Battenburg Cake- United Kingdom #19
This cake is an almond sponge cake, in a checkerboard pattern, with apricot jam and Marzipan icing. This recipe makes 2 Battenburg Cakes, each with an almond and a pink layer. I will begin with the Marzipan recipe.Marzipan (makes about 12 ounces)
1-1/2 c. finely ground almond flour1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 tsp. food grade rose water (FYI-expensive)
1 egg white
- Place almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up.
- Add almond extract and rose water and pulse to combine.
- Add the egg white and process until a thick dough is formed.
- Turn the marzipan out onto a work surface and knead it a few times.
- Form into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
- Bring to room temperature before using.
Battenburg Cake:
For Almond Sponge:
175g. very soft butter
175g. caster sugar (FYI-expensive)
140g. self-rising flour
50g. ground almonds
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
For Pink Sponge
Repeat recipe for Almond Sponge, except do not add almond extract, add 1/2 tsp. pink food coloring. I used a rose colored food paste.
To Assemble:
200g. apricot jam
2 x 500g blocks white marzipan
powdered sugar for dusting
- Heat oven to 350F.
- Line the base and sides of a 20cm square cake pan with parchment paper.
- In mixture, with whisk beater, mix butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and almond extract.
- Beat until mix comes together smoothly.
- Pour into the tin, spreading to the corners.
- Bake 25-30 mins. or until center is done.
- Cool in pan for 10 mins.
- Repeat with pink sponge.
- Heat jam until runny.
- Trim sides of cakes.
- Using a ruler, measure the height of each cake and then cut 4 slices equal width to the height. Discard extra cake or eat it like I did.
- Roll out one marzipan block on a surface dusted with powdered sugar to about 20cm wide and .5cm thick.
- Brush with apricot jam, then lay a pink and almond slice side by side at one end of the marzipan, brushing jam in between to stick sponges, and leaving 4cm clear marzipan at the end.
- Brush more jam on top of the sponges, then sandwich remaining 2 slices on top, alternating colors to give a checkerboard effect.
- Trim the marzipan.
- Carefully lift up the marzipan and smooth over the cake with hands, but leave a small marzipan fold along the bottom edge before you stick it to the first side.
- Trim opposite side to match size of fold, then crimp edges using fingers and thumb.
- If you're still standing--Assemble 2nd Battenburg the same way. Can be frozen for up a month.
Results: OMG!!!What a mess! I made the marzipan yesterday so that I would have plenty of time today to focus on the cake. I tried to buy marzipan already made or at least a mix. Nothing. So, I thought, I can do this. Yes, I can make marzipan but, can I roll it out and follow all these directions. NO! What a mess! Plus the rose water was $10.00 and I knocked it over and lost all but a teaspoon full. The laundry room smells lovely.
Making the cake was easy. However, my hands are blood red, as is everything else in the kitchen, from the food coloring. Heads-up, use gloves.
For the assembly, I cut the slices, as directed. I melted the jam, as directed. I tried rolling out the marzipan. It sounded easy. At last, it wasn't. I couldn't get it off the counter and then it started breaking/splitting. What a mess! Everything fell apart. I know I did several, if not many, things wrong. Writing the directions in this blog has helped me to see the errors of my ways, e.g. make 2 cakes instead of one that was too tall.
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