Looking for a visually stunning and delicious cake? Look no further than the Battenberg Cake Recipe! This traditional British cake features a checkered sponge cake with apricot jam filling and a marzipan coat.
Originally created to celebrate the marriage of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter to Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884, today, the Battenberg Cake is a beloved dessert that can be made in various flavors and colors.
Key Battenberg Cake Ingredients & Why
Butter
Use 1 cup (175g) softened unsalted butter.
Opt for 1 cup (175g) caster or granulated sugar.
Flour
Choose 140g (5 1/4 ounces) of self-raising or all-purpose flour.
Incorporate 50g of ground almonds.
Baking powder
Add 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
Include 3 large eggs.
Vanilla extract
Enhance with 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract (optional).
Almond extract
Add a touch of almond extract, about 1/4 tsp (optional).
Jam
Spread apricot jam for sandwiching and marzipan adherence.
Marzipan
Wrap the cake with around 500g of almond marzipan.
How Do You Make The Best Battenberg Cake?
- Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment (cross 2 x 20cm strips at the base). Mix butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth. Spread in the tin and bake 25-30 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack while you make the second sponge.
- To make the pink sponge, follow the previous tin lining instructions. Combine all ingredients, excluding almond extract. Gently fold in pink food coloring, transfer the mixture to the tin, bake as usual, and let it cool.
- Heat and sieve the jam. Trim two edges of the almond sponge and ensure a clean cut on a third edge. Measure the sponge’s height and cut 4 slices of the same width from the well-trimmed side, using a ruler. Dispose of any remaining sponge. Repeat these steps with the pink cake.
- Take 2 almond and 2 pink slices, trim to match in length. Roll marzipan to 20cm width, 0.5cm thickness, dusted with icing sugar. Brush with apricot jam. Place pink and almond slices together, using jam to adhere, leaving a 4cm marzipan border. Apply more jam, sandwich remaining slices, alternating colors for a checkerboard look. Trim marzipan to cake length.
- Lift marzipan, smooth on cake, fold bottom edge, trim opposite side, crimp with fingers or fork prongs. Optionally, mark 10 slices with a fork.
- Make a second Battenberg, seal it for 3 days, or freeze it for a month.
Pro Tips For Making Battenberg Cake Recipe
- Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent a rubbery cake.
- Achieve a tidy Battenberg by trimming and saving the cake ends.
- Maintain separate colors in the cake batters with a pleated divider.
- Enhance adherence and flavor by brushing the cake with apricot jam.
- Create an almond-flavored finish by wrapping the cake in rolled marzipan.
How to Store Battenberg Cake
- Refrigerate for up to three days.
- Keep marzipan and cake moist with tight plastic wrap.
- Freeze for up to a month; defrost before serving.
- Preserve freshness in an airtight box or cling film.
- Achieve a tidy Battenberg by trimming ends and optionally adding confectioners’ sugar.
Can You Freeze Battenberg Cake?
- Let the cake cool completely before wrapping.
- Wrap it snugly in cling film or plastic wrap.
- To freeze a portion, freeze the marzipan-wrapped blocks separately.
- Freeze for at least 30 minutes before folding for easier handling.
- To enjoy, thaw the cake at room temperature for a few hours after removing it from the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Battenberg Cake
What is the history of Battenberg Cake?
Born in 1884 as a wedding gift for Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria, the Battenberg Cake paid homage to the newest addition to England’s royal family by incorporating his surname into its title. However, during World War I, as anti-German sentiments swept across England, the prince changed his family name to Mountbatten. Nevertheless, the legacy of the Battenberg Cake persists.
Can Battenberg Cake be made gluten-free?
Craft a gluten-free Battenberg Cake using online recipes that incorporate gluten-free flour and other ingredients for a delicious version.
What is the purpose of marzipan on a Battenberg Cake?
Marzipan on a Battenberg Cake serves a dual purpose: it honors its German heritage and adds a touch of luxury, given marzipan’s historical costliness.
Battenberg Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For almond sponge
- 175g very soft butter
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 140g self-raising flour
- 50g ground almonds
- 3 medium eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
For pink sponge
- 1 x ingredients for almond sponge
- pink food colouring, we used ½ tsp
- Squires rose food paste
To assemble
- 200g apricot jam
- 2 x blocks white marzipan
- little icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and lining a 20cm square tin with baking parchment. The almond sponge is made by combining butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl. Use an electric whisk to create a smooth mixture. Spread this mixture evenly in the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack while you prepare the second sponge.
- To create the pink sponge, follow the previous lining instructions. Combine all ingredients as previously mentioned, excluding almond extract. Gently fold in pink food coloring, transfer the mixture to the tin, and bake as directed. Allow it to cool.
- Start by heating the jam until it becomes runny, then strain it. Begin by trimming two opposite edges of the almond sponge, and then ensure a thorough trim on a third edge. Now, measure the height of the sponge, and, starting from the well-trimmed edge, use a ruler to guide your cutting of 4 slices, each matching the sponge's height. Any leftover sponge can be discarded or enjoyed. Repeat this process with the pink cake.
- Start with 2 almond and 2 pink slices, ensuring they're the same length. Roll out a marzipan block on a surface dusted with icing sugar, expanding it to a 20cm width and a thickness of about 0.5cm. Apply apricot jam generously, then arrange a pink and an almond slice side by side at one end of the marzipan, using jam to secure them together, and leaving a 4cm clear marzipan section at the other end. Add more jam on top of the slices, then create a sandwich by placing the remaining 2 slices on top, alternating colors to create a checkerboard pattern. Finally, trim the marzipan to match the length of the cakes.
- Gently lift the marzipan, using your hands, and delicately apply it to the cake's surface. Remember to leave a small fold along the bottom edge before affixing it to the first side. Trim the opposite side to align with the fold's size, then use your fingers or a fork's prongs to create decorative crimps. If desired, use the prongs of a fork to mark out 10 slices.
- Craft a second Battenberg, ensuring it's stored airtight for up to 3 days or frozen for a month.
