly into the wet ingredients and then slowly beat on low speed until the batter is smooth and creamy.
    • Pour cake batter into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
    • Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. While the cake is still warm, brush with melted butter and then sprinkle over the cinnamon and sugar. Release from the pan and enjoy while the cake is warm.

    Notes

    Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 3 months.
    Dairy-Free Milk: I use oat milk as I find it is the best dairy-free substitute for regular milk, however almond or soy would work here perfectly fine. 
    I use Nuttelex to replace butter in most of my recipes as it is vegan and gives a ‘buttery’ flavour without being greasy. As this is an Australian product, the closest US alternative I believe is Earth Balance. Otherwise any dairy-free spread will work.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.

    Have you made this recipe?Leave a comment and a rating below and tag your creations with #eightforestlane on Instagram!
    Not fom Australia? Check out my US Conversion Guide

    More Cake Recipes

    • Classic Lamingtons
    • Easy Gingerbread Snack Cake
    • Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake
    • Vegan Coconut Cake

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Aida

      September 10, 2022 at 10:26 am

      Can i substitute the plain flour with gluten free flour? Has anyone tried this?

      Reply
      • Sally

        September 14, 2022 at 9:48 am

        Hi Aida, I haven’t done it myself but if you are using a 1-1 gluten free flour blend then it should work fine. Let me know how you go!

    2. Jacqui

      May 21, 2022 at 2:41 pm

      What an easy tasty recipe. This is a very forgiving recipe too! I made it egg-free using egg replacer and used soy milk. I put it in the oven and forgot about it – oops! I probably cooked it double the time. It still came out great.

      Reply
      • Sally

        May 23, 2022 at 6:52 am

        Oops, we all have done this before Jacqui! So glad it still tasted great!

    3. Gavin

      April 01, 2020 at 8:04 am

      Oooohh this looks so good. Defo one I’ll make at the weekend. Especially now there are MANY cups of tea being consumed being stuck indoors

      Reply
      • Sally

        April 06, 2020 at 7:16 pm

        Just perfect for this!

    4. Robyn

      March 30, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      This looks like such a delicious comforting tea time treat! I can imagine the kitchen smells amazing when this has just come out of then oven!

      Reply
      • Sally

        March 31, 2020 at 7:01 am

        The smells alone are worth it Robyn!

    5. Andrea

      March 30, 2020 at 2:30 pm

      You always make the prettiest recipes, and this one is no exception. I love the flavours in this cake and the fact that it is so simple to make! I want a big slice right now.

      Reply
      • Sally

        March 30, 2020 at 2:40 pm

        Oh thank you Andrea! It really is so simple but just delicious.

      • Erin

        June 05, 2022 at 12:29 pm

        This recipe didn’t turn out tasting well at all, I had to throw it all out as it was bitter, perhaps from so much baking powder?

      • Sally

        June 06, 2022 at 4:26 pm

        Hi Erin. So sorry you had this experience with this recipe. The baking powder shouldn’t have caused the cake to taste bitter – is there a chance you may have used baking soda instead as this would explain the bitter taste?

    6. Jaimie

      March 30, 2020 at 1:56 pm

      What a gorgeous, simple dessert… I can’t wait to try this. Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sally

        March 30, 2020 at 2:39 pm

        Thanks so much Jaimie!

    7. Sylvie

      March 30, 2020 at 10:38 am

      What a delicious looking treat, love that crunchy cinnamony topping! Definitely a great companion to my afternoon tea 😉

      Reply
      • Sally

        March 30, 2020 at 2:39 pm

        This makes me excited for afternoon tea!

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