Classic School Cake

Old school cake with a soft, fluffy vanilla sponge, classic white icing & sprinkles, just like school dinners. Easy to make, nostalgic & perfect with custard.

This old school cake is the exact same sponge that you’ll remember from British school dinners. A classic bake that features a soft, fluffy vanilla sponge, a simple white icing & a generous amount of rainbow sprinkles.

This is a simple traybake that’s incredibly easy to make & is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. For the full nostalgic, school dinner experience serve your school cake with plenty of warm custard, though it’s just as good on its own.

For more cakes & bakes, check out our ever growing collection of baking recipes! There’s lots to choose from here, from classic sponge cakes to brownies, cookies & blondies.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

• Tastes Just Like School Dinners
  This fluffy sponge topped with icing & sprinkles tastes exactly how you remember, especially when served with warm custard.
• A Classic British Bake, Made Even Better At Home
  This version keeps everything you love about the original school cake but there’s a few tips & tricks that makes it even better.
• Extra Moist & Fluffy
  Adding sour cream to the cake batter makes it extra moist & flavourful.
• Easy To Make
  This is such an easy cake to make at home, there’s no complicated steps and it works every time.
• Perfect For Feeding A Crowd
  Baked as a traybake, this recipe makes plenty of cake that can be sliced and shared.
• Can Be Made Ahead Of Time
  Old school cake will keep for several days so is perfect for making ahead of time.

Ingredients For Old School Cake

Here’s everything you’ll need to make an old school cake at home.

• Sprinkles – Any brand of rainbow sprinkles will work. The ones that I use come from Get Baked supplies.
• Butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter, to avoid making the cake batter too salty. Or if you’re using salted butter, use ¼ teaspoon of table salt instead of ¾.
• Sugar – You’ll need 2 types of sugar for this recipe. Caster sugar for the cake batter & icing sugar for the icing.
• Eggs – We’re using large eggs for the cake batter. For the best results, weigh the eggs as you crack them into a jug.
• Flour – Using plain flour (all purpose) gives this sponge a soft, fluffy texture.
• Raising Agents – We’re using both baking powder & bicarbonate of soda for the best rise & texture.
• Sour Cream – Adding sour cream to our cake batter adds extra fat, making the sponge moist & more flavourful. Use full fat sour cream for the best flavour & texture.
• Vanilla – Using a good vanilla extract makes all the difference when making cakes!
• Milk – The icing for our school cake is made with milk & icing sugar. Water would work as well but I find that milk gives a smoother, creamier texture and flavour.

How To Make Classic School Cake

This old school cake is quick, easy & comes together in a few simple steps. There’s only 2 components to make this traybake; a soft vanilla sponge & a classic white icing.

Vanilla Traybake

The key things when making a vanilla sponge are to beat the butter & sugar really well (use softened butter!), making sure to scrape the bowl down with a spatula regularly and avoiding over mixing the batter, as this can make the cake tough. Other than that, making this sheet cake couldn’t be easier!

1. Beat Butter & Sugar
   First, add softened butter & caster sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer then beat until pale & fluffy. This will take around 5 minutes on a medium speed.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients
   Whilst the butter is mixing, add flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda & table salt into a separate bowl then whisk together. Set this aside for now.
3. Add In Eggs
   Once the butter is ready, gradually mix in beaten eggs & vanilla extract, with the mixer still running on a medium speed.
4. Fold In Flour & Sour Cream
   Next, gently fold in half of the dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined, followed by sour cream then the rest of the dry ingredients. Make sure to stop folding when everything is just combined – we don’t want to over mix the batter! Once mixed, the batter needs to be baked as soon as possible as the bicarb will have started to react.
5. Bake
   Now that the batter is ready, tip it into a greased & lined 9″ x 13″ baking tin then bake for 45-50 minutes in an oven that’s been preheated to 170°c/338°f. You’ll know when the cake is done when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6. Cool
   Once cooked, let the cake cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, to let it firm up slightly then carefully transfer it to a wire cooling rack & let it cool completely before topping.

Classic White Icing

This classic white icing sets firm & glossy, making it perfect for topping an old school cake.

1. Make The Icing
   Sift icing sugar into a mixing bowl then gradually whisk in milk, to make a thick, spreadable icing. The icing should be thick enough to spread, without running off the side of the cake.
   Tip: It’s best to add the milk in slowly. If your icing is too thick, add in more milk. If it’s too thin, add in more icing sugar.
2. Ice The Cake
   Spoon the icing over the top of the cooled cake then use a palette knife to spread it out into an even layer that completely covers the top of the cake.
3. Top With Sprinkles
   Sprinkle a generous amount of sprinkles over the icing before it’s set. You want the sprinkles to set into the icing.
4. Let It Set
   Let the icing set at room temperature for 1 hour, until it has firmed up. If your kitchen is warmer than usual, place the cake into the fridge for 20 minutes instead.

Cutting Into Portions

Once your icing has set, the best way to cut the cake into portions is with a sharp, serrated knife. For clean slices, wipe the blade clean between cuts. For neater portions, you can trim the edges of the cake before slicing but this is optional.

School Cake Tips, Tricks & Troubleshooting

Tips & Tricks

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients
  Using room temperature ingredients helps make an evenly mixed cake batter that’s properly emulsified.
• Add Sour Cream To The Cake Batter
  Adding sour cream to the batter gives the cake a softer, moister texture.
• Don’t Over Mix The Batter & Bake Immediately
  Make sure to mix the batter until it’s just combined then get it in the oven straight away. This is key to making a soft, moist sponge with the best texture.
• Let The Icing Set
  Make sure to let the icing set completely before cutting the cake, to prevent it from running off.
• Use Good Quality Sprinkles
  For the most vibrant colour, it’s key to use high quality sprinkles.
• Store In An Airtight Container
  To keep your school cake fresh, make sure to store it in an airtight container. As the icing contains milk, it’s best to store the cake in the fridge but let it sit out at room temperature before serving.

Troubleshooting

Here are some common issues that can happen when making school cake & how to avoid them.

• Dry School Cake
  School cake will become dry if the cake is over baked, if the batter was over mixed or if too much flour was used. To avoid dry cake, mix the batter until the flour is just incorporated & bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• The Cake Didn’t Rise Properly
  Your raising agents (baking powder & bicarbonate of soda) are most likely expired or inactive. Make sure to use fresh raising agents and get the batter in the oven as soon as it’s been mixed.
• School Cake Sunk In The Oven
  You either used too much baking powder/bicarbonate of soda or opened your oven door too soon. Too avoid a sunken cake, measure out the raising agents accurately and let the cake bake for at least 30 minutes before checking it.
• Icing Too Runny
  Too much milk was added! To fix runny school cake icing, whisk in more icing sugar.
• The Sprinkles Bled Into The Icing
  Sprinkles can bleed into icing if your kitchen is too warm or if you’re using cheap sprinkles. To avoid, make sure to use high quality sprinkles & store them somewhere cool, like a cupboard or pantry.

School Cake & Custard

School cake & custard is a classic British school dinner dessert! Here, iced sponge cake is served with warm custard. Either vanilla sponge with vanilla custard or chocolate sponge with pink custard (raspberry or strawberry flavour). It’s the ultimate nostalgic combination!

Our old school cake goes really well with my charred vanilla bean custard but regular vanilla custard or Bird’s custard works great as well. If you’re not a fan of custard, you can serve school cake with vanilla ice cream or pouring cream instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Cook School Cake In An Aga

With all of my recipes, I include cooking instructions for conventional ovens, fan ovens & also Agas. Here’s how to cook this recipe on an Aga…

To cook school cake in an Aga, bake the cake on a grid shelf placed onto the floor of the baking oven. Slide a cold plain shelf onto the second from top set of runners just before baking the cake & leave it there for the duration of the bake.

More Baking Recipes To Try!

• Tres Leches Cake (3 Milk Cake)
• Brown Butter & Miso Pecan Pie Bars
• Chocolate Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache
• Brown Butter Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sour Cream Pound Cake With Vanilla Bean Icing
• Black Tahini Chocolate Sheet Cake

Watch How To Make This Recipe

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