Easy Old School Sprinkle Cake

Easy old school sprinkle cake is a delicious retro recipe, vanilla sponge topped with sweet white icing and a whole load of fabulous sprinkles. A super easy traybake that is as much a favourite with adults and children alike.

Light fluffy vanilla sponge topped with a shiny white blanket of icing and covered with bright, colourful sprinkles. I challenge anyone not to feel positively uplifted whilst gazing upon such a cheerful sight, never mind once you get to actually sinking your teeth into such a deliciously sticky square.

Please Miss, can I have some more..

Jump to:

• Reasons to make this easy traybake
• Equipment Required
• Ingredients
• Method
• Tips & Tricks for Sprinkle Cake
• Variations
• More simple and easy old school recipes.
• Easy Old School Sprinkle Cake

Reasons to make this easy traybake

• an old fashioned classic that makes you feel like 5 even if you're 55 (ssshhhhh!)
• super delicious
• easy way to feed a crowd
• so pretty
• easy recipe
• versatile, can make it with different flavours easily
• great fun to make with the kids

*There is a full, printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.*

Equipment Required

• Digital Scales
• electric whisk or free standing mixer
• baking paper or reusable liner
• Spatula
• Small Whisk
• Mixing Bowl
• small bowl
• 20cm x 30cm (9" x 12") baking tin
• cooling rack

Ingredients

• 250 grams (8.8 oz) self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250 grams (8.8 oz) butter or baking spread (room temperature)
• 250 grams (8.8 oz) caster sugar
• 5 large eggs or 250 grams eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 350 grams icing sugar
• sprinkles

Method

• Preheat oven to 180℃ electric - 160℃ fan or Gas Mark 4

• Measure out all the ingredients (apart from the icing ingredients) into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk or mixer for a few minutes until it goes pale in colour.

• Line your 30 cm x 20 cm tin with baking paper or a reusable silicone lining. Here is a great explanation of how to line a baking tin.

• Dollop it on in there.

• Level it gently with a flat spatula.

• Bake for 40 minutes until golden and springy to the touch.

• Meanwhile mix the icing sugar and water together in a bowl with a whisk. It needs to be a thickish consistency but spreadable enough.

• More dolloping required here but this time onto the sponge.

• spread with a flat spatula until smoothish. It can be a bit tricky here as you need to be careful to not lift the cake crumbs from the surface so that they mix with the icing. It can be helpful here to use a smoothing action rather than spread and lift the spatula. If the icing is too thick this will happen so try a tbsp on the cake first to check that you have the right thickness before you begin.
• Add a tsp of extra milk if you need to make it thinner or some extra icing sugar if it's too thin, sounds obvious I know but just trying to help the beginners amongst you. I can't tell you how many icing sugar black holes I've fallen into in my time....

• sprinkle the sprinkle out of the beautiful white icing whilst it is still wet.

• Leave to set for a couple of hours and then cut into suitable sized squares.

Tips & Tricks for Sprinkle Cake

• make sure butter and eggs are at room temperature
• measure out all your ingredients before you start
• line your tin ready
• try a tester dollop of icing to make sure it is not too thick or thin in the spreadable department
• Add a tsp of extra milk if you need to make it thinner or some extra icing sugar if it's too thin
• use a smoothing action with your spatula without lifting it up at all to keep the crumbs from the top of the cake from mixing into the icing.
• make sure fully cool before icing
• let the kids go wild with the sprinkles for maximum childishness

Variations

• chocolate this recipe up by adding 50 grams of dark cocoa powder and subtracting 50 grams of the flour. See my easy chocolate cake for delicious chocolate icing.
• add lemon or orange extract for a citrus vibe and add a few drops to the icing too
• Top with a vanilla buttercream and strawberries for a simple summer bake or raspberries and a white chocolate icing.

More simple and easy old school recipes.

• Victoria Sponge Traybake
• Iced Buns
• Flapjacks
• Marshmallow Krispies
• Chocolate Shortbread (Concrete)
• Traybake Recipes
• Chocolate Cracknell
• Old School Jam & Coconut Sponge
• Light Fruit Cake
• Rock Cakes
• Jam Sponge
• Treacle Sponge
• Lemon Sponge