Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream Recipe

A warm Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream recipe is the heart of every traditional British afternoon tea. With their golden tops, tender crumb, and rich buttery flavor, homemade scones provide the perfect base for sweet fruit preserves and luxurious clotted cream. Featured on Feed My Soul… V!, hosts Vanessa Gianfrancesco & Stefania Gianfrancesco demonstrate how easy it is to create bakery-style scones using simple pantry ingredients and a few classic baking techniques.

The Inspiration

The tradition of afternoon tea dates back to 19th-century England, when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, introduced the custom of enjoying tea and light refreshments between lunch and dinner. Over time, afternoon tea evolved into a cherished social event featuring elegant finger sandwiches, pastries, cakes, and, most importantly, freshly baked scones.

Scones have become one of the defining elements of British baking because of their wonderfully simple ingredients and comforting flavor. Unlike sweeter pastries, scones are subtly sweet and designed to be generously topped with clotted cream and jam. Whether following the Cornish tradition of spreading jam first or the Devon method of applying cream first, they remain an essential part of any authentic tea service.

On Feed My Soul… V!, Vanessa Gianfrancesco & Stefania Gianfrancesco embrace recipes that celebrate classic traditions while making them approachable for today’s home cooks. This recipe preserves everything people love about traditional British scones while keeping the preparation straightforward and beginner-friendly.

Ingredients

12 ounces (340 g) self-rising flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
3 ounces (85 g) butter, cubed
3 tablespoons (45 g) icing sugar
¾ cup (180 ml) milk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (5 ml) lemon juice
1 beaten egg, to glaze
Jam and clotted cream, to serve
Salt

Method

Heat the oven to 425 F (220 C)
Tip the self-rising flour into a large bowl with a pinch of salt and the baking powder, mix.
Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave until warm, about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice, set aside.
Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and quickly combine the butter with a knife.
Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour and fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) deep. Take a 2 inch (5 cm) cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
Brush the tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake until risen and golden on the top, roughly 10 minutes. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream.

Serving Suggestions

These Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream are best enjoyed as the centerpiece of a traditional afternoon tea served with freshly brewed Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Assam, or Darjeeling tea. Their buttery flavor also pairs beautifully with freshly brewed coffee, cappuccino, or hot chocolate for a comforting breakfast or afternoon treat.

Create a classic afternoon tea tower by serving these warm scones alongside traditional finger sandwiches, goat cheese and sundried tomato mini quiches, fresh fruit, macarons, petit fours, and delicate pastries. Offer an assortment of fruit preserves—including strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and apricot—to allow guests to personalize each scone. Rich clotted cream provides the signature finishing touch that transforms these simple baked treats into an authentic British experience.

Final Thoughts

This Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream recipe is a celebration of one of Britain’s most treasured baking traditions. With a beautifully tender crumb, buttery flavor, and perfectly golden tops, these homemade scones offer everything that makes a traditional afternoon tea so memorable.

Find more recipes from Feed my Soul, V! here!