This easy vanilla tray bake is the perfect blank canvas cake for any event, afternoon tea, children's cooking project or when you want a slice of vanilla sponge cake at a weekend. Even served as it is the vanilla traybake is an easy quick sponge tray bake that everyone will love.
Grease and line a 9 inch by 12 inch traybake cake tin with greaseproof paper.
In a large mixing bowl cream together the 400g butter, 100 light brown soft sugar and 250g caster sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the 4 medium eggs and mix in along with the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Sieve the 375g flour, 0.5 tsp baking powder and pinch of salt into the mixing bowl. Mix until incorporated but don't over mix.
Gently add in the 100ml milk little at a time. If it starts to curdle add 1 tablespoon of plain flour.
Pour the mix into the prepared tin and level out. Gently tap the tin on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the centre of the cake is cooked - use a cake tester or skewer to check. If the tester comes out clean the cake is cooked. If it has pieces of uncooked cake on leave the cake to cook for a few minutes more and test again.
Leave in the tin to cool for 30 minutes and then remove from the tin to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Buttercream
Make sure the unsalted butter is at room temperature as it will help make it a lot easier to make.
Using a hand mixer, mix the 125g butter and 150g icing sugar together.
Add the 180g cream cheese and create a smooth mix. It should be more thick than runny and will hold its shape. If it's too runny add a tablespoon of icing sugar at a time and whisk until it thickens up.
Smear the cream cheese buttercream thickly over the cold cake.
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Notes
It makes 12 large slices but we often make these bitesize pieces where you can actually get 48 pieces out of the cake.
The cake will last for up to 5 days in an air tight container.
Store somewhere cool but not the fridge.
For the best results use the eggs and butter from room temperature.