Irish Tea Cake Raisins (Printable)

Light and tender cake with juicy raisins, ideal for a comforting treat anytime.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/2 cup whole milk
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

09 - 1 cup raisins
10 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

→ For Serving

11 - Powdered sugar for dusting

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon zest if using.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, alternating with milk. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
06 - Gently fold raisins into batter until evenly distributed.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula.
08 - Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
09 - Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust cooled cake generously with powdered sugar before serving.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly light yet substantial enough to feel satisfying
  • It comes together quickly with ingredients you probably already have
  • The raisins plump up beautifully creating little pockets of sweetness throughout
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients make a huge difference in how well the batter comes together
  • Overmixing once the flour is added will make the cake tough instead of tender
  • The toothpick test is the only way to know for sure that your cake is done
03 -
  • Grate the lemon zest directly into the sugar before creaming to distribute the oils evenly
  • Bring your eggs to room temperature in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes if you forgot to take them out

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