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Mary Berry Butterscotch Traybake Recipe

Mary Berry Butterscotch Traybake Recipe

Mary Berry's butterscotch traybake is a rich, golden sponge with a glossy butterscotch frosting — deeply caramel and completely wonderful.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 Squares
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 310
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Brown Sugar Sponge:
  • 300 g unsalted butter softened
  • 300 g soft light brown sugar
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 300 g self-raising flour sifted
  • 2½ tsp baking powder
  • 4 tbsp whole milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • Butterscotch Frosting:
  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 175 g dark muscovado sugar
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 200 g icing sugar sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of fine salt
  • Decoration:
  • 50 g pecans or walnuts roughly chopped and toasted
  • Sea salt flakes optional

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line a 33x23cm tin.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar 4–5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt. Add milk — fold gently. Pour into tin — spread evenly.
  3. Bake 30–35 minutes until golden and skewer comes out clean. Cool completely — at least 1 hour.
  4. Melt butter and muscovado in a heavy saucepan over medium heat — stir until dissolved. Bubble 2–3 minutes stirring constantly until darkened and deeply fragrant. Remove from heat — carefully add cream, stir vigorously. Return to low heat 1 minute. Cool 15 minutes.
  5. Add icing sugar, vanilla, and salt to cooled butterscotch. Beat 2–3 minutes until smooth and glossy.
  6. Lift sponge from tin. Pour frosting over — spread quickly and evenly before it sets. Scatter toasted nuts and sea salt flakes immediately. Leave to set 30 minutes. Cut into 20–24 squares.

Notes

Work quickly when spreading frosting — it sets as it cools and cannot be repositioned.
Cook butter and muscovado until properly caramelised — 2–3 minutes of bubbling gives the deep flavour.
Cool the butterscotch base 15 minutes before adding icing sugar — hot base makes it too thin.
The frosting is softer than buttercream — it sets to a slightly fudgy finish, which is correct.
Toasted pecans balance the sweetness — worth the 5 minutes.
Freeze unfrosted squares for up to 3 months. Make frosting fresh.
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