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The second division outfit created few chances but made their Premier League opponents work hard for their win right up to the final whistle, and could have caused an upset but for the woodwork.
Teddy Sheringham scored the only goal of the game on the half-hour mark but Tottenham should have won by a more comfortable margin.
Spurs had the better of the chances in the first half as they dominated play. Sheringham had already brought a save from Neil Alexander when Cardiff showed the danger they posed on the break as Robert Earnshaw got clear of the defence only to mis-control and allow Kasey Keller to gather the ball.
The woodwork denied both sides a goal just after the quarter-hour mark.
First Sheringham gave Milenko Acimovic a clear sight of goal with a cleverly flicked header from Simon Davies' cross, only for the Slovenian to hit the post with his shot. Almost immediately Cardiff counter-attacked and Willie Boland crashed a shot against the bar from 25 yards with Keller well beaten.
Tottenham responded with a flurry of chances as Acimovic curled a shot wide, then Robbie Keane first saw his header saved and then wasted a good opportunity by dragging a shot wide.
However the pressure was beginning to build and it finally paid dividends for Spurs in the 30th minute when Mauricio Taricco's cross from the right was met by Sheringham arriving at the near post and the Spurs skipper did well to flick his volley past Alexander.
Spurs remained in control in the second half but as they failed to turn their superiority into goals and they were always in danger of being caught by a sucker-punch.
The home side were still wondering how they were not two up after Matthew Etherington's volley from point blank range was blocked when that sucker-punch almost arrived.
The tricky Earnshaw laid the ball back to Graham Kavanagh on the edge of the area and the Cardiff skipper's shot flashed just inches wide of the post.
After that Spurs should have put the game beyond doubt but once again poor finishing let them down. The main culprit was Robbie Keane who failed to control Sheringham's pass when put clean through allowing Alexander to block and then the Irishman had a good shot on the turn saved by the City keeper.
With 14 minutes to go the visitors showed their potential threat once again when Andy Campbell broke clear but dragged his shot wide and then right at the death David Gabbidon made some room for himself in the area before curling an effort just past the upright as Spurs held on for a narrow win.