Nut-free school traybake cake
A simple, nut-free traybake with jam and buttercream — easy to slice for lunchboxes and safe for school.
This is a straightforward nut-free traybake designed for school lunchboxes — easy to slice, transport and safe for nut-allergy environments. It’s essentially a roomy Victoria-style sponge finished with jam and a simple buttercream smothered on top.
Quick to make and forgiving: a good recipe for busy parents, cake sales or any time you want a dependable, crowd-pleasing bake that travels well.
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour
- 10 ml baking powder
- 5 ml fine sea salt
- 325 g unsalted butter — total amount: 200 g for cake, 125 g for buttercream
- 200 g caster sugar
- 4 eggs — large
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 60 ml whole milk
- 200 g raspberry jam
- 250 g icing sugar
- 15 ml double cream
Equipment
- 20 x 30 cm baking tin
- wire rack
- electric hand mixer
Instructions
Heat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Grease and line a 20 x 30 cm baking tin with baking paper, leaving a slight overhang to lift the cake out later.
Sift together the plain flour and baking powder into a medium bowl, then stir in the fine sea salt. Set to one side.
In a large bowl, beat 200 g of the unsalted butter (room temperature) with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes with an electric hand mixer or 5–7 minutes by hand.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the whole milk — begin and finish with the dry mix. Fold gently until just combined; do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the top with a spatula. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out using the paper overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool for a further 30 minutes.
While the cake cools, make the buttercream: beat the remaining 125 g unsalted butter until soft, then gradually beat in the icing sugar until smooth. Add the double cream a little at a time to loosen to a spreadable consistency.
Chill the buttercream in the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up slightly before using so it’s easier to pipe or spread.
When the cake is completely cool, spread the raspberry jam evenly over the top, then pipe or spoon the buttercream in rows or dollops. If making for lunchboxes, press lightly to create even portions.
Using a sharp knife, cut the traybake into 12 even squares. Store in an airtight container once fully cooled and set.
Tips
- Make sure butter is at room temperature for proper creaming; if it’s too cold the cake will be dense.
- Sift the icing sugar to avoid a lumpy buttercream; add double cream very sparingly — you can always loosen later.
- To check for doneness, insert a skewer into the centre; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Cool the cake fully before adding jam and buttercream — warm toppings will slide and make the surface messy.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze individual squares for up to 1 month (defrost in the fridge).
Substitutions
unsalted butter → vegetable baking block, same weight
Stays closewhole milk → oat milk, 60 ml
Stays closeraspberry jam → strawberry jam or lemon curd (for a tangier finish), same weight
Noticeably differenticing sugar → caster sugar blitzed in a food processor to a fine powder (use 250 g)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 517
- Calories
- 5 g
- Protein
- 68 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 48 g
- Sugar
- 240 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this cake dairy-free?
Yes: replace the unsalted butter with a dairy-free baking block and use a plant-based cream and plant milk. Texture will be very similar though the flavour is slightly different.
Can I split the bake into two layers for a sandwich cake?
You can slice the traybake horizontally, but it’s fiddly. Use a long serrated knife and chill the cake first to firm it up; this reduces tearing. Alternatively, bake in two shallower tins.
How do I ensure the cake is safe for a nut-free school?
Use only labelled nut-free ingredients and check jars (jam, baking products) for factory warnings. Avoid adding decorations that may contain nuts and wash all equipment thoroughly.
Can I freeze this cake?
Yes — freeze un-iced squares wrapped tightly for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge and add buttercream fresh if possible for best texture.
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