Kate Keogh, the daughter of a former school dinner lady, has taken TikTok by storm, captivating audiences with simple, nostalgic recipes for classic school dinner treats. Her videos, featuring her mum's authentic 'insider recipes', have garnered millions of views, bringing back cherished childhood memories for countless social media users.

One particular hit is the school dinner sponge cake, famously paired with pink custard. Kate's video showcasing this five-ingredient classic has racked up over 425,000 views, with users flocking to the comments section to express their delight and recall their own school days. The delicious-looking, sprinkle-topped sponge, a staple in dinner halls for decades, prompted comments like, "This looks just like the one we had at school" and "It's bringing back so many memories." Kate revealed her mum's past as a school kitchen assistant provided access to these beloved recipes, even though in her mum's era, only rice pudding and tapioca were common puddings. For those craving this retro cake, here is the recipe:

School Sponge Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• For the sponge: 280g unsalted butter, 280g golden caster sugar, 280g self-raising flour, 5 eggs, 2 tsp Madagascan vanilla extract
• For the icing: 500g icing sugar, 5-6 tsp water
• Sprinkles
• Pink custard: One tub of custard, Pink food colouring

Method:

1. Place the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and mix together until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla essence.
3. Sieve in the self-raising flour and mix all ingredients together.
4. Place the mixture onto a baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden.
5. Combine the icing sugar and water in a bowl until it makes a liquid consistency.
6. Turn over the cake and ice the flat side, before adding the sprinkles.
7. Add a splash of food colouring to the custard, heat it up in the microwave, and then serve.

Following the success of the sponge cake, Kate and her mum returned with another viral sensation: the school chocolate cornflake tart, known by some as 'cracolet' or 'cracknel'. This recipe, shared under @kate_keo, proved even more popular, achieving a staggering 1.8 million views. The crunchy, gooey treat, a definite highlight of school dinner time, resonated deeply with viewers. Comments flooded in, with one person exclaiming, "Omg I used to love these at school!" and another sharing, "My mom was a dinner lady and made this! She called it Cracknel." Kate emphasized the simplicity of the recipe, calling it an "easy one."

Cornflake Tart Recipe

Ingredients:

• 60g butter
• 4 tbsps golden syrup
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• Cornflakes (a large portion, not measured precisely by Kate)

Method:

1. Place the butter in a pan along with the golden syrup, and melt both down on the hob.
2. Remove the pan from the hob, add the cocoa powder, and mix well.
3. Pour a large portion of cornflakes into a mixing bowl.
4. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the cornflakes and mix well.
5. Place the mixture into cake cases and leave for one hour to set.

These viral TikTok recipes, shared by Kate Keogh and her mother, perfectly exemplify the power of social media in reigniting collective nostalgia, allowing a new generation to recreate and share the simple, yet profound, joys of classic school dinner treats.