This is my go to sponge when there will be a get together and I want a quick crowd pleaser. It's an all-in-one recipe, so it's very straight forward. I made this on Friday, it fed 5 adults and 8 kids with plenty left over for sneaky seconds.

I got the recipe from a library book years ago, so am not entirely sure who to credit - I think it was either a Mary Berry or Jane Asher book, I love their books, so it was probably one of theirs!

Ingredients:

• 225 g softened butter
• 225 g castor sugar
• 275 g self raising flour (sifted)
• 2 level teaspoons of baking powder (sifted)
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons of milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180° or 160° fan. Grease a 12 x 9 traybake or roasting tin. Line the base with baking parchment
2. Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat until blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level
3. Bake in the pre-heated oven for around 35-40 minutes or until the cake has shrunk from the sides of the tin and springs back to touch. Leave to cool in tin
4. Cover with buttercream when cooled (recipe below) and sprinkle with sweets or decorations.

Some @thecakemum observations/tips:

• It's worth investing in a brownie or traybake tin. I bought a Wilton one years ago and have used it so much. The one I have is called 'Wilton Recipe Right Sheet Pan', how's that for a mouthful! It's 13 x 9.5 inches.
• I beat the mixture for 1-2 mins with my mixer
• My oven is very hot, so I check the cake at 25 mins and normally take it out just before 30 mins. Every oven is different so get to know your ovenas a few minutes can make all the difference. My oven is 30° hotter than the temp on the gauge, so it's worth buying a cheap oven gauge to stick inside the oven.
• If I'm bringing the cake to a gathering. I remove it from the tin, peel off the baking parchment and decorate it. I then put new parchment at the bottom of the tin and put the traybake back in the tin. Cover it with clingfilm and off I go - see pic. I cut it when I get to my destination. This saves a lot of hassle, looking for a box or worrying if it it will get damaged on the way.

Buttercream:

Ingredients:

• 200g softened unsalted butter
• 400g icing sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of cooled boiled water

Method:

Soften the butter, gradually add the icing sugar and vanilla. Add the water one spoon at a time, while mixing at a very low speed. Beat well on a high speed when combined.