Is there anything more nostalgic than the sight of Old School Sponge Cake? Just the sight of those multi-coloured sprinkles sends me back to primary school and the buzz of excitement when you would walk into the school lunchroom and they were serving sponge cake that day.
Nostalgic Isolation Bakes – Old School Spong Cake
Back in March 2020 when the UK was placed in its first Covid-19 lockdown my business ground to a halt. Understandably all of my orders were cancelled or postponed and I was left wondering what to do with myself. Noticing how the entire country was suddenly baking banana bread I developed ‘Isolation Bakes’. These were recipes I shared on my Instagram that people could easily bake themselves at home with limited ingredients available. I created recipes that could easily be adapted depending on what ingredients people had within their homes or what was available to buy in shops due to all the panic buying. I loved creating these recipes, not only did it keep me busy while I was unable to work, it was so lovely to see others trying the recipes. So I thought it was now the time for these recipes to have a permanent home on my new blog.
Of all the ‘Isolation Bakes’ recipes I created, the Old School Sponge Cake was by far the most popular. I think nostalgia is really comforting in periods of upheaval and this is a cake recipe that definitely takes you back to simpler times.
So what exactly is Old School Sponge Cake?
Put it simply it’s a vanilla sponge cake topped with runny icing and sprinkles. It’s so simple but what makes it so beautiful is using a light sponge for that soft nostalgic taste that contrasts perfectly with the crunch of the sprinkles.
The classic way to serve this cake is of course with traditional multicoloured sprinkles. However, if you walk down the home baking aisle in any major supermarket these days you will find a massive variety of different colour sprinkle mixes meaning you can give this nostalgic recipe your own twist. I’d love to see your results, if you’ve tried this recipe make sure you tag me on Instagram @jessicalaurencakes or comment below.
Old School Sponge Cake
Ingredients
For the sponge:
- 200 g unsalted butter (softened)
- 175 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract / vanilla bean paste
- 200 g white self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp milk
For the icing:
- 250 g icing sugar (sifted)
- 4-5 tbsp milk
- 30-50 g sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a rectangular pan with greaseproof paper
- Cream your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
- Beat the eggs and slowly pour into the creamed mixture followed by the vanilla
- Add the self-raising flour and finally fold in two tablespoons of milk
- Pour the mixture into the baking pan and smooth evenly with the back of a spoon or spatula
- Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
- Leave the sponge to cool completely in its tin before attempting to decorate. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and whisk in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the correct consistency is achieved. You want the icing to be runny but still white and opaque. If the icing becomes translucent you have gone too far and may need to add more icing sugar.
- Pour the icing over the cake still in its tin and smooth it out evenly with a palette knife or the back of a spoon.
- Decorate with the sprinkles while the icing is still wet and then leave the icing to set
- Once the icing has set cut into squares and enjoy!
