Battenberg Cake

Method16 steps · about 3 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm square tin with baking parchment. For the almond (50 g) sponge only, beat its separate 175 g very soft butter, 175 g golden caster sugar, 140 g self-raising flour, 50 g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 3 medium eggs, ½ tsp vanilla extract and ¼ tsp almond extract together until smooth.

   Uses 175 g very soft butter · 175 g golden caster sugar · 140 g self-raising flour · 50 g ground almonds · ½ teaspoon baking powder · 3 medium eggs · ½ teaspoon vanilla extract · ¼ tsp almond extract for almond sponge only

2. 2

   Step 2: Scrape all the prepared almond batter into the lined tin and spread it into the corners. Bake for 25–30 minutes, checking after 25: a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

   Bake almond sponge · 25 minUses All almond sponge batter

3. 3

   Step 3: Cool the baked almond sponge in its tin for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Reuse the tin for the pink sponge while the almond sponge cools completely.

   Cool almond sponge in tin · 10 minUses Complete baked almond sponge

4. 4

   Step 4: Line the same 20 cm square tin again. Beat the pink sponge’s separate 175 g very soft butter, 175 g golden caster sugar, 140 g self-raising flour, 50 g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 3 medium eggs and ½ tsp vanilla extract together until smooth. Do not add almond extract to this batter.

   Uses 175 g very soft butter for pink sponge · 175 g golden caster sugar for pink sponge · 140 g self-raising flour for pink sponge · 50 g ground almonds for pink sponge · ½ teaspoon baking powder for pink sponge · 3 medium eggs for pink sponge · ½ teaspoon vanilla extract for pink sponge

5. 5

   Step 5: Fold the pink food colouring into the prepared pink batter, using the half-teaspoon paste guide or enough to colour it. Scrape all the batter into the lined tin and bake for 25–30 minutes, checking after 25 for a clean skewer.

   Bake pink sponge · 25 minUses Complete second sponge batter · ½ tsp pink food-colouring paste, or enough to colour

6. 6

   Step 6: Cool the baked pink sponge as before: about 10 minutes in the tin, then on a wire rack until completely cool. Both sponges must be cool before assembly.

   Cool pink sponge in tin · 10 minUses Complete baked pink sponge

7. 7

   Step 7: Warm the 200 g apricot jam gently until runny, then sieve it. Keep the usable warm jam for assembling both cakes. Barely trim two opposite edges from the completely cooled almond sponge, then trim a third edge neatly.

   Uses 200 g apricot jam to warm and sieve · Complete cooled almond sponge

8. 8

   Step 8: Measure the almond sponge’s height. Working from its neatly trimmed edge, use a ruler to cut 4 long strips, each as wide as the sponge is high. Keep all four strips for the two cakes; any leftover sponge is a trimming.

   Uses Complete trimmed almond sponge

9. 9

   Step 9: Trim the completely cooled pink sponge in the same way and cut 4 long strips with the same width as the sponge height. Keep all four prepared pink strips for the two cakes.

   Uses Complete cooled pink sponge

10. 10

    Step 10: For the first cake, take two of the four prepared almond strips and two of the four prepared pink strips, trimming them to equal lengths. Roll the first 500 g marzipan portion on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar: make it just over 20 cm wide and about 0.5 cm thick, long enough to wrap the cake.

    Uses Two of four almond strips for first cake · Two of four pink strips for first cake · First half of original 1 kg marzipan: 500 g · Icing sugar for first marzipan sheet; amount unspecified

11. 11

    Step 11: Brush the prepared marzipan sheet with some of the usable warm apricot jam. Lay one prepared pink and one almond strip side by side near one end, leaving 4 cm clear marzipan at that end. Brush jam between the strips and over their tops. Put the other prepared almond and pink strips above them in opposite colours to form a checkerboard.

    Uses All first-cake prepared strips and marzipan sheet · First-cake brushing portion; exact share unspecified

12. 12

    Step 12: Trim the prepared marzipan sheet to the length of the first assembled checkerboard cake.

    Uses First assembled cake and its marzipan sheet

13. 13

    Step 13: Lift the marzipan around the first cake and smooth it with your hands. Leave a small fold along the bottom edge, trim the opposite edge to match it, then crimp the seam with your fingers or a fork.

    Uses First cake and trimmed wrapper

14. 14

    Step 14: Mark the first wrapped cake into 10 equal slices with a fork if you like. Keep it aside while you assemble the second cake.

    Uses Complete first wrapped cake

15. 15

    Step 15: Assemble the second cake with the remaining two almond strips, remaining two pink strips and second 500 g marzipan portion. Trim the strips to equal lengths; dust the surface with icing sugar and roll the marzipan just over 20 cm wide and about 0.5 cm thick. Use the remaining usable warmed jam to brush the sheet and join the four strips in the same alternating two-by-two checkerboard. Trim the sheet to cake length, wrap, smooth and crimp it as for the first cake. Mark 10 slices if you like.

    Uses Remaining two of four almond strips for second cake · Remaining two of four pink strips for second cake · Second half of original 1 kg marzipan: 500 g · Icing sugar for second marzipan sheet; amount unspecified · Second-cake remaining brushing portion; exact share unspecified

16. 16

    Step 16: Cut each of the two prepared cakes into 10 slices, making 20 slices total. Keep the cakes in an airtight box or well wrapped for up to 3 days; the author also permits freezing for up to a month.

    Uses Complete first cake · Complete second cake