Description
Bring back all the charm of your childhood favourites with this Cherry Bakewell School Dinner Traybake. A buttery almond sponge is layered with sticky raspberry jam and topped with thick pink icing and glacé cherries for the perfect retro dessert. Easy to make, perfect for sharing, and packed with classic British flavour—this traybake is school dinner nostalgia at its finest.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
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325g unsalted butter, softened
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325g caster sugar
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5 large eggs
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225g self-raising flour
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100g ground almonds
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1½ tsp baking powder
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100ml semi-skimmed milk
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2 tsp almond extract (optional)
For the Topping:
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200g seedless raspberry jam
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500g icing sugar
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~100ml water (added gradually)
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Pink food colouring (optional)
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Glacé cherries, halved
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 160°C (fan). Grease and line a 30x23cm traybake tin.
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Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
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Add eggs one at a time, with a spoonful of flour to prevent curdling.
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Fold in remaining flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and almond extract.
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Stir in milk until smooth and spoonable.
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Spread into tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden and springy.
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Cool completely, then spread warmed jam over the top.
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Mix icing sugar with water until thick but pourable. Add pink food colouring if using.
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Pour icing over jam, tilt to spread, and decorate with glacé cherries.
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Let set before slicing into 12–15 squares.
Notes
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For more frangipane flavour, swap 50g of flour for extra almonds.
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Keep in an airtight tin for up to 3 days.
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Perfect served with custard or just a cuppa.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes