This School Cake topped with a simple glaze and sprinkles is just the simple nostalgic bake we all need right now! Easy to make all in one bowl and delicious served plain or with warm vanilla custard.
Love this cake but wish it was chocolatey? Try my Chocolate School Cake!
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Looking for an easy cake that will feed a crowd and make you feel all nostalgic at the same time? This simple sprinkle cake is guaranteed to remind those of a certain age of their school days.
Actually, it’s still served as “pudding” at my kids primary school – sliced into squares and served with custard so I guess its popularity hasn’t waned.
It’s easy to see why this tray bake cake is served at schools – one batch can serve up to 20 (!) plus it is DELICIOUS! Fancy making it?
Old School Cake
This cake goes by many names including School Cake, School Dinner Cake, sprinkle tray bake, or old school pudding (much like this Tottenham Cake).
It is a simple vanilla tray bake covered in a thick white icing once cooled and then liberally sprinkled with hundreds and thousands.
School cake is delicious served with custard (like this old school dinner favourite Chocolate Concrete…. so YUM) or simply sliced into squares. If you don’t want to make a tray bake then give my Vanilla Loaf Cake a go!
All-in-one Sponge Cake
The vanilla sprinkle cake is fluffy and buttery and very easy to make even if baking is not your thing!
All you have to do is beat all the ingredients together in one large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer. I call this my “one bowl bake” method 🙂
The ingredients all have to be at room temperature – this is important! – so make sure you use softened butter and allow eggs / milk to warm up before using. Your batter is likely to split and look curdled if any of the ingredients are cold.
I always rely on a digital scale to measure my ingredients. Accurate measurements are especially important when it comes to measuring baking powder or soda – invest in some measuring spoons.
Butter Or Margarine?
I usually opt for butter in my cake recipes but I would recommend using margarine (Stork) in this school cake recipe. For one thing it is soft even straight out of the fridge so easier to mix and more purse friendly.
Which flour?
I use plain flour (all purpose flour) with both baking powder and soda to give the cake lift. You can also use self raising flour – see notes in recipe card. Make sure that your flour and raising agents are FRESH though. I once made this cake with baking powder that was a year out of date and it was a (literal) flop.
Get the icing just right
The glaze is made simply with icing sugar and a little water. I like to also add vanilla extract but that’s optional. The icing needs to be quite thick otherwise it will simply run off your cake!
The trick is to add just enough water and keep mixing until the glaze drops off your spoon slowly, like honey would. If it is too thin you can simply add more icing sugar. Too thick? Add water, a few DROPS at a time, until you have the right consistency.
HOW TO MAKE 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!
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. If you can be bothered then sift everything into the bowl to aerate the dry ingredients. Mix together with a balloon whisk to combine. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and butter or margarine (room temperature please!).
Start beating at lowest speed setting until the ingredients start to come together. I used my KitchenAid hand mixer but you can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Gradually increase the speed to maximum and beat until the batter is completely smooth – about 30 seconds to one minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula halfway through.
Transfer to a 9×13 rectangular baking tray (I love my Wilton traybake tin) lined with paper and level using a spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is golden and feels springy to the touch. A skewer or knife inserted in the centre should come out clean – if not cook for a further 5 minutes.
Leave the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before adding the glaze. If the cake is just cool as opposed to cold the icing will simply slide off!
Make the icing and decorate
Mix the icing sugar with just enough water to make a thick pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cake, letting it drip down the sides (you might want to do this over a large roasting tin to catch any excess glaze).
Add sprinkles and leave the glaze to set slightly before slicing and sharing. You can serve with a little warm custard (I used tinned custard) for an extra slice of nostalgia!
TIPS AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
• How do I know my school cake is baked? Oven temperatures can vary so you need to rely on visual cues not just the recommended baking time. This sponge cake is JUST RIGHT when evenly risen and golden, springy to the touch and just coming away from the edges of the tin.
• Levelling your cake: If the cake has domed while baking, level using a large serrated knife. This is likely to happen if the baking tin is a tad too small or the oven is too hot. You can always flip the cake over (carefully!) so that you add the glaze to the FLAT side.
• Help, my cake has a dip in the middle! Your cake is not quite ready yet. Bake for an additional five minutes then check again. Repeat until you are confident the cake is ready. Avoid opening the oven door too often though – this will cause a drop in oven temperature.
• Avoid cake explosions… If you are using self raising flour then add only half a teaspoon of baking powder and no baking soda. You don’t want to double up on raising agents!
• How long will school cake keep? This sponge tray bake stays wonderfully fresh for up to four days at room temperature, in a covered cake container. It is best when freshly baked, as with all cakes.
Simple bakes
These classic bakes are a trip down memory lane! Easy to make and perfect for sharing.
Jam And Coconut Cake
School Days Chocolate Concrete with Pink Custard
Tottenham Cake
Chocolate School Cake
HAVE YOU MADE MY SCHOOL CAKE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Retro School Dinner Cake
Ingredients
- 350 g ( 2¾ cups) plain flour (all purpose flour or cake flour)
- 330 g (1 ⅔ cups) sugar caster or granulated
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda baking soda
- ½ tsp salt omit if you are using margarine
- 200 g (7/8 cup) softened butter or margarine
- 3 large eggs
- 180 ml (¾ cup) milk room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
For the icing & decoration
- 455 g (3 ½ cups) icing sugar (powdered sugar) preferably sifted
- water, as needed to thin the icing
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- hundreds and thousands sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C (340F). Line a rectangular tin (mine was 23x29cm) with baking paper letting the edges hang over the sides.
- Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda in a large mixing bowl. If you can be bothered then sift everything into the bowl to aerate the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and butter or margarine (room temperature please!).
- Start beating at lowest speed setting until ingredients come together. Increase the speed to maximum and beat until the batter is completely smooth – about 30 seconds to one minute.
- Transfer to a rectangular baking tray lined with paper and level using a spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is golden and feels springy to the touch. A skewer or knife inserted in the centre should come out clean – if not cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Leave the cake to cool completely then carefully invert so that you add glaze to the flat side. If the cake has domed while baking, level using a large serrated knife. This is likely to happen if your baking tray is a tad too small.
- Mix the icing sugar with just enough water to make a thick pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cake, letting it drip down the sides (you might want to do this over a large roasting tin to catch any excess glaze).
- Add sprinkles and leave the glaze to set slightly before slicing and sharing. You can serve with a little warm custard (I used tinned custard) for an extra slice of nostalgia!
Video
Notes
- If you are using self raising flour then add only half a teaspoon of baking powder (no baking soda).
- Unless specified otherwise all your ingredients including butter eggs and milk should be at room temperature in order to achieve a smooth batter. If one or more of the ingredients are cold they will cause your batter to split or look curdled.
- If your milk is cold from the fridge then heat briefly in the microwave or saucepan until just tepid. Make sure the milk is body temperature – not too hot!
- Place cold eggs into warm water for five minutes to bring them back to room temperature.
- Cut cold butter into cubes and leave for an hour on your counter to warm up or use margarine.
How do I know if my cake is done?
- Oven temperatures can vary so set a timer for 5 minutes before the specified time. The cake is done when the top is springy to the touch, the cake has just started to pull away from the edge of the tin and a skewer or toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Avoid opening the oven too often – or too early! – to check if the cake is done or your oven will start losing heat.
Nutritional Info
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Gary says
Where are the ingredients please? Cannot find them due to all the ads & video pop ups.
Thanks
Lucy Parissi says
The recipe card is located at the end of the post. There’s a “jump to recipe” option at the very top.
Sally says
I used cold ingredients, will it still be ok to eat?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi sally, cold ingredients will not work with this method. They need to be room temp
Sophie says
I am the worlds worst baker but my other half was craving sponge, so I gave it ago, came out amazing! So light and fluffy!
I wanted to make for a friend who is gf so I’m going to used gf flour but she also can’t have milk do you know if this will work with something other than milk?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Sophie – you can use any vegan milk alternative such as almond or oat if you prefer.
mujahidah says
the recipe is amazing!!! highly recommend. thanks so much for sharing!!!
Ebs says
Great recipe but why has the middle of the cake sunk
Lucy Parissi says
I assume you mean your cake? It could be that it needed slightly longer in the oven or that the ingredients were slightly undermixed x
Charlene beston says
Omg That happened to me too
Fay says
Hi, I wanted to make this is a foil tray 32cm by 19cm would I need to half the recipe or use 2 trays there not very deep just a standard foil Lakeland tray
Thank you
Lucy Parissi says
I haven’t tried this Fay but my guess is two trays. I am concerned if they are not very deep though. You can use a different cake tin if you have any round ones then a 23cm or two 20cm might work
Sumaya says
Are the total calories in this school cake per 100g serving or more?
Lucy Parissi says
I haven’t weighed the slices I am afraid. The calories is for one slice if the cake is cut into 20 (you can slice into more portions if you want)
Natalie says
What kind of sugar? Caster or granulated?
Lucy Parissi says
Caster preferably though both would work
Kez says
Easy to follow recipe and written with love of baking
Alicia K says
Is the oven temperature for a fan oven?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Alicia – no it’s for regular oven. I would go to 160 on Fan setting and check after 35 minutes.
Veena says
I baked this cake today in fan oven @ 170 for 45mins, tastes nice but burnt unfortunately. Note for next time to bake on 160, I also felt there was too much butter in cake too, I will put less in next time.
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Veena – if you are using a fan oven you need to reduce the temperature by 20 degrees. So if it says 180 it needs to be baked at 160 fan x
Natalia says
Brilliant recipe. A big hit with friends and family. Quick question – is there perhaps any way to convert some ingredients of this recipe to make a chocolate version?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Natalia, you read my mind this is the next cake I will be posting soon!
Lisa says
I absolutely love this recipe. I actually got my first cake. I have tried another recipe went wrong. I am so pleased I got a cake and tasted great. Looking for more to try as first time making cakes.
4$5 says
I made it first time round it was perfect but second time round the cake (top and inside) is brown. What have I done wrong?
Lucy Parissi says
It might be the oven was a tad too hot or that it baked for a little too long. You can tent the cake with foil if it is browning too quickly. I would check on the cake a little earlier just to check whether it is ready sooner. hope this helps!
Deborah says
Amazing turned out really well!!! Thank you for the great recipe
Debora
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Debora really glad you liked it!
Sophie Williams says
Hey,
Was advise with using salted butter or Unsalted?
Lucy Parissi says
Unsalted butter
Lois says
Great recipe, can I ask what’s the best way to store the cake in a container room temp or in the fridge ??
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Lois you can keep at room temperature, not in direct sunlight, in a covered container (like a cake tin) for 2-3 days. I wouldn’t advise the fridge as it can dry out cakes however if the day is really warm you might need to put in the fridge or you can freeze the cake, in slices.
Debbie says
A very easy recipe to follow that makes a lovely cake. I took it to work and it all went in an hour!! I will definitely do this again
Lucy Parissi says
That’s so great to hear Debbie 🙂 Glad everyone enjoyed it x
Lily says
Amazing made this for a des. Tech project and came out outstanding tasted really good aswell
Betty says
I made this with baking fat rather than butter. I didn’t add any salt, yet the cake although lovely and light, had a salty aftertaste and was darker in colour to your photo. Any advice on how I went wrong?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Betty, have you checked whether the baking fat you used is salted? They frequently are, to extend self life. That would definitely account for the salty aftertaste. The darker colour may mean that you need to bake at a lower heat setting of 160C for slightly longer (or perhaps the fat is also affecting the colour, must admit I haven’t baked with it).
Hannah says
Loved this! Thanks for sharing