Vegan school cake is a nostalgic traybake that brings back memories of school dinners. This comforting dessert is a soft vanilla sheet cake finished with a white glace icing and colourful sprinkles. It’s quick and simple to make and delicious served plain or with vegan custard.
What is school cake?
School cake is a classic British traybake traditionally served as ‘pudding’ in school lunches. It’s a simple vanilla sponge baked in a rectangular tin, topped with a white glace icing and plenty of sprinkles, then cut into squares. For many people it’s a nostalgic treat best enjoyed with a generous pour of custard.
This retro cake is ideal for feeding a crowd: no fancy decorating skills required and it’s easy to scale up or down.
Ingredient details
Sprinkles: A school cake needs sprinkles. Check the label to ensure they are vegan (some contain beeswax or non-vegan colourings). Choose a vegan-friendly confetti or rainbow sprinkle blend.
Oil + vegan butter: A mix of neutral oil and vegan block butter gives both moisture and flavour. Use a neutral-flavoured oil (not coconut) and a block-style vegan butter for best results; spreadable varieties can work if they’re not ‘light’.
Non-dairy yogurt: Plant yogurt (soy or coconut) works well as an egg replacer and keeps the cake moist. If you don’t have yogurt, replace it with additional non-dairy milk.
Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda: Use both leavening agents as specified; they work together to give a light texture.
Milk: Any unsweetened non-dairy milk will work; soy milk is preferable for baking because of its higher protein content.
Vinegar: Reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to help the cake rise and create a fluffy crumb.
Sugar: Caster or granulated sugar is recommended for the cake. Icing (powdered) sugar is used for the glaze.
Vanilla extract: Real vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste will give better flavour than synthetic essence.
How to make vegan school cake
(Full measurements and detailed instructions are in the recipe card below)
- Step 1: Whisk together the milk, yogurt, oil, melted vegan block butter, sugar, vinegar and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Step 2: Whisk in the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, then fold in the flour until just combined.
- Step 3: Pour the batter into a lined 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) cake tin and spread level.
- Step 4: Bake for around 25 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean.
- Step 5: To make the icing, sift icing sugar into a bowl, add vanilla and gradually stir in enough water to reach a thick but pourable consistency (similar to honey).
- Step 6: Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake, scatter with sprinkles while the icing is wet, cut into squares and serve.
Top tips
Use metric measurements and a digital scale for consistent baking results—cup measures are often inaccurate. Use proper measuring spoons (15 ml tablespoon, 5 ml teaspoon) rather than household cutlery.
Do not over-beat the batter; mix by hand with a balloon whisk until there are no dry lumps. Let the cake cool completely before icing to avoid the glaze melting into the sponge.
Keep the icing thick but pourable. If it’s too runny it will run off the cake; if too thick add a couple of drops of water at a time. Add sprinkles while the icing is still wet so they stick.
Variations
- Lemon: Add the finely grated zest of 2–3 lemons to the batter and replace the water in the icing with lemon juice for a tangy glaze.
- Almond: Add 1 teaspoon almond extract to the batter and about ½ teaspoon to the icing for a distinct almond flavour.
- Seasonal colours: Tint the icing pink, orange or green for celebrations and swap sprinkle colours for festive themes.
- Buttercream: Replace the water icing with vegan buttercream or cream cheese frosting for a different finish.
- Funfetti: If your sprinkles are bake-stable, fold a few tablespoons into the batter for a funfetti cake.
FAQ
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days.
Freeze the un-iced cake for up to 3 months. Wrap well to avoid freezer burn and defrost at room temperature. Freezing the iced cake can make the icing wet and may cause colour bleed from sprinkles.
This sheet cake usually bakes flat, but for a perfectly even surface flip the cake upside down before icing so the bottom becomes the top.
Yes—half the recipe fits a 20 cm (8 in) square tin.
Recipe card (summary)
Vegan School Cake
Ingredients — Cake
- 240 g unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy preferred)
- 120 g plain non-dairy yogurt (or extra milk)
- 83 g neutral oil
- 120 g vegan block butter, melted
- 250 g caster or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 400 g plain (all-purpose) flour
Ingredients — Icing
- 450 g icing (powdered) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4–5 tablespoons water (adjust to consistency)
- 2–3 tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions (summary)
- Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan (350°F). Line a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) tin with baking parchment.
- Whisk milk, yogurt, oil, melted butter, sugar, vinegar and vanilla together in a large bowl.
- Whisk in baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, then fold in the flour until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Sift icing sugar into a bowl, add vanilla and gradually mix in water to a thick but pourable consistency. Pour over the cooled cake, add sprinkles while wet, let set 30 minutes, then slice.
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