Gum Leaf Tea Cake

Some cakes exist mostly to set up what comes next. This is one of them: a plain, golden Australian tea cake, baked in a round tin the way home cooks have made it for decades, sliced thick and eaten warm alongside something hot to drink. The native twist sits quietly underneath, not on top of it.

Peppermint Gum runs through the batter itself, closer to a fresh garden mint than anything medicinal, gentle rather than sharp. Strawberry Gum joins the topping with a soft, berry-like sweetness that sits well against warm cinnamon. Both are available from specialty native food suppliers rather than the regular baking aisle, and only a small amount of each is needed to notice them.

What to serve it with

A tea cake like this was built for the middle of the afternoon, not the end of dinner. Cut it thick while the topping is still soft and pour something warm alongside it. A pot of Kunzea Relief Tea is the easy match, a native herbal blend that keeps the same unhurried, native-leaf feel as the cake itself, without pulling focus from it. Set the pot down, let it steep while the cake finishes its ten-minute rest, and both are ready at the same time.

At a glance: Serves 10-12 | Prep 20 min | Cook 45 min

Ingredients

For the tea cake

• 160g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
• ¾ cup (185ml) milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons Peppermint Gum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour
• 3 tablespoons (30g) custard powder

For the gum leaf sugar topping

• 1½ tablespoons (26g) caster sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons Strawberry Gum
• 2½ tablespoons (35-40g) unsalted butter, melted, to finish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional). Grease a 25cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. A 20cm square tin works just as well.
2. Stir the topping sugar, cinnamon and Strawberry Gum together in a small bowl and set aside while you make the cake, so the sugar has time to take on the spice. Keep the topping butter separate for later.
3. Beat the softened butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until pale and creamy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Mix in the vanilla and Peppermint Gum. The batter will take on a faint green tone as it mixes through, a sign the leaf is doing its job.
6. Pour in the milk and mix until just combined.
7. Sift in the custard powder and self-raising flour, then fold through until the batter is smooth with no dry pockets left.
8. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is lightly golden, the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre, and a skewer comes out clean.
9. Rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
10. While the cake is still warm, brush the topping butter generously over the top, then scatter the infused cinnamon sugar evenly across the surface, pressing lightly so it holds.

Two old tricks worth keeping

Custard powder in the batter is not a mistake or a stand-in for anything. It is an old trick from home bakers after a softer, more golden crumb, one that stays moist for days rather than drying out by the second afternoon. It does the same quiet work here that it has done in Australian tea cakes for generations, and it is the reason this one is worth baking a day ahead rather than rushing it out fresh.

Timing matters more than most bakers expect. The butter-and-sugar finish only works while the cake is properly warm, straight off its ten-minute rest in the tin. Leave it until fully cool and the butter sits on the surface instead of soaking in, and the sugar will not hold the way it should.

Tips and swaps

• Prefer a single flavour? Swap the Strawberry Gum in the topping for a little extra Peppermint Gum, or use Lemon Myrtle instead for a brighter, citrus finish.
• No stand mixer on hand? A hand beater and a full-sized bowl will get you the same result, just allow an extra minute or two of beating time.
• A day-old slice comes back to life in about 15 seconds in the microwave.
• Best eaten slightly warm, with the tea already poured before the first slice is cut.
• Baking for a crowd? The recipe doubles cleanly into two tins, useful if this is going on a table alongside other afternoon tea bakes.

Keeping it fresh

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Individual slices also freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, or give a frozen slice a little longer in the microwave than a fresh one needs.

If you are putting together a native afternoon tea spread, our Native Kunzea Yoyos make a good second plate alongside this cake, another Aussie classic finished with a gentle native twist.

Shop the recipe

• Kunzea Relief Tea - the pot to keep warm beside a slice of this cake while the topping is still soft.