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
250 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
250 g caster sugar
5 medium eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
275 g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. milk
350 g smooth strawberry jam2tbsp desiccated coconut
2 Tbsp. 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
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. 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
