Whether it originated in Devonshire or Cornwall is hotly debated, but the quintessentially English custom of a ‘cream tea’ has proliferated through tea rooms and kitchens the world over! Cream tea is a bit like an afternoon snack break. After a day perusing the high street shops or rambling through the countryside, a creamy jammy scone and a hardy cuppa is just the thing to get you through ‘til dinner time. The basics of a cream tea are quite straightforward—scones, clotted cream, jam, and (of course) a pot of tea.

• Scones—whether rhymed with ‘stone’ or ‘gone’ (varies all over the British Isles), they’re the lightly sweet, crumbly, baked good that hovers near what many Americans think of as a biscuit. Everyone has a favorite scone recipe: some sweet; some savory; some with additions like sultanas or currants. We prefer a plain scone to let the cream and jam take their starring role.
• Clotted cream—called Cornish cream in Cornwall and Devonshire cream in Devon, this miraculous substance is rather like a cross between butter and whipped cream. It’s just a bit sweet, spreadable, and scrumptious. In a pinch, try stiffly whipped heavy cream, crème fraîche, or butter.
• Jam—usually of the berry variety and most commonly strawberry or raspberry. Fruit preserves or fresh berries can also make an appearance.
• Tea—anything from an oomphy black tea blend (with a splash of whole milk) to a delicate darjeeling (with a lemon slice) can accompany a cream tea. But we say go with your favorite brew!

‘Cream tea’ is often associated with ‘afternoon tea’ and ‘high tea.’ Sometimes confused with each other, they’re both late afternoon/early evening meals. ‘Afternoon tea’ is the polite, light repast involving tiered serving dishes filled with finger sandwiches and other delicious morsels (including a tier dedicated to the cream tea). Many Americans think of this as ‘high tea,’ because of the high-falutin’ visions of fancy hats, fine china, and raised pinkies. In the UK, ‘high tea’ has been traditionally thought of as the working family’s supper. It’s more substantial and served at the ‘high’ dining table with meat pies and other savory dishes. You might find a ‘cream tea’ on a tier in your afternoon tea, on the supper table with your high tea, or as a repast on its own. And a final note: if you hear your favorite British actor ask, “When’s tea?”—they most likely mean the meal!

As with any universally loved custom, there are many variations on the same theme—depending on personal preference, family tradition, region of practice, royal decree, etc. That the scone is split in half is generally (though not always) agreed upon, but whatever happens next can be contentiously discussed!

If the clotted cream is spread on the scone first, that’s the Devonshire method. If the jam is spread first, that’s the Cornish method (and reportedly preferred by Her Majesty). If fresh strawberries replace the jam, that’s a strawberry tea. Or if the jam is supplanted by honey or golden syrup, that’s called ‘thunder and lightning’—the clotted cream is the lightning and the honey is the thunder. (For an extra thunderous taste, some use dark treacle.) It’s most widely practiced to dress up each half of your scone (for double jam and cream goodness), but you could also put the two halves together, sandwich style.

Each method has its merits—and there’s a lot of scrummy fun to be had in puzzling them out!

With this recipe, we’ve blended all the components of a traditional cream tea into one tasty package—a cheeky little nod to that beloved homey ritual. Churchmouse-friend and Canadian-trained baker, Erika Bellah came up with this recipe for us one spring and it’s been baked again and again. Picnic- or ramble-ready, this scone’s got the cream and jam already in it!

With this recipe, we’ve blended all the components of a traditional cream tea into one tasty package—a cheeky little nod to that beloved homey ritual. Churchmouse-friend and Canadian-trained baker, Erika Bellah came up with this recipe for us one spring and it’s been baked again and again. Picnic- or ramble-ready, this scone’s got the cream and jam already in it!

Frequent adaptors as we are (think of how often we revisit a Churchmouse Classics pattern), we’ve tried a few variations of this recipe. For example, we’ve left off the jam and spread it on after baking. (We like to split the scone in two and put the jam on each half.) Sometimes we’ll even bake half the batch with jam on, half with jam off! We’ve also added clotted cream for a super sumptuous, doubly creamy treat. We’ve experimented with the size—smaller scones are perfect at-desk treats, picnic take-alongs, or companions to other ‘afternoon tea’ fare; larger scones are sit-down favorites and take extra jam and cream very well. Have fun and see what you like!

Whichever way you have your ‘cream tea’—the whole, delicious show, our tasty little condensed version, or even as just one of the ‘tiers’ in a full afternoon tea—we hope you enjoy it to the hilt. It’s just another way to set aside time to treat your friends. Or yourself.