THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’

BERRY TEA CAKES. – Nice little cakes, to be baked in muffin rings, are made of one cup of sugar, two eggs, one and a half cups of milk, one heaping teaspoonful of KARN’S BAKING POWDER, a piece of butter the size of an egg, and flour sufficient to make a stiff batter.  In this batter stir a pint bowl of fruit – any fresh are nice – or canned berries with the juice poured off.  Serve while warm and they are a dainty addition to the tea table.

~Karn, W. A. The Art of Cooking Made Easy. Woodstock, 1903.

THE UPDATED RECIPE

• ¼ c. butter
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ c. milk
• 5 c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 c. berries (elderberries, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or cherries)
• optional: 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips.

Clean and wash the berries.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Grease muffin tins with butter.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and salt.

Beat each egg lightly with a fork, and add them, one at a time, to the creamed mixture;  beat in thoroughly after each addition.

Sift together the flour and baking powder.

Gradually add the milk and then the flour, alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with milk;  beat thoroughly after each addition.

Gently fold in the berries, until they are evenly distributed.

Spoon the batter into buttered muffin tins, filling them about ⅞ full.

Bake at 400F for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are delicately browned.

Yield: 3 dozen small tea cakes.

These are at their best when served warm from the oven, with butter;  they’re delightful for afternoon tea.

The recipe may easily be halved.

A note from Patricia: The original recipe that my aunt had tested indicated to use elderberries, but since I wasn’t quite sure where to procure elderberries this time of year, I decided to go the festive route and use frozen cranberries. Aaaaand I thought it would make these extra special if I added chunks of dark chocolate as I love that particular combination. I wasn’t quite sure what these were supposed to look like….. they get baked in muffin tins, but the batter was quite thick, and not exactly pourable like a muffin batter would be, so I piled the batter into the tin liners and hoped for the best. These were more dense than a muffin, (maybe more like a pound cake), and I absolutely loved them. Chocolate and cranberries are fantastic together, and topped with butter, they were a real treat. I substituted 1:1 gluten-free flour with good success, and will definitely be making these again – maybe as a Christmas morning treat.

Tea Table Tips: It is well to be concerned about one’s tea-table, for a woman can be judged by the tea she serves.

~Government House Cook Book. Ottawa, Canada: L.E. Plummer, 1915. (p. 17)

Afternoon Tea: The serving of tea is a daily ceremony in most households, yet it is seldom that one receives a cup of tea the proper strength served at the right temperature.

~Government House Cook Book. Ottawa, Canada: L.E. Plummer, 1915. (p. 13)