Charity bake cake

A charity bake cake should be delicious, visually appealing, easy to portion, and made with ingredients that suit a variety of tastes. Here’s a great option that balances all those needs:

🎂 Charity Bake Cake: Classic Vanilla Traybake with Buttercream Icing

✅ Why it’s ideal:

• Easy to slice and serve (or sell in squares)

• Simple, familiar flavors loved by most

• Can be customized with sprinkles, fruit, or messages

🍰 Ingredients

For the cake:

• 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

• 225g (1 cup) caster sugar

• 4 eggs

• 225g (1¾ cups) self-raising flour

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2–3 tbsp milk

For the buttercream:

• 150g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter, softened

• 300g (2½ cups) icing sugar, sifted

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1–2 tbsp milk

🧁 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a 9×13 inch traybake tin (or similar).

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Fold in the flour, then add milk to loosen the batter to a soft dropping consistency.

5. Pour into the tin, level the top, and bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden and springy.

6. Let the cake cool completely in the tin.

🎨 Decorating

1. Beat together the buttercream ingredients until smooth.

2. Spread evenly over the cooled cake.

3. Decorate with:

   • Sprinkles

   • Edible glitter

   • Custom messages (e.g., “Thank You”, “Support Local”, or your charity name)

✂️ Portioning

Cut into 12–24 squares, depending on your needs.

Would you like variations (e.g., lemon drizzle, chocolate, or gluten-free versions)?