Chocolate School Cake – this chocolate version of the popular school dinner cake recipe is easy to make and super delicious! Perfect for sharing at a children’s birthday party or school bake sale.
You will also love my easy Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake!
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The retro School Cake with sprinkles is one of the most loved recipes on my blog and one of my personal favourites.
A Chocolate School Cake was requested, repeatedly, by my two kids and I made this recipe with both of them, singing along to Abba songs.
It is a very simple cake, made all in one bowl using everyday ingredients. So easy to make your oven will hardly have time to preheat – mark my words!
Prepare to fall in love with this recipe: low on effort and high on yumminess, not to mention nostalgia 🙂
The cake was a HUGE hit with Anya and Sam, although Anya did mention that her school cafeteria cake was nowhere near as good.
The Ingredients
You need few easy to find ingredients to make this chocolate sponge cake – I would guess you have most of them already!
For the chocolate sponge
- Flour – Self raising flour or plain flour with added raising agents
- Sugar – I used both caster and light brown sugar
- Cocoa Powder – ideally good quality dark cocoa powder
- Eggs – I used four small eggs here but you could also use three large
- Baking spread – since butter is currently worth its weight in gold I prefer to use Stork in my cakes (bonus: you can use it straight out of the fridge)
- Milk – any kind
- Vanilla extract
For the frosting
The classic School Cake is topped with a thin glaze made with icing sugar and milk. I decided to use a buttercream for the chocolate version.
- Butter – softened unsalted butter
- Icing Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Milk or cream
- A little hot coffee (or water)
- Vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Finishing touches
No school cake would be complete without sprinkles! I used chocolate sprinkles by Dr Oetker but any kind will do just as well. You can also use M&Ms or chocolate shavings to decorate if you prefer.
HOW TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE SCHOOL CAKE
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Make the cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C (320°F) if using the fan setting. Mist a 9×13″ traybake tin with cake release and line with baking paper, letting the edges overhang.
Sift the flour, sugar and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, butter, milk and vanilla.
Beat with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer until the batter is completely smooth, using a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl halfway through.
Pour the batter into the prepared tray bake pan and level. Tap gently on the countertop to remove any air bubbles.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the tin for five minutes then lift onto a cooling rack using the paper. Allow the cake to cool down completely before adding any frosting. You can also leave it plain if you like and serve it with custard.
Make the chocolate buttercream
Place cubed softened butter into a mixing bowl. Sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar into the bowl and add the salt, vanilla extract and some of the milk.
Beat together on a low setting until the ingredients combine. Increase the speed and gradually add the rest of the milk and hot coffee until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Frost the cake
Spread the buttercream over the cake using a palette knife or the back of a large spoon.Add the sprinkles while the frosting is still fresh. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Useful Equipment
- Digital scales – I use a scale for all my bakes
- Measuring spoons
- A rectangular cake tin (9×13”/ 22.6 x 33cm)
- Cake lifter – for transferring cakes safely
- Cake release spray
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- The chocolate sponge can be made a day ahead. Keep it covered at room temperature so it doesn’t dry out.
- Why sift the dry ingredients? I know this add one step to an otherwise super-easy cake but sifting the flour, sugar and cocoa powder ensures any lumps are removed and the ingredients are well mixed and aerated.
- No self-raising flour? Use plain flour (all-purpose) and add 1 tablespoon baking powder and half a tablespoon of baking soda.
- You can slice my Chocolate School Cake into 18 squares or even more if you cut them smaller. This is a crowd-pleasing traybake that is perfect for sharing!
- The frosted cake will keep for a few days in a cake tin at room temperature away from sunlight.
- My daughter likes to blast the cake for a few seconds in the microwave before eating. It is also delicious served with custard (but you can skip the frosting in that case).
- My cheat: homemade custard is delicious but a bit fiddly. Just buy a tub of store-bought custard and heat it in a saucepan with a handful of dark chocolate buttons to make chocolate custard. It will be our little secret 😉
Fall in love with these nostalgic bakes
HAVE YOU MADE MY CHOCOLATE SCHOOL CAKE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Chocolate School Cake
Equipment & Tools
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) self-raising flour
- 60 g (½ cup) cocoa powder unsweetened
- 200 g (1 cup) sugar caster or granulated
- 150 g ( ¾ cup) light brown sugar
- 200 g (⅞ cup) baking spread I used Stork
- 4 small eggs or 3 large
- 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 260 g ( 2 cups) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 60 g (½ cup) cocoa powder unsweetened
- 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter softened
- 60 ml (¼ cup) milk
- 2 tbsp hot coffee or water
To decorate
- chocolate sprinkles, M&Ms, chocolate shavings
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C (320°F) if using the fan setting. Mist a 9×13″ traybake tin with cake release and line with baking paper, letting the edges overhang.
- Sift the flour, sugar and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, butter, milk and vanilla. Beat with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer until the batter is completely smooth, using a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl halfway through.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 -40 minutes.
- Check the cake is done by inserting a skewer in the centre – it should come out clean, the cake should be well risen and springy to the touch. Cool the cake on a wire rack before frosting.
Make the Frosting
- Place cubed softened butter into a mixing bowl. Sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar into the bowl and add the salt, vanilla extract and some of the milk.
- Beat together on a low setting until the ingredients combine. Increase the speed and gradually add the rest of the milk and hot coffee until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Frost the Cake
- Use a palette knife to spread the frosting over the cake, swirling the surface.
- Add sprinkles, chocolate buttons, smarties or leave plain. Slice the cake using a serrated knife, wiping the knife clean between each slice.
Video
Notes
- The chocolate sponge can be made a day ahead. Keep it covered at room temperature so it doesn’t dry out.
- Why sift the dry ingredients? I know this add one step to an otherwise super-easy cake but sifting the flour, sugar and cocoa powder ensures any lumps are removed and the ingredients are well mixed and aerated.
- No self-raising flour? Use plain flour (all-purpose) and add 1 tablespoon baking powder and half a tablespoon of baking soda.
- You can slice this Chocolate School Cake into 18 squares or even more if you cut them smaller. This is a crowd-pleasing traybake that is perfect for sharing!
- The frosted cake will keep for a few days in a cake tin at room temperature away from sunlight.
- My cheat: homemade custard is delicious but a bit fiddly. Just buy a tub of store-bought custard and heat it in a saucepan with a handful of dark chocolate buttons to make chocolate custard. It will be our little secret 😉
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