School Cake Recipe

There is something so comforting about this recipe, the nostalgia suddenly kicks in when we see this old classic. The rush to the dinner que, hoping you weren't too late to grab those delicious treats that the dinner lady saviours spent all morning freshly baking.

There are a few simple rules when it comes to baking this cake - specialities that make it not just a plain vanilla sponge with icing on, it's much more than that. The sponge thickness needs to be THICK, at least 5 or 6cm in height. The icing needs to be THICK, pure and white, set not runny. There has to be sprinkles, lots and lots of sprinkles. Finally, one of the most important steps, it has to be cut into squares. All of these features is what makes it a school cake, without these, it is simply a plain vanilla sponge!

Below is our perfect recipe for creating this retro recipe:

You will need:

• 180g caster sugar
• 180g butter
• 3 eggs
• 180g self-raising flour
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 40ml milk
• 200g icing sugar
• 2-3tbsp water
• Rainbow sprinkles

1) Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light, pale and fluffy.

2) Add the flour, eggs, vanilla and milk, then beat until completely combined.

3) Line the bottom of your Emile Henry oven dish with greaseproof paper, we used the smallest size possible, you can view this here. 

4) Empty the cake mixture into the oven dish, level and bake in a pre-heated 200°C ­oven for 25-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

5) Put the icing sugar in a bowl and gradually add the water, mixing bit by bit. You are looking for a thick consistency, but still runny enough to pour.

6) Once the cake is out of the oven, flip it upside down, back into the oven dish -this is so we have a flat surface for the top.

7) Pour the icing over the top of the cake, don't worry if it drips down the edges. Finally, sprinkle with as many sprinkles as you wish. 

8) Cut into squares and enjoy!