Battenburg Cake- United Kingdom #19

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 flour
1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 tsp. food grade rose water (FYI-expensive)
1 egg white

  1. Place almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up.
  2. Add almond extract and rose water and pulse to combine.
  3. Add the egg white and process until a thick dough is formed.
  4. Turn the marzipan out onto a work surface and knead it a few times. 
  5. Form into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
  6. 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
  1. Heat oven to 350F.
  2. Line the base and sides of a 20cm square cake pan with parchment paper.
  3. In mixture, with whisk beater, mix butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and almond extract. 
  4. Beat until mix comes together smoothly.
  5. Pour into the tin, spreading to the corners.
  6. Bake 25-30 mins. or until center is done.
  7. Cool in pan for 10 mins.
  8. Repeat with pink sponge.
  9. Heat jam until runny.
  10. Trim sides of cakes.
  11. 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.
  12. Roll out  one marzipan block on a surface dusted with powdered sugar to about 20cm wide and .5cm thick. 
  13. 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.
  14. Brush more jam on top of the sponges, then sandwich remaining 2 slices on top, alternating colors to give a checkerboard effect.
  15. Trim the marzipan.
  16. 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.
  17. Trim opposite side to match size of fold, then crimp edges using fingers and thumb.
  18. 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.

Bottom Line: I'm not doing it again. I really don't care for the rose water flavor. I might try making marzipan again, or not. The cake, itself, was good. I took the extra pieces and made a chocolate ganache to drizzle on them. Delicious. 


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