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–+ servings
Go for gold with this nostalgic old school cake. A light vanilla traybake cake is topped with simple white icing and plenty of sprinkles. Serve with plenty of custard for the ultimate school dessert treat! Recipe by movers and bakers
5 from 1 vote

Old School Sponge Cake

Take a trip down memory lane with this authentic Old School Sponge Cake. This nostalgic British school dinner classic features a light and moist vanilla traybake, topped with a simple white icing and a generous dusting of colourful sprinkles. Serve it in a square or drown it in warm custard for the ultimate retro dessert experience!
Servings 24 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 165 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter
  • 300 g (1 ½ cups) caster sugar
  • 325 g (2 ¼ cups + 1 tbsp) plain (all purpose) flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.75 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • 0.75 tsp salt
  • 190 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) yogurt (I use Greek yogurt)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 500 g (3 ½ cups + 3 tbsp) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 5-6 tbsp water
  • sprinkles, to decorate

Instructions

For the cake

  • Line the tin with parchment paper and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F whilst making the cake batter.
  • In a large bowl or a stand mixer, beat the butter until softened. Add in the sugar and beat until paler and fluffy. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and beat again until the mixture resembles damp sand.
  • Separately, in a jug, tip in the yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Mix well until smooth and completely combined.
  • Pour half the wet mixture into the flour mixture and mix on low to combine. Add in the remaining wet mixture, scrape the bowl down and mix again to completely combine. Scrap the bowl down once more and beat on medium-high for about 30 seconds until the batter is really light and silky.
  • Step 5: Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level the top, then bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until springy to touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

For the icing and decoration

  • Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then add enough water to get the consistency of icing you want. Add in the water a little at a time: you want the icing thin enough to spread over the cake, but thick enough that it does not run off the sides of the cake.
  • Top with as many sprinkles as you would like to cover the top of the cake. Leave the icing to set for at least a half hour before cutting. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Preparation is key! Get all ingredients and tools ready, including lining the tin and turning the oven on before you start mixing.
  • Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. This small step helps ensure all the ingredients blend together much more smoothly, resulting in a better bake.
  • Beat the butter well at the start of making the cake. You want it light and smooth and pale for the best vanilla traybake cake results.
  • When beating the cake mixture before baking, make sure to beat at a medium speed. Mixing it too high will result in too much air going into the cakes, leading to it collapsing after rising during baking. You want to incorporate some volume, but not so much that is causes the cake to collapse.
  • Ensure the cake is completely cool before decorating with the icing, otherwise you could end up with a melted liquid mess for icing and a soggy cake. No one wants that!
  • Add the water a little at a time to the icing sugar when making the icing until it gets to the consistency you want. If you add too much water, simply add a little more icing sugar to achieve a thicker consistency. A little water goes a long way when making this icing!
    • Author: Andrea
    Calories: 290kcal
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: Light and Fluffy Vanilla Sponge, Nostalgic British School Cake, Old School Sponge Cake, Retro British Desserts, School Dinner Cake Recipe, School Dinner Traybake, Vanilla Sprinkle Traybake

    Nutrition

    Calories: 290kcal