Do you get hazy-eyed when you think about your school-day desserts? OK, so not everyone has had the opportunity to experience the bliss that is a good, old-fashioned school pud, but many of us in the UK will remember them vividly, with rose-tinted glasses.
We’re talking chocolate crunch (or concrete) doused in pink custard, chocolate sponge (with chocolate custard, of course), syrup tarts, oaties, and crumbly biscuits.
These kinds of bakes are back in fashion in the home kitchen and even in bakeries and cafes, where they’re sparking a sugar-dusted dose of nostalgia.
One of our favourites has to be a good old vanilla sponge traybake. That bouncy yellow, decadent (almost) vanilla cake. A layer of sweet icing sugar that coats the teeth as you bite in. Sprinkles (because sprinkles always make the day brighter). If you were lucky, there’d be custard too. What a dream.
Make it at home. You won’t regret it. We’ve given ours a real whoosh of vanilla by using the very best extract from Great British Food Award winner Potion De V.
Ingredients
- 300g caster sugar
- 300g unsalted butter, softened
- 6 medium eggs
- 250g self-raising flour
- 50g custard powder
- 1.5tbsps vanilla extract
- Splash of milk
- 1tbsp vinegar
For the topping:
- 250g icing sugar
- 2tbsps warm water
- Sprinkles
Method
1. Heat the oven to 190C and line a 30cm x 20cm baking tray.
2. Beat the butter with the caster sugar until smooth. Gradually add the eggs, custard powder and flour, alternating between the three, and beating them in well.
3. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add a splash of milk to loosen the mixture a touch – 1-2tbsp will do it. Mix in the vinegar.
4. Spoon the cake mix into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen. Leave to cool completely.
5. For the icing, pour the warm water into a large bowl and sieve in a quarter of the icing sugar. Beat, ensuring there are no lumps. Sift in a quarter more and mix in, then the remaining icing sugar. It should be super smooth and the consistency of double cream. Add a little more water – drop by drop – to thin out if you need to.
6. Spread the icing straight away over the cooled cake before it sets, and flourish with your sprinkles.
