Vanilla Tray Bake Food

VANILLA TRAY BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and grease and flour your 9 x 13 baking pan or spray with non-stick baking spray. *Parchment paper sheets can also be used for ease of lifting the tray bake out of the pan in one piece.
• In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, sift the dry ingredients including the cake flour (or substitute in the notes below), sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
• Cut the cubed butter into the flour mixture at medium speed, or using a pastry cutter, or a pair of knives cut in a crisscrossed motion, until the butter is small pieces that are about pea-size.
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then continue mixing at medium speed until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Add the milk in two half-cup portions, slowly adding the first portion. Mix until the batter is smooth, then add the second half-cup portion of milk and mix until smooth.
• Transfer your batter to the prepared 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes, checking at the 25 minute point of baking. The top of the cake should spring back from the touch, and an inserted knife or toothpick should come out clean when done.
• Remove the baked cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan, placed on a wire cooling rack. The cake needs to cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
• In a large mixing bowl (with a hand mixer), or the bowl of your stand mixer (with the paddle attachment), start beating the slightly softened butter at a medium speed.
• Add 4 1/2 cups confectioner sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and a tablespoon of vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for about a minute (or until the confectioner's sugar won't blow out of the bowl) before increasing the speed to medium-high. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Depending on your desired frosting consistency (smooth for spreading, or firmer for piping) adjust the frosting thickness as needed. Add the additional confectioner's sugar if the frosting is too thin, or add a drizzle more of heavy cream to thin the frosting out. Taste and add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness as needed.
• Once the vanilla cake is cooled, spread the frosting using an offset spatula to cover the cake. Or use a piping nozzle to decorate the cake and top with sprinkles if desired.

NEAPOLITAN TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20cm square baking tin and line with two criss-crossed, overlapping strips of baking parchment (this will help you remove the traybake later). Put the strawberries in a food processor or mini chopper and blitz to a purée. Tip into a small saucepan and simmer for 3 mins until slightly reduced. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl using an electric whisk (or do this in a stand mixer) for 4-5 mins until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Mix in the flour and baking powder.
• Divide the cake batter between three bowls, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Mix the cocoa and 2 tbsp milk into the first bowl until smooth and combined. Mix the cooled strawberry purée and a drop of pink food colouring into the second bowl, and stir the remaining milk into the last bowl.
• Drop alternating spoonfuls of the three batters into the prepared tin until all three have been used up (an ice cream scoop is useful for this). Try not to mix the colours together, but spread each blob out slightly using the back of the spoon. It's easiest to use three separate spoons to prevent colours mixing, or rinse the spoon before moving to a different coloured batter.
• Bake for 30-35 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, will keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Next, make the topping. Whisk the cream and icing sugar together to soft peaks - it should be thick and spreadable. Spoon the topping into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, if you like. Or, you can spoon on the topping.
• Cut the cooled sponge into 16 even squares, then pipe or spoon a dollop of the topping over each. Decorate each square with a chocolate flake before serving.