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chocolate traybake sliced on a wooden serving board.
cookingwithmykids

Chocolate traybake

Deliciously moist chocolate traybake (chocolate sheet cake). It's a super simple bake that kids will love and is perfect for any special occasion.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 24
Course: Afternoon tea, special occaision
Cuisine: British
Calories: 324
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g (2 cups) plain / all-purpose flour
  • 80 g (1 cup) cocoa powder
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 300 g (1 ½ cups) soft light brown sugar
  • 190 ml (¾ cups) sunflower oil
  • 350 ml (1 ½ cups) milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
For the icing
  • 150 g (⅔ cups) butter
  • 200 g (1 cup) icing / confectioners sugar
  • 4 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • Digital scales
  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 23 x 30cm baking tin
  • Wire rack

Method
 

Heat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F
  1. Grease the base and sides of a 33 x 23 cm (9 x 12 inch) baking tin with sides at least 6 cm or 2 inches high and line it with baking /greaseproof paper.
Mix the dry ingredients together
  1. Measure out the flour, cocoa powder and sugar and add them to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Measure the baking powder. Make sure to use your finger to level off the top of each tea spoon before adding it. Give it all a good mix.
Add the wet ingredients.
  1. Measure out the oil. The easiest way of doing this and to be really accurate is to use the ml setting of our digital scales, but if you don't have any, a measuring jug will do.
  2. Reset your scales to zero and measure the milk. Or, if you're using a measuring jug, you can add the milk on top of the oil until you have 540ml in total.
  3. Crack the eggs into a small bowl then add them to your oil/milk.
  4. Finally, measure in the vanilla.
Whisk the oil/milk/eggs and vanilla together.
  1. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients slowly and gently mix them in. Keep stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon until you have a nice smooth cake batter with no bits of flour showing.
Bake the chocolate traybake
  1. Pour the traybake batter into your prepared baking tin. Spread the top with a spatula to make sure the top is flat and has gone into all the corners.
  2. Bake the chocolate traybake for approximately 45 minutes. Keep checking it during the last 10 minutes. If it's getting too dark on top, but isn't fully cooked, cover it with foil.
  3. It's ready when a skewer or sharp knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin.
Decorate the chocolate traybake
  1. Start by making the icing: measure the butter then put it in a pan to melt. Meanwhile measure out the cocoa powder and icing sugar.
  2. Once the butter has melted, remove it from the heat and add the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Add the milk and stir it all together until it is smooth and shiny.
  3. When the traybake has cooled, pour the icing over the top, spreading it out with a spatula or palette knife. If your icing has thickened too much while you've waited for your cake to cool, reheat it a little to make it a bit runnier.
  4. Decorate your traybake with sprinkles/Smarties or chocolate shavings quickly before the icing sets. Once the icing has set, cut it into squares, serve and enjoy.