Many people will look back at school dinners and remember hard vegetables, flavourless meat and burned chips, but hasn’t stopped some reminiscing over their lunchtime dessert, which has become an unlikely new trend on Instagram.
‘School dinner cake’, a vanilla sponge cake with white icing and sprinkles has taken over UK social media, with more than 20,000 posts on the hashtag in the last few weeks.
It’s become so popular it’s appearing on menus at restaurants and bakeries across the country offering home delivery – as thousands become nostalgic for the dessert which is being branded the lightest, fluffiest, cake ever’.
‘School dinner cake’, a vanilla sponge cake with white icing and sprinkles has taken over UK social media, with more than 20,000 posts on the hashtag in the last few weeks. Pictured: One Instagram users cake
It’s become so popular it’s appearing on menus at restaurants and bakeries across the country – as thousands become nostalgic for the dessert which is being branded the lightest, fluffiest, cake ever’. Pictured: one Instagram users cake
The rise in popularity of the delicious dessert – also known as a sprinkle cake or iced tray bake – may be down to a surge of nostalgia in lockdown.
In December, Waitrose revealed shoppers are snapping up retro puddings as they seek comfort after a difficult year.
The rise in popularity of the delicious dessert – also known as a sprinkle cake or iced tray bake – may be down to a surge of nostalgia in lockdown. Pictured: One Instagram users cake
Reliving my childhood! One user shared a picture with sprinkles inside the cake saying they could taste the nostalgia
Sales of trifles were up 35 per cent in 2020 and other retro desserts such as sticky toffee pudding and cherry pie have seen a 60 per cent increase, figures from the British supermarket chain reveal.
The humble apple and blackberry crumble is another dessert which is receiving more love than normal as it has sold 13 per cent better than last year.
Online searches for ‘sponge pudding’ and ‘bread and butter pudding’ also saw an increase by 888 per cent and 349 per cent respectively.
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Many Instagram users are selling the cake online – with hundreds being desperate to snap up the nostalgic dessert
The classic traybake cake has been a staple of school dinners for decades, was its cheap to make and easy to serve
‘Want to relive your childhood? This school cake will take you there,’ one Instagram user wrote.
‘Who remembers school dinners with sponge and custard?! When I was at Primary School (age 4-11) this was my absolute favourite dessert, so I thought I’d recreate it,’ said another.
‘This is the lightest, fluffiest sponge ever,’ commented a third.
A classic treat! Many are showing the cake with different kinds of sprinkles – including circle sprinkles
Meanwhile, Min Y Don holiday park in Twywn, North Wales revealed their added the cake to the menu, while the Nom Bakery in Nottingham said they were doing the same.
The experts behind the Young British Food & Drink Awards, which celebrates fresh voices in food writing, also found that nostalgic deserts are on the rise in their 2021 report.
When times get tough, escapism is the place Brits find happiness and M&S has seen the mini battered sausages chip shop style boxes soar in sales due to our love affair with comfort food, the YBF report reveals.
Cake and custard! One Instagram chef poured their custard over their sponge mix for an extra dose of nostalgia
Meanwhile, the once old-fashioned tipple Sherry is making a comeback, while Brits are turning to sweet treats to give themselves a boost from the misery of Covid tiers and lockdowns
Sales of luxury quality chocolate and confectionery have soared as people comfort eat in what is known as the ‘Covid Confectionery Effect’ by producers of premium foods and hampers – who have reported a leap in demand for classic delicacies in recent months.
Sales of ‘old fashioned’ sweets from people’s childhoods, like cola cubes, rhubarb and custards, mint imperials, sherbet pips and other nostalgic products such as fudge, toffee and chocolate are soaring as the UK endures continued restrictions.
Min Y Don holiday park in Twywn, North Wales revealed their added the cake to the menu (pictured)
The dessert cup co, in Batley, West Yorkshire, also offers the cake, which they describe as ‘light and fluffy’
Cartwright & Butler, which is based in Yorkshire, reported a rise of 170 per cent in sales of butter fudge, while salted caramel fudge shot up a staggering 4500 per cent and peanut brittle purchases were up 84 per cent compared to the same time last year.
Psychotherapist Charlotte Fox Webber previously told MailOnline: ‘In a time period of turbulence and distressing change, nostalgia transports us back to what we know— and there’s such sweet familiarity in things from the past.
‘There’s something so evocative and comforting about past associations and memories. It makes complete emotional sense that in an era of chaos and sorrow and stress, we feel safe when we are reminded of childhood pleasures’
Old school sprinkle cake! Psychiatrist Charlotte Fox Webber previously told MailOnline: ‘In a time period of turbulence and distressing change, nostalgia transports us back to what we know— and there’s such sweet familiarity in things from the past.
Back to school! Another user shared a version of the cake – with their icing falling off the sides online
Now with stars! One user shared a snap of the cake with cream and stars on the icing
Source: Food Recipes and News
