Old School Dinner Sponge Cake (Sprinkle Traybake)

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This old-school sponge cake is sure to bring back school dinner memories! A simple, soft and fluffy vanilla traybake cake topped with the classic icing and sprinkles combo. This is perfect served with warm custard for a blast from the past that everyone will enjoy!

stack of vanilla sprinkle traybake cake slices

If you grew up in the UK in the 80s or 90s, you'll surely remember this retro school cake. I have been meaning to post my recipe for THE longest time and I can't wait for you to try it!

What is a school cake?

If you don't know what school dinner cake is, I am SO sorry, you have been missing out! School cake is a simple vanilla traybake topped with icing and sprinkles. It was a regular dessert at UK school dinners (alongside old school chocolate sponge), typically served with warm custard and sometimes even pink custard!

This cake is also known as sprinkle traybake, Tottenham cake, school dinner sponge and school traybake. And while it may look simple, it tastes heavenly!

Ingredients

Ready to get baking? Here's what you'll need for this recipe...

Butter: Make sure to soften your butter before you start baking as it can be very difficult to mix otherwise. You can either leave it out at room temperature for 60 minutes or you can cut it into cubes and put it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds until soft.
Sugar: Use caster sugar for the best texture. Caster sugar is a finer version of granulated sugar, somewhere in between granulated and icing (powdered) sugar.
Vanilla extract: To add flavour. 1 teaspoon is the perfect amount for school traybake cake.
Eggs: To bind the rest of the ingredients together and to help with leavening. You'll need 4 medium-sized eggs.
Flour: It's best to use self-raising flour to get that classic fluffy cake texture. If plain flour is all you have, just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe too.
Milk: This is to help loosen the batter a little bit. I typically add 2-3 tablespoons but you can add an extra one if you need to.
Icing sugar: For the simple icing. All you need to do is mix it with some cold milk or water.
Hundreds and thousands: We can't have a sprinkle traybake without these now can we?! My school specifically used hundreds and thousands which I why I chose them but you can use any other colourful sprinkles you like.

slice of school traybake on a plate with custard being poured on top

Tools

You will also need the following equipment for this traybake cake...

8x10-inch tin: I tested the recipe in this size of tin so I recommend using it if you can. A slightly larger tin such as 9x12-inch will work too but baking time may vary so keep an eye on it while it's in the oven. Alternatively, you can use my cake tin converter tool.
Baking paper: To stop the cake from sticking to the tin.
Electric hand whisk: This is not totally essential but it will save you an achy arm when mixing the cake batter.
Bowls and utensils: A large mixing bowl for the batter, a medium bowl for the icing, a wooden spoon for mixing, a teaspoon and tablespoon for measuring, and a sharp knife for cutting the cake. A toothpick or butter knife will also be handy for checking when the cake is done.
Wire rack: For cooling the cake. This helps to prevent moisture from gathering at the bottom of the cake, which would result in a sticky texture.

slices of old school dinner sponge cake on a white surface

How to make school dinner sponge cake

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C if you're using a fan oven). Then line an 8x10-inch tin with baking paper.

Step 2: In a large bowl, cream together 250g of softened butter and 250g of caster sugar then stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. It's handy to use an electric whisk for the mixing but a wooden spoon will work fine too.

butter and sugar mixed together in a bowl

Step 3: Measure out 250g of self-raising flour and have 4 eggs and 2 tablespoons of milk to hand. Stir them into the butter/sugar mixture, a little bit at a time until you have a smooth cake batter. Don't add them in all at once as the cake batter can end up curdled due to improper mixing.

Step 4: Spoon the cake batter into your lined tin and spread it out evenly. Bake it for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick through the middle comes out clean.

Step 5: Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Once the cake has cooled, prepare your icing by mixing 200g of icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk together. Spread it over the cake and top it with a few tablespoons of sprinkles.

Step 7: Let the sprinkle traybake sit at room temperature until the icing has hardened then cut it into slices and enjoy! I typically cut mine into 12 squares but you can make yours as big or as small as you'd like.

Top tips

Self-raising flour is key to a fluffy cake, as is using the correct tin size. As I explained earlier in the post, a slightly larger tin like a 9x12-inch tin will work fine but the cake will be a little thinner than what is shown in the pictures.
Serve with warm custard for a true retro school dinner cake experience.
If your icing is too thick, add a little more milk and if it's too thin, add more icing sugar.

FAQ

How long will school traybake last?

It'll last for up to 5 days. It should stored in an airtight container at room temperature but you can keep it in the fridge if you prefer.

Can you make this recipe with plain flour?

You sure can. While self-raising flour is best, you can also use plain flour, so long as you add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe.

Can you freeze old school cake?

Yes, you absolutely can! You can either put slices into airtight containers or you can freeze the whole cake on a baking tray until it's solid then wrap it tightly in clingfilm. It'll keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat it, just let it sit out at room temperature uncovered for an hour or two until thawed. Do not refreeze.

hand holding up a slice of retro school dinner sprinkle cake

More traybake recipes:

I hope you like this school dinner sprinkle traybake. If you make it at home, please leave a comment below to let me know what you think. Enjoy!