Old School Cornflake Tray Bake

Name: Old School Cornflake Tray Bake With Jam And Golden Syrup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 320 g Ready-rolled shortcrust pastry; 50 g Butter; 30 g Soft light brown sugar; 125 g Golden syrup; 100 g Cornflakes; 200 g Strawberry jam

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This old school Cornflake tray bake is a nostalgic classic that everyone is sure to love. It's made with golden syrup, strawberry jam and shortcrust pastry and every bite is packed with flavour and crunch. It's so good that you'll want to make it over and over!

cornflake tray bake slice with custard being poured on top

If there's one thing about me, it's that I was (and still am) a HUGE school dinner dessert fan! UK school dinners often got a bad rap in the 90s but I spent most of my mornings daydreaming about whatever delicious dessert was being served up that day.

I recently had a slice of sprinkle sponge cake and it reminded me of how much I loved these retro school treats. That's when I decided to make this old-school Cornflake tray bake! It's exactly like the golden syrup Cornflake tart from back in the day but in tray bake form. Sort of like a Cornflake crunch tray bake. It consists of a shortcrust pastry base, strawberry jam filling and a sweet, gooey Cornflake topping. I hope you like it!

If you'd like to read in-depth notes and tips as well as step-by-step instructions, just keep on reading. Otherwise, you can find the condensed version in the recipe card at the end of this post. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make golden syrup Cornflake traybake:

Shortcrust pastry: Shortcrust pastry is the base of this traybake. You can make your own from scratch or use a ready-made one. I like to use ready-rolled pastry for speed and convenience.
Cornflakes: Of course, we need some Cornflakes for old school Cornflake tray bake! You'll need roughly 100g and any brand of cornflakes will do.
Brown sugar: This is added to give the topping a little sweetness. I recommend using soft light brown sugar, as dark brown sugar can be a little overpowering at times.
Golden syrup: Golden syrup is a thick, viscous syrup. This is another ingredient that adds sweetness and it also helps the Cornflakes stick together. You'll need around 125g to make this traybake.
Butter: Adding butter improves flavour and texture. And just like the golden syrup, it helps the topping stay together when you cut into it.
Jam: Lastly, you'll need some jam for the traybake filling. We had it with strawberry jam at school but you can use raspberry jam if you prefer.

Equipment

You'll need the following tools for this golden syrup Cornflake traybake:

8x10-inch tin: 8x10 is the perfect tin to use for Cornflake tart tray bake and I recommend using this size for best results. Baking times and ingredient quantities will vary if you use a different size.
Mixing bowl: A large one is best to use because there are quite a lot of ingredients to mix together.
Heatproof bowl or saucepan: To melt some of the ingredients for the Cornflake and golden syrup topping.
Rolling pin: If you make your own pastry or use a pastry block rather than ready-rolled.
Utensils: A wooden spoon or similar for mixing and spreading, a fork for docking the pastry, plus a sharp knife for cutting the tray bake.
Baking beans: In order to blind-bake the pastry, you'll need some baking beans to weigh it down. This prevents it from becoming puffy in the oven. You can also use uncooked rice or lentils instead, which is what I usually do.
Baking paper: To stop the baking beans/rice from sticking to the pastry.

How to make old school Cornflake tray bake

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180℃ (or 160℃ for fan ovens). If you're in the US, it's 350°F (325°F for convection ovens).

Step 2: Take 320g of ready-rolled shortcrust pastry and use it to line an 8x10-inch tin, cutting off any excess around the top. Use a fork to dock the dough all over as pictured below.

docking the shortcrust pastry with a fork

Step 3: Place a sheet of baking paper over the pastry and cover with baking beans or uncooked rice.

baking paper and rice on top of dough ready for blind baking

Step 4: Blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes, remove the baking paper and baking beans, then return to the oven for a further 15 minutes until golden. To stop the edges from burning, you can cover them with tinfoil before the second bake. Set it aside to cool.

Step 5: Now it's time to prepare the topping. To a saucepan, add 50g of butter, 30g of soft light brown sugar and 125g of golden syrup. Place it over low heat on the stove and stir gently until the butter has melted fully.

Step 6: Pour the mixture from the saucepan into a large bowl along with 100g of Cornflakes. Mix well until all of the Cornflakes are coated.

bowl of golden syrup and cornflakes in a bowl

Step 7: Measure out 200g of strawberry jam and give it a quick mix to loosen it. Spread it evenly over the shortcrust pastry then top with the golden syrup Cornflake mixture.

pouring golden syrup cornflake mix on top of traybake

Step 8: Bake the Cornflake crunch traybake for a further 5 minutes at the same temperature. Leave it in the tin until cool then cut it into slices and enjoy!

Top tips

Use ready-rolled pastry to make this dessert super quick and easy. There's no preparation or rolling needed.
Traditionally, this tray bake is made with strawberry jam but you can use raspberry or even cherry jam if you prefer. Make sure to give it a mix before using it to make it easier to spread.
Serve slices with warm custard to enjoy it the traditional way.
Make your Cornflake tray bake vegan by swapping the butter for dairy-free butter and the Cornflakes for a vegan-friendly version (without vitamin D, such as Dove's Farm). Most ready-rolled shortcrust pastry is already dairy-free so these are the only changes you'll need to make.

FAQ

How long will Cornflake tray bake last for?

This traybake will last for up to 3 days if you keep it in an airtight container. It's best kept at room temperature to keep the Cornflakes as crunchy as possible.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, you can store this in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Make sure it's well sealed to prevent the pastry from going soggy! When you're ready to eat it, let it sit out at room temperature for an hour or two and once it's defrosted, consume it within 48 hours. Do not refreeze.

How can I make this recipe gluten-free?

You can make your Cornflake tart traybake gluten-free by using a gluten-free shortcrust pastry (Genius makes a frozen gluten-free pastry block) and free-from Cornflakes such as Dove's Farm. Make sure to double-check the labels on the other ingredients for risk of cross-contamination.

slice of golden syrup cornflake tray bake with custard on top

More traybake recipes

I hope this Cornflake tray bake brings back some positive school memories for you! If you make it at home, please let me know how it goes by leaving a rating or comment below. Enjoy!