This is one of my most nostalgic bakes. I always used to get a thick, hearty slab of Tottenham cake at the weekend as my little Sunday treat. I remember the thick, vanilla sponge, layer of thick pink icing, and if it was super fancy, then it would even have some sprinkles on top. It was delicious. My favourite treat and one that always make me think of the perfect Sunday. So, as I got older, I knew it was a cake that I had to try and recreate. It might not follow a traditional Tottenham cake recipe, but this is definitely how I enjoyed this childhood classic. Tottenham
This is such a simple bake to make. A super soft and fluffy vanilla sponge, topped with a layer of pink icing. For the cake, I used a basic vanilla sponge recipe. I would always recommend using the best vanilla paste that you can afford. Trust me, it really makes a difference, and if you can, go for paste over essence. The taste is a lot fresher, not as ‘artificial’ and the final product tastes a lot better. I like to make my Tottenham cake quite thick so I make a larger cake batter and bake it in a square tin loaf, but you can always make it slightly thinner if you prefer.
Tottenham
Now, I have my top tip for this bake coming up. Remove the cake from the oven, leave it for about 10 minutes to sit in the tin, remove and allow it to cool. You really want this cake to have a ‘flat’ top, so if your cake has risen slightly during baking (completely normal!), get a sharp knife and carefully ‘flatten’ the cake. Slicing away any lumpy bits until it looks flat. It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect. Now flip the cake over so the top is now the bottom, and the bottom is the top. This is where you’re going to add your topping. Tottenham
Once the cake is cooled, make a batch of simple runny icing (icing sugar and water), and add a little bit of pink food colouring to make it the gorgeous vibrant pink colour. I always use a paste food colouring, as I’ve found that a liquid one can change the consistency of the icing altogether. You want this to be a little thicker so that it sits on top of the cake in a nice thick layer, rather than spilling all over the sides. Pour or spread over your cake, add a few sprinkles if you’re really feeling fancy 😉 and allow the icing sugar to dry and set. Using a sharp knife cut the cake up into sections. You can make these as big or as small as you like, squares, rectangles, it’s completely up to you. Tottenham
Ingredients
- 230 g / Self Raising Flour
- 230 g / 8 oz Margarine
- 140 g / 5 oz Caster Sugar
- 4 Medium Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste
- 4 Tablespoons Icing Sugar - For Topping
- Pink Food Colouring - For Topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160*c Fan Oven/180*c/350*f/Gas Mark 4.
- Grease and line a square baking tin with baking paper.
- Place the self raising flour, margarine, eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla paste into an electric mixer, and beat together until light and fluffy, and spoon in the mixture into your prepared tin.
- Cook for 45 minutes to an hour checking regularly, or until light and fluffy. You can tell it's ready when it springs back when lightly pressed. You could also insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, then the cake is ready.
- Once ready, remove from the oven.
- Allow it to sit in the pan for roughly 10 minutes before turning out onto a wired baking tray and allowing it to cool completely.
- Once cooled, using a sharp knife, 'trim' any excess cake to create a flat surface, discarding any extras.
- Turn the cake over, so that the bottom has now become the top, and remove the baking paper.
- Whilst the cake is cooling, make the icing. Add icing sugar to a cup/bowl and add a small amount of water and mix. If the texture is too thick, then add a little bit more water. If it’s too thin add a little bit more icing sugar. Keep going until you reach your desired consistency. I like mine to be quite thick so that I have a nice thick layer of icing on top of my cake.
- Add the food colouring a little at a time until you reach your desired colour.
- Spread/pour a layer of icing on to the cake and allow it to set.
- If you want to add any additional toppings, such as sprinkles, now is the time, before the icing sets completely.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the cake into squares, this can be smaller, more dainty bites, or larger and heartier slabs, it's completely up to you!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag me on Instagram at @CupfulofSprinkles.
Ingredients
- 230 g / Self Raising Flour
- 230 g / 8 oz Margarine
- 140 g / 5 oz Caster Sugar
- 4 Medium Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste
- 4 Tablespoons Icing Sugar - For Topping
- Pink Food Colouring - For Topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160*c Fan Oven/180*c/350*f/Gas Mark 4.
- Grease and line a square baking tin with baking paper.
- Place the self raising flour, margarine, eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla paste into an electric mixer, and beat together until light and fluffy, and spoon in the mixture into your prepared tin.
- Cook for 45 minutes to an hour checking regularly, or until light and fluffy. You can tell it's ready when it springs back when lightly pressed. You could also insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, then the cake is ready.
- Once ready, remove from the oven.
- Allow it to sit in the pan for roughly 10 minutes before turning out onto a wired baking tray and allowing it to cool completely.
- Once cooled, using a sharp knife, 'trim' any excess cake to create a flat surface, discarding any extras.
- Turn the cake over, so that the bottom has now become the top, and remove the baking paper.
- Whilst the cake is cooling, make the icing. Add icing sugar to a cup/bowl and add a small amount of water and mix. If the texture is too thick, then add a little bit more water. If it’s too thin add a little bit more icing sugar. Keep going until you reach your desired consistency. I like mine to be quite thick so that I have a nice thick layer of icing on top of my cake.
- Add the food colouring a little at a time until you reach your desired colour.
- Spread/pour a layer of icing on to the cake and allow it to set.
- If you want to add any additional toppings, such as sprinkles, now is the time, before the icing sets completely.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the cake into squares, this can be smaller, more dainty bites, or larger and heartier slabs, it's completely up to you!
Looking for more baking ideas?
Have a look in the recipe section:
Want to stay up to date and receive exclusive content and recipes? Follow me and never miss a moment!
