Before I say anything about the Cream tea recipe, you must know it is completely different from afternoon tea. The afternoon tea usually consists of pastries, finger sandwiches, and cakes.
But the cream tea is a different story; The cream tea will consist of scones, jams, cream, and a delicious cup of tea.
According to popular opinions, adding cream and jam dates back to the 11th C in Devon at Tavistock Abbey.
But what is cream tea anyway? My first thought was that it was only a tea with added cream. If it were to be even odder, it could be a ceremony.
But, to my surprise, it turned out to be a serving of tea accompanied by scones with clotted cream. So, without any delay, let’s make some cream tea with the recipe that I will share here–
Read the article to know about 20 famous British food recipe.
Cream Tea, A History

The origin of cream tea is rather a disputed story. But, the story we know and have for you took its root in Tavistock Abbey in the 11th century. In 997 AD, the Abbey was under attack by the Vikings. When the reconstructions were being carried out, the monks served the workers with scones topped with strawberry jam and clotted cream.
Over time, this food became very popular as the monks started to serve this delicacy to travellers making their way to Cornwall. As time moved forward, we adored the same recipe that we know today, like cream tea.
But cream tea made its way to the West Country after the railway construction and tourism boom during the 1850s.
But, after the division between Cornish and Devonshire, the ways of topping the cream tea started a dispute. The Cornish way was to spread the strawberry jam on top of the scones first, then top it up with clotted cream. On the other hand, the Devonshire way was to put the strawberry jam on top of the scones first, then top it up with the clotted cream.
Read about things to do in Cornwall – Check it Out!
This may concern you regarding which one brings out the best taste. But why not try out both? You can do one in the Cornish way and another using the Devonshire way.
Ingredients For Cream Tea Recipe

Making cream tea is not that hard. But you need to gather a few ingredients that I mentioned below–
- Self-rising flour, 1/3 cups (14 1/2 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- Seven tablespoons of unsalted butter. You should cut them into small cubes.
- 2/3 cup of superfine sugar
- One full cup of buttermilk
- Two teaspoons of vanilla
- One beaten egg
- Two tablespoons of milk
- Clotted cream for topping
- Strawberry jam, for serving
Read more about Best experiences in London – London guide
Cream Tea Recipe: A Step By Step Guide

So, are you done gathering the ingredients needed? If you are, then follow these simple steps to have a taste of the best cream tea ever–
- First, you need to preheat the oven to 425F. Ready a baking sheet with parchment paper. Now, you have to mix the flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a mixing butter. Now you have to use your fingertips to rub the mixture until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Now use a separate mixing bowl to whisk vanilla and buttermilk. Now you need to pour the liquid mixture into the butter mixture gradually. Be careful not to overmix it.
- Now, you have to put the mixture on a clean, floured work surface. You need to make the dough into a circle shape using dough cutters of a circle shape. Now you need to place all of these doughs on the paper baking sheet. Keep doing the process until you finish making all the dough.
- Now, you can use the remaining mix of eggs and milk; you can brush the surface of the dough using this mixture.
- Once you are done with the previous phases, you can start with the baking process. Now, you need to bake the dough for around 15 minutes until they turn golden brown. When the baking is over, you can remove the dough from the baking sheet and place it on a rack to cool off the heat.
- Now, your cream tea is ready; you can serve it with clotted cream and jams and, obviously, the afternoon tea.
Wasn’t the cream tea recipe super easy? What do you think?
You may also like to read about top 10 best Asian restaurant in UK
Frequently Asked Question
So, I think you can make a delicious cream tea out of the recipe that I just shared. However, here are some additional questions and answers to satisfy your curiosity-
Unlike the afternoon tea, a cream tea consists of scones served with clotted cream and jams. This is a delicious snack, and having the scones topped with clotted cream gives a sweet and happy feeling. These are enough reasons for calling this recipe a cream tea recipe.
Cream tea is a small meal /snack you can eat in the afternoon. It is usually coupled with scones that are topped with clotted cream and strawberry jam.
The cream tea has some more names; Devon cream tea, Devonshire tea, and Cornish cream tea are some other names cream tea is known. It is a type of afternoon snack. Usually, afternoon tea consists of cakes and finger sandwiches. But cream tea is coupled with scones topped with clotted cream and jams.
The End
The cream tea recipe is super simple; all you need is to make the scones and top them with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Even if you are not making it, learning about it will still keep you from being confused when your friend invites you for a cream tea.
The ingredients and the steps of making cream tea are super simple if you follow through with this article. In case there are any further questions, please contact us through the comment.