Another step closer to fulfilling my promise to make all the cakes which feature in my first novel, Art and Soul. This time it’s simple old school sponge cake with water icing and sugar hundreds and thousands. This cake is a childhood classic (it brings back memories of the sponge with sprinkles they used to serve in my school canteen) and the favourite of the novel’s second-most important character: Charlie. As if that weren’t enough, it eventually becomes an important plot point. Who knew cake could be so influential? 🙂
Ingredients
- 200 g butter/margarine (7 oz or approx. 7/8 of a cup)
- 175 g caster sugar (6 oz or approx. 3/4 of a cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 3 eggs
- 200 g self raising flour (7 oz or approx. 1+3/4 cups)
Method
This school sponge cake is made is a rectangular tray and ideally is should rise only a little and evenly to give you a flat surface to ice.
Grease your tray and line with baking paper. My rectangular tin measures 32 x 19 cm and 3 cm deep. In inches that’s 12.5 x 7.5 and just over an inch deep. You can use any shape baking tin for this recipe as long as it has a similar volume to the one I used.
Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees C (140 fan)/ 325 degrees F or Gas Mark 3.
If making the old school sponge cake by hand, I’d suggest creaming together the butter and sugar first, then adding the eggs, then the flour. If you’re using a mixer, you can put all the ingredients in and combine in one go.
Pour your sponge cake mixture into your tray and bake for 25-35 minutes. Keep an eye on your cake. When it goes a golden brown it’s time to take it out. If in doubt, stick a knife into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, your sponge cake is done.
I left mine in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
When your cake has cooled you can get to the fun part – the icing!
I used ordinary icing sugar and added a little water until I got the consistency I wanted (not too runny or it will all slide off the cake leaving only a translucent layer). Sorry I don’t have exact quantities for the icing sugar and water, I just did it all by eye… I would guess it was around 250 g / 9 oz icing sugar, then I added a teaspoon of water at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until I got the thickness I wanted (it should coat the back of the spoon you’re using to mix the icing). Don’t panic if yours goes too thin: you can “rescue” it by adding a little more icing sugar to thicken it up again. Of course, if you’d like pink icing, or any other colour, you only need to add a few drops of food colouring to your basic white icing mix. Once your school sponge cake is covered in the icing, sprinkle over your hundreds and thousands, coloured sugar strands, sprinkles or any other decorations you fancy.
If you cut the school sponge cake into squares, you should be able to get 15-20 servings out of it (depending on how generous you are). I cut mine into triangles, as that’s how it’s served in Art and Soul and was how the canteen used to serve it when I was at school. But it tastes just as good whatever the shape and goes particularly well with a cup of tea 🙂
Claire Huston / Art and Soul
I love cakes like this, reminds me of buying pieces for 20p at school fetes etc. Makes me feel all nostalgic, particularly with the hundreds and thousands. I’m going to definitely give this one a try.
I can see if I ever read your book (which I hope I will) I’m going to need a supply of snacks to ward away hunger pangs x
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It makes me so happy to hear that! The reason it’s the character’s favourite in my book is because it reminds him of his school where they used to sell this cake in the canteen 🙂 Glad to hear it’s not just me!
You can’t beat a nice simple sponge cake, especially with a nice cup of tea.
All the cake featured is probably a result of me writing while stuffing myself 😉
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I liked it
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I want to be able to buy one of these in the shops……a lovely plain sponge with icing………not the usual salted caramel, chocolate carrot rubbish. Your cake has made me hungry . Thank you
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Thank you 🙂
You can’t beat a nice slice of plain sponge with simple water icing 🙂
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Reminds me of the fairy sandwiches I do for afternoon tea with young kids. Just butter bread or open bridge rolls and sprinkle with fairy dust aka sprinkles. I don’t know why, but they just love ’em…and of course they can (messily) help make them.
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Ooo, lovely! On our Christmas trip to see the family in Spain, my son had his first ever “Nutella sandwich” which is quite a common treat there!
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This cake was amazing – ultimate highlight of British primary school
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We had it at my secondary school and it was hands-down the best thing on sale in the canteen! I would have eaten a whole tray if I could 🙂
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I just wish there had been more Bailey. I loved that kid. He was brilliant!
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What the size of the tin plz?? Thanks
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I’ve just measured my tin. It’s 32 x 19 cm and 3 cm deep. In inches that’s 12.5 x 7.5 and just over an inch deep.
Thank you for asking – I’m going to update the recipe page with this information! 🙂
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hi was the cake in the pic made with butter or marg? the cake i had at school used to have a white sponge.. think they used marg as butter tend to make sponges yellow…
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Hello. I used baking margarine. Butter would be ok if you beat it for a few minutes at the start of the method before adding the sugar. Butter will lose almost almost all its yellow colour the the longer you beat it. But it’s only one to try if you have an electric mixer or beaters to take the work out of it for you!
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Love making this cake recipe, do you have a chocolate sponge recipe which is as nice as this one.
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Thank you.
My favourite chocolate sponge recipe makes quite a fudgy, moist chocolate cake. It’s a very reliable recipe and easy to make. It’s here: https://clairehuston.wordpress.com/2016/03/11/recipe-double-chocolate-easter-cake-with-mini-eggs/
Just ignore all the decoration, the basic cake mix is always the same 🙂
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Thank you
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Made this for a mate. Turned out brilliant , unfortunately can’t post a photo
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That’s great to hear 🙂 I hope they liked it!
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I made this for my husband and kids today-who had never had this before. It was so lovely- I was worried that it wouldn’t turn out as I remember from school but it was spot on. Thank you so much!
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I’m so pleased it turned out well for you. I’ve tried a few sponge cake recipes, but this is still the one which produces a sponge most like the one they used to sell in our school canteen. It was so lovely 🙂 Brings back good memories!
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Hi, what sized eggs do you use please?
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Hello. 3 large eggs would be best. However the recipe will still work with medium sized if that’s what you usually have in the kitchen 🙂
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Made this cake today, definitely brought back memories to primary school. Thanks for sharing
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I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂 It’s a recipe that’s never let me down and I’m so happy it turned out well for you too.
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I made this for the grandchildren but luckily enough all the adults liked it too. I can’t believe how quick and easy it is. I have just made another one for a MacMillan charity coffee morning in a couple of days. Thank you.
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That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you for telling me 🙂 I’m delighted everyone liked it. It’s such a reliable recipe. I hope the Macmillan Coffee Morning goes well and everyone likes the cake.
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Love sprinkles and these cakes (Confession….really lazy fairy slices for kids…bread and butter with sprinkles all over the butter. Crunchy, sweet and buttery …salivating at the thought )
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I’ve heard of those open sandwiches! I think the were one of my Granny’s specialties along with Mars Bar sandwiches! (things that only your Granny can get away with feeding you!) 🙂
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I’m going to make this tomorrow and was just wondering if you had any measurements for th icing?
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I would recommend using about 250 g (9 oz) icing sugar. Add a teaspoon of water to the icing sugar at a time, mixing well after each addition. Go slowly because it can become too thin really fast – although you can always “rescue” it by adding a bit more icing sugar to thicken the mix up again.
I hope it turns out well for you – it’s a reliable recipe which hasn’t let me down yet! 🙂
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Thank you 😊
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Would adding coco powder to the mix make this into a cholaite sponge , or would it mess the recipe up , thank you
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It should be fine 🙂
You could add a dessertspoon full of cocoa powder dissolved in a tablespoonful of warm water. Or 50g of melted chocolate.
I hope it turns out well for you 🙂
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This is the same recipe my gran passed on to me. Thanks for reminding me to bake.
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Thank you – this is one of the nicest comments I’ve ever had here 🙂 I hope all your baking goes well!
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Do you need to wait for the cake to cool before icing?
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It is best to wait. If the cake is still warm then the icing tends to all run off! I hope it turns out well for you 🙂
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Thank you 😊
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Used this recipe spot on
Was delicious
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Brilliant! I’m so glad to hear it went well 🙂
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I loved this cake in school. Just been out to buy the ingredients and I’m just waiting to take it out of the oven. Ok let you know how it turns out. Thank you for your easy recipe.
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I really hope it turns out well for you. It’s one of my all – time favourites! 🙂
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I love this recipe Claire it’s one of my most made cakes, thank you!
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That’s great, and so lovely to hear – thank you! It’s one of my all-time favourites 🙂
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