by: Alyssa Venable, GRuB Growing Home Collective Advisory Group member

Tea cakes are a cherished part of Black food history in the American South. Originally created by enslaved African Americans using simple ingredients they had access to, tea cakes became symbols of creativity, resilience, and community. Recipes were passed down through generations and shared at family gatherings, church events, holidays, and later Juneteenth celebrations.

As Black families moved throughout the country during the Great Migration, tea cakes traveled with them, becoming a lasting connection to home and tradition. Every family had their own version: they could be soft or crisp, and perhaps flavored with vanilla, nutmeg, or citrus.

At Growing Home Collective (GHC) tea cakes are one way we honor Black food traditions while adapting recipes to support our community today. We enjoy them especially during the spring and summertime with jam – the standout being Andrew’s pineapple ginger! We’ve shared them during our Juneteenth celebrations and at the Read in the Park event at Rebecca Howard Park last July.

The GHC version is gluten-free and dairy-free so all of our members can enjoy them together – one of our values is evolving traditional Black foods to be more accessible and nourishing while continuing to learn the history behind these recipes and carry those traditions forward in community.

Please be liberated this Juneteenth to create your own spin on these versatile, nostalgic goodies.

13 ⅓ cups GF all-purpose flour
13 ⅓ teaspoons (4 tablespoons + 1 ⅓ tsp) baking powder
1 ⅔ cups unsalted vegan butter, softened
3 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
3 ⅓ cups light brown sugar
⅚ teaspoon salt (or round to 1 tsp)
⅚ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or round to 1 tsp)
3 ⅓ teaspoons (1 tablespoon + ⅓ tsp) lemon zest
3 ⅓ eggs (use 3 large eggs + a bit more beaten egg or round to 4 eggs)
DF sour cream
DF butter spread
half df plain yogurt and half df milk (replaces traditional evaporated milk)
1 ⅔ tablespoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for about 2 minutes until creamy.
3. Add the egg, lemon zest, sour cream, yogurt/milk combo, and vanilla extract.
4. Mix until well blended to make the tea cake batter.
5. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg over a sheet of parchment paper large enough to fit your baking sheet.
6. Fold the parchment paper to pour the sifted flour mixture into the tea cake batter and then mix again.
7. Add the batter to a lightly floured surface and roll the dough to approx ¼ inch thickness. Utilize the extra cup of flour here to help with rolling because the dough is sticky.
8. Cut out the tea cakes with a 2 ½” up to 3″ biscuit cutter.
9. Place the rounds onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about one inch apart (do in batches if necessary)
10. Bake 5-6 minutes in the oven until just a light golden brown (they cook up quick so keep an eye on these)
11. Optionally, garnish with a sprinkle of lemon zest or serve with homemade jam