Recipes for an All Homemade Cream Tea

Recipes for an All Homemade Cream Tea

This is about the most British of things I can write!

The last Friday in June is National Cream Tea Day (26th). 

There are few traditions more comforting and quintessentially British than an English cream tea. Often enjoyed in the late afternoon, cream tea combines freshly baked scones with clotted cream, jam, and a pot of tea. It’s simple, elegant, and perfect for slow living moments at home or for entertaining guests with a touch of charm.

A traditional English Cream Tea, really is a taste of the summer.

What Is an English Cream Tea?

An English cream tea is not to be confused with afternoon tea, which is a more elaborate spread of sandwiches, cakes, and pastries. Cream tea is far simpler and centres around three essentials:

  • Freshly baked scones

  • Clotted cream (sometimes known as Devonshire cream)

  • Jam (preferably raspberry or strawberry)

  • Tea (loose-leaf or high-quality teabags)

It’s the simplicity that makes cream tea so delightful — a humble yet indulgent treat.

The History of Cream Tea

Cream tea originated in the southwest of England, particularly Devon and Cornwall, during the 11th century when monks at Tavistock Abbey served bread with clotted cream and jam. Over time, the humble pairing became a regional delicacy, with local variations leading to a friendly debate:

  • In Devon, cream goes on the scone first, followed by jam.

  • In Cornwall, jam is spread first, then topped with cream.

In the UK, it is a topic of hot debate; which is the 'right' way to eat your cream tea?

How to Make the Perfect Cream Tea

More and more I find myself wanting to embrace a simpler, sustainable life with a sustainable business true to those values.

Part of that is enjoying the simple pleasures of slow living by making things from scratch.

Making jam (jelly or conserve) from my own fruit - 2025 was a bumper year for soft fruit!

Baking my own scones, and the alchemy of turning double cream into Clotted Cream.

We'll start with the recipe for Clotted Cream as we will be using the slow cooker for this, so it requires a little more planning ahead.

Slow Cooker Clotted Cream Recipe

As it takes 6 to 8 hours to bake the cream and then a couple more to let it set, make your cream the day before.

If you make a batch of it and store it in a sealed pot in the fridge it will keep for a good week or so.

If you have to buy a pot of full-price cream to make this, to be honest, it’s better value to simply buy a pot of clotted cream instead (unless you can’t get any)… however, where’s the fun in that?

This recipe is ideal if you have a glut of cream, cream that’s about to go out of date or you can pick it up cheaply (or free).

When I made it, I’d picked up a ‘yellow label*’ pot of cream from a store.

*Yellow labels = the section in the store where they discount items that are about to go out of date, or you follow a store assistant with a label gun around the shop!

 

What you’ll need

Method

Clotted cream, also known as Devonshire Cream,  is usually made overnight at low temperature in the oven. Rather than leaving the oven on overnight, which I just wouldn’t be comfortable with, not to mention the massive waste of energy, I wondered if it would be possible to use a slow cooker instead? They are designed to be left on for many hours – much safer and more efficient than an oven!

As ever, when I have a recipe question, my first act is to look on Pinterest.

There are several recipes on there to make your own clotted cream, but this is based on my own experiment:

  • Pour the desired quantity of cream into a shallow, heatproof dish – Only make what you can eat and reasonably store!
  • Place the dish in your slow cooker
  • Set the cooker to the lowest temperature setting
  • Leave for 6 to 8 hours (or overnight)
  • The cream will bubble away, evaporating moisture and will separate into an oily surface and creamy curdles. It looks gross at this stage and the smell is rather sickly.
  • Turn off the heat and let the dish cool down.
  • Once cooled, either carefully pour the separated cream into a storage jar while it’s still warm and before it sets, or place the shallow ovenproof dish in the fridge with a lid on it, or a beeswax wrap covering.
  • Allow the cream to set for about 2 hours, and voila! Better than the stuff in the shops, it has a familiar buttery crust and a gooey cream underneath.

I made my first batch by pouring the cream directly into the slow cooker, however, the cream that was in contact with the hot surface caramelised and blackened around the edges. It still tasted fine, but didn’t look as good!

This is why I recommend putting a dish in your cooker so the cream is not in direct contact with the cooking surface and heats more evenly throughout.

 

How To Make Scones for English Afternoon Tea

 

The basic scone base is simple, self-raising flour, baking powder, salt, butter and milk.

I like to make a bigger batch of the basic scone base, divide it and make sweet and savoury variations.

 

Sweet Scones for Cream Tea

Ingredients

Tsp Baking Powder

Pinch salt

225g / 2cups Self Raising flour

50g / 10tsp Butter

150ml / 2/3 cup Milk

Raisins or sultanas (optional)

2 Tbsp Sugar (optional)

 

Method

  1. Sift the flours, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl
  2. Add the butter and work it into the flour mix with your fingers to resemble breadcrumbs.
  3. If you like raisins or sultanas in your scones, this is the stage to add them, as many or as few as you prefer. I like a few and about a handful is enough, but add more if you desire
  4. If you like your scones on the sweet side, you can stir in a couple of tablespoons of sugar at this stage, too. Personally, I prefer the scones less sweet as there is plenty of sweetness in the jam you’ll be serving it with!
  5. Drizzle a little milk into the mix and stir it until it forms a thick dough. Drizzle in a little more milk as required. You only need a little milk to bind the dough to the point where it comes together without being sticky. If it gets sticky, sprinkle in a little more flour.
  6. Lightly flour a work surface and put your dough ball onto it
  7. Flatten the ball to about 2cm thick
  8. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out your scones
  9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, if you don’t have any, dribble a little cooking oil onto the tray, spread it around to cover the surface then add a thin dusting of flour. This is another way to prevent the scones from sticking to the pan without using paper.
  10. Leave a little space between the scones on the baking tray as they will rise and expand
  11. Bake at 180 degrees centigrade or gas mark 5 for 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown

 

Other Scone Ideas

Once you master the basic scone mix you can get creative.

Mix it up!

  • Add herbs, nuts, spices, cheeses, dried fruit, even chocolate chips! Simply stir the additional ingredients into the dry mix (from step 3), then add a little milk to bind it.
  • You could even make the scones vegan by using margarine instead of butter and nut milk.

 

Two Simple Jam Recipes

The point of an English Cream Tea is to have jam made from English summer fruit, so there really is nothing better than either strawberry jam or raspberry jam with your Cream Tea.

2025 was a bumper year for soft fruit and I made plenty of batches of strawberry and raspberry jams form my haul at Hen's Tooth Allotment.

Raspberry jam is so simple because you don’t need to add any pectin and the sugar to fruit ratio is 50/50, although I always use slightly less sugar because I prefer my jam on the more tart side.

Sterilising Jars For Jam

Find some clean jars and get them sterilising while you make the jam. Either old jars you’ve kept with metal screw-top lids, or Kilner jars. I prefer making lots of smaller jars rather than a couple of big jars, that way, you are less likely to waste opened jam and you can also give smaller jars as gifts.

There are a couple of ways to do this:

  • If they come straight from the dishwasher they will be sterile. Take them out when the dishwasher has just finished a cycle so it is still hot and steamy in there, then immediately put the lids on the jars to stop nasties getting in. Rinse with hot water to warm them up when ready to use.

 

  • Sterilising solution: Fill a washing up bowl with cold water and add a capful of sterilising solution (or whatever the pack instructions state), the type you find in the baby aisle of a store. Take the lids off your jars or rubber seals off Kilner jars and immerse everything in the solution for approximately 1 hour. Then, rinse everything with cold water. You want warm jars for bottling but if you pour boiling water straight into cold glass it is likely to crack, so sluice your jars with warm water to avoid the ‘shock’ of hot water, then boil the kettle and pour a little boiled water into the jars, put the lids on, give them a little shake and leave them until you are ready to use them. The steamy water will keep the jars hot and clean.

 

Raspberry Jam

Ingredients

  • Raspberries
  • Sugar

Method

Whatever quantity of raspberries you have, weigh them. If you have less than about 200g, it’s probably not worth the effort to make jam, as by the time it’s cooked and reduced, you will have less than a small jar! Jam is a great thing to make if you have a lot of raspberries, one punnet is probably not worth the effort.

  1. Weigh your raspberries. A mix of ripeness is ideal – some very dark and ripe, some only just going pink
  2. Weigh out an equal amount of granulated sugar (as raspberries have natural pectin you don’t need preserving sugar). Reduce the amount of sugar slightly if you prefer a sharper jam
  3. Put your raspberries in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium hob and crush them with a spoon to start releasing the juices
  4. Pour in sugar, stirring as you go
  5. As the sugar dissolves, crush the fruit some more, the sugars will draw out the juices
  6. If you want a seedless jam, once all the sugar has dissolved, remove it from the heat and allow to cool slightly
  7. Press the seedy syrup through a sieve into a jug to strain out all the pips, and push as much pulp through as possible
  8. Pour the liquid back into the saucepan and return to the heat. Optional, squeeze a little lemon juice in to speed up the setting process and add a little more tartness
  9. Turn up the heat and boil the syrup rapidly for about 10 minutes (longer for larger quantities, less for smaller amounts). You need a deep pan as it will bubble right up to the top. You don’t need to stir it but you do need to keep an eye on it. Stirring will keep the bubbles down
  10. This is where you need to be vigilant, as there is a fine line between reaching setting point and overcooking the jam. You are looking for a loose but not too sloppy end result
  11. To test for set: Pull the pan off the heat and allow the bubbles to drop. Drag a wooden spoon through the residues on the sides of the pan, if it runs back down it’s not set, if it leaves a gully where the spoon was, you’re getting there. Take a small blob of jam out, drop it onto a cold plate and allow it to cool. If it doesn’t stay in a blob it’s not ready and needs to go back onto the heat and boil for a little longer. If it stays as a blob, let it cool then push your finger through the blob and if the surface crinkles, it’s ready. Keep boiling and testing until you reach the desired set point
  12. Once the set point is reached, remove from the heat and allow the jam to cool a little. While the jam is still liquid, pour it into your sterilised jars, seal and label. Leave the jars to cool. Store in a cool dry place until ready to use. Refrigerate once opened

 

Strawberry Jam

 

Ingredients

  • Strawberries
  • Sugar
  • Lemon

Method

Whatever quantity of strawberries you have, weigh them. If you have less than about 200g, it’s probably not worth the effort to make jam, as by the time it’s cooked and reduced, you will have less than a small jar!

  1. Wash, hull and roughly chop your strawberries
  2. Weigh your chopped strawberries. A mix of ripeness is ideal – some very ripe, some still a little green/white
  3. Weigh out two thirds the amount of granulated sugar (i.e. 2 cups of sugar to three cups of strawberries)
  4. Put your strawberries in a large heavy-based saucepan bring them to the boil until juices start to run. Depending on how chunky you want your jam, crush them with a spoon or potato masher to start releasing the juices.
  5. If you like fewer and softer chunks, continue boiling and crushing the fruit until it’s the desired consistency. 
  6. Pour in sugar, stirring as you go.
  7. As the sugar dissolves, crush the fruit some more, the sugars will draw out the juices.
  8. Once the sugar has dissolved squeeze in the juice of half a lemon for approximately every 500g of strawberries
  9. Turn up the heat and boil the syrup rapidly for about 10 minutes (longer for larger quantities, less for smaller amounts). You need a deep pan as it will bubble right up to the top. You don’t need to stir it but you do need to keep an eye on it. Stirring will keep the bubbles down
  10. This is where you need to be vigilant, as there is a fine line between reaching setting point and overcooking the jam. You are looking for a loose but not too sloppy end result.
  11. To test for set: Pull the pan off the heat and allow the bubbles to drop. Drag a wooden spoon through the residues on the sides of the pan, if it runs back down it’s not set, if it leaves a gully where the spoon was, you’re getting there. Take a small blob of jam out, drop it onto a cold plate and allow it to cool. If it doesn’t stay in a blob it’s not ready and needs to go back onto the heat and boil for a little longer. If it stays as a blob, push your finger through the blob and if the surface crinkles, it’s ready. Keep boiling and testing until you reach the desired set point
  12. Once the set point is reached, remove from the heat and allow the jam to cool a little. While the jam is still liquid, pour it into your sterilised jars, seal and label. Leave the jars to cool. Store in a cool dry place until ready to use. Refrigerate once opened

 

The Devon or Cornish Way?

Now you have your cream, jam and scone, it’s time to assemble your perfect Cream Tea.

 

A hotly contested and controversial conversation: which is best, jam first or cream first?

This is a big deal if you are British and we have strong opinions about such earth-shattering matters!

  • Slice the scone in half (never eat whole!).

  • Add jam and clotted cream in your preferred order.

  • Serve with a pot of freshly brewed tea, and your favourite mug.

For presentation, arrange everything on a tiered stand or rustic wooden tray with a small vase of flowers for that perfect homely touch.

The Devon Method:

Split the scone in two, daub on lashings of cream then top with jam.

The Cornish Method:

Split the scone in two, spread jam on first then top with cream.

Team Cream First

Personally, I like Cream First because I like a lot of cream and find it easier to add extra cream if that goes first. I also like a clear separation between the cream and the jam, I find if I do it the other way, the two tend to mix and it’s harder to add more cream because it just slides off the jam. Also, it looks nicer and more Instagramable with jam on top!

If you like lots of jam, go the Cornish method and spread the jam first, (you filthy animal), then top with a piffling amount of cream, (you weirdo)!

cream tea scone with cream and jam

 

Although I absolutely love a good coffee, the only thing to drink with a Cream Tea is, of course, a good brew of tasty British Tea. This really is the taste of the summer!

 

Full homemade cream tea

 

Tips for the Best Cream Tea Experience

  • Use quality clotted cream: Its rich flavour is what makes cream tea so special.

  • Warm the scones just before serving — if not freshly baked, a few minutes in the oven works wonders.

  • Choose good tea: Loose-leaf always beats dust-filled bags.

  • Slow down and savour: Cream tea is about taking time, enjoying conversation, and indulging in simple pleasures.

Final Thoughts

Making an English cream tea at home is easier than you might think, and it’s a beautiful way to bring a touch of timeless tradition to your day. Whether you prefer the Devon or Cornwall method, there’s no denying the joy of warm scones, thick cream, sweet jam, and a steaming pot of tea.

So next weekend, why not gather your loved ones, set the table with your prettiest crockery, and enjoy a slow afternoon with this beloved British ritual?