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–+ servings

Vanilla Sprinkle School Cake

This nostalgic traybake is a total throwback to school dinners and birthday parties, simple, sweet and utterly delicious. It's the ultimate comfort bake: a signature soft and fluffy vanilla sponge, topped with sweet, sticky icing and a joyful scattering of sprinkles. Every slice is laced with the warm, fragrant flavour of Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract, making it taste as good as you remember. It’s the kind of recipe that’s easy to make, lovely to share, and guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert, Treat
Cuisine Baking, British
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

For the vanilla sponge:

  • 250 grams Margarine or unsalted butter If you're using margarine use it cold straight from the fridge. If you're using butter, make sure it's at room temperature.
  • 250 grams Caster sugar
  • 250 grams Self-raising flour
  • 4 medium Eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massy Vanilla Extract I used one single-serve sachet

For the icing and decoration:

  • 250 grams Icing sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons Water
  • Sprinkles choose your favourite!

Instructions
 

Start by making the vanilla sponge:

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Line a 20x24cm (or similar size) baking tin with greaseproof paper.
  • Using an electric whisk, beat the margarine (or butter) and caster sugar together until light, fluffy and creamy.
    250 grams Margarine or unsalted butter, 250 grams Caster sugar
  • Add the eggs, flour and vanilla. Beat until smooth and combined.
    250 grams Self-raising flour, 4 medium Eggs, 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massy Vanilla Extract
  • Spread the mixture into the baking tin and bake for 35-45 minutes until risen, golden on top and the middle of the sponge springs back when lightly pressed. If you know your oven runs hot, bake until the 35-minute mark. If your oven runs cool, bake for up to 45 minutes. Not sure? 40 minutes is a safe bet. Leave the cake to cool completely in the baking tin.

Add the icing and decoration:

  • Add the icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the water gradually, a tablespoon at a time, stirring until the icing is thick, smooth, and falls from the spatula in a ribbon-like stream.
    250 grams Icing sugar, 3-4 tablespoons Water
  • Pour the icing over the cake and spread it to the edges.
  • Scatter the sprinkles on top. Leave the icing to set (around 30 minutes), then lift the cake out of the tin, slice and enjoy!
    Sprinkles

Video

Keyword school cake, sprinkle cake, vanilla cake
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