Nostalgic desserts are all the rage right now! We have recreated the school dinner classic of a vanilla sponge topped with strawberry jam and desiccated coconut and it’s every bit as good as we remembered.
This easy traybake cake will transport you straight back to your school days. A vanilla sponge gets topped with jam and desiccated coconut, the perfect teatime treat!
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Yields:
20 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Cal/Serv:
270
Ingredients
250g
unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
250g
caster sugar
5
medium eggs, lightly beaten
2tsp.
vanilla extract
275g
self-raising flour
1/2tsp.
baking powder
2Tbsp.
milk
350g
smooth strawberry jam2tbsp desiccated coconut
2Tbsp.
desiccated coconut
Directions
Step 1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C) mark 4. Lightly grease and line the base and sides of a 20.5 x 30.5cm straight-sided roasting tin with baking parchment.
Step 2 In a large bowl, using a handheld electric whisk, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Step 3Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture looks like it’s about to curdle. Add the vanilla extract and beat again to combine.
Step 4Using a large metal spoon, fold in the (remaining) flour, baking powder and milk until just combined. Scrape into the prepared roasting tin, smooth to level, and bake for 25-30min until golden, risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.4 Leave to cool in tin for 10min, then, using the paper to help, lift sponge out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Step 5Once cool, peel off baking parchment and transfer cake to a serving board. Stir jam with a spoon to slacken then spread on top of the sponge. Sprinkle over the desiccated coconut. Cut into pieces and serve.
To store:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days
A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurstis our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.
