School Cake
The original School Cake - a simple sponge cake, topped with a thick layer of white icing and a generous amount of rainbow sprinkles. Best served with custard (pink or otherwise!).
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Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS
- 280 g Soft Margarine (or Butter) (at room temperature)
- 280 g Caster Sugar
- 5 Free-range Eggs (at room temperature; see Egg Size notes below)
- 280 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
- 350 g Icing Sugar
- 3-4 tbsp Boiling Water
- Sprinkles (to decorate - optional)
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (160°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F) and line a 20×30cm (9×12-inch) baking tin with greaseproof paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is mixed through before adding the next.
- Sift in the flour and gently fold to create a batter.
- Transfer the batter to your pre-lined tin and bake in your pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes until risen, golden, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once your cake has cooled completely, mix the icing sugar with a few teaspoons of boiling water in a bowl, adding a little water at a time until you have a thick pouring consistency. Pour the icing onto your cake, using a spoon to guide it to the edges. Finish with some rainbow sprinkles.
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IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES
Egg Size:
When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally speaking, egg size doesn’t make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you're unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That's what this recipe has been tested with.Self-raising Flour:
Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 280g (2 cups plus 1 tablespoon) plain flour and 3¾ teaspoons baking powder instead. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.Substitutions:
- Margarine: I use a soft baking margarine in most of my sponge cakes because I find it easier & more predictable to use - I go into more details about this in my Margarine Ingredient Guide. However, you can swap this out for unsalted butter, particularly if you are baking outside the UK, where margarine quality can vary considerably.
- Caster Sugar: When it comes to sponge cakes, caster sugar is preferable as the finer consistency is ideal for mixing through the batter. In a pinch, you could swap it for granulated sugar. For more information, see my Caster Sugar Ingredient Guide.
Storage:
Store your old School Cake in an airtight container at room temperature. It’ll keep well for up to 4-5 days, if it lasts that long!Freezing:
You can freeze the sponge, but this is best done before adding the icing and sprinkles. Wrap the cake tightly in cling film and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature, then finish with the icing and sprinkles before serving.Serving:
For full school-dinner nostalgia, serve with a drizzle of custard (pink or otherwise!).Tried this recipe?
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