Hot Cross Buns vs Teacakes

You’ve bought your Easter eggs, scoped out your Easter hunt and already scoffed the obligatory Creme Egg (or three). But there’s one thing left – the HOT CROSS BUNS.

Now, I don’t know about you, but hot cross buns are far too neglected for my liking.

Soft, sweet, warm and slightly salty, hot cross buns are the sophisticated treat come Easter. The only question is: what’s the difference between hot cross buns and teacakes, a treat which you can buy from the shops pretty much any day?

Read the answers to your burning query, here.

The look

Made with currants and raisins, a hot cross bun is a sweet bun with a cross marked on its top. You’ll associate hot cross buns with Easter as they have traditionally been eaten as a means of completing Lent, with the cross representing the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spices signifying the spices which were used to embalm him at the burial (weird).

Teacakes tend to have a smooth top, and are usually cut in half. The top is usually browned, with the underside is less so. This being said, apart from the cross on top, they don’t look much different from a hot cross bun.

The taste

Hot cross buns combine traditional dough ingredients – flour, yeast, egg – along with sugar, butter, milk, and of course sweet spices and dried fruit.

Teacakes are very similar in their composition, wherein they are sweet buns with dried fruits.

How to eat

Often, hot cross buns fans will lightly toast theirs and spread butter, jam, marmalade or lemon curd. As hot cross buns tend to be softer than teacakes they can also be enjoyed as they are with just a little butter.

Connoisseurs of teacakes tend to slice them in half, toast them and spread with salted butter, Bovril or Marmite.

Now you know the truth it’s time to get stuck in to Easter – happy holidays everyone!