I grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, in the days when there was still a Marks and Spencer in town. Saturday morning shopping trips with my mum would usually end up at M & S and we always got Battenberg cake. Whilst it looks pretty with half white/half pink cake, you can easily skip the food colouring and it will taste just as good and still look attractive.
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Ingredients
¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs (room temperature)
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¾ cup almond flour
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Pink food colouring
5 tablespoons apricot jam
Powdered sugar
Granulated sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan and then line it with parchment paper. If you are making a white and pink cake, create a divider out of foil or parchment paper down the middle of the pan.
- In a bowl, cream together ¾ cup of unsalted butter (room temperature) and ½ cup of granulated sugar until it becomes fluffy. Add 3 eggs (room temperature), ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon of almond extract, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and ¾ cup of almond flour. Mix until well combined. Fold in 1¼ cups of sifted, all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt and mix until combined. Put half of the batter into a separate bowl, add one drop of pink food colouring and gently mix until incorporated.
- Pour both batters into the prepared pan with a divider separating them. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The top will be firm when done and a toothpick will come out clean. Once the cakes have cooled, cut off the outer edges and then cut into four 6-inch-long pieces (two white, two pink). Set aside.
- Lightly dust the countertop with powdered sugar or use parchment paper to roll out the marzipan to about 1/4-inch in thickness. Cut out a piece that is approximately 12 x 7 inches.
- Take one piece of cake and spread jam on every side except for the ends. Place it lengthwise on the edge of the 7-inch side of the piece of marzipan. Alternating pink and white, take the next piece of cake, cover it in jam and place it alongside the first piece. For the remaining two pieces, stack them on top of the first two creating a checkered pattern (see photo above).
- Gently slide a palette knife under the end of the marzipan that the cake is resting on and carefully roll it over until all sides are wrapped in marzipan. If any of the marzipan cracks, gently use your fingers to smooth them over. Cut off any excess marzipan. Roll the Battenberg block in a little granulated sugar to make it look even nicer.
Tips & Bits
- I like to use apricot jam for this recipe but any jam will do. You could even use Nutella and take it in a whole new direction!
- Battenberg cake has also been called church window cake, checkerboard cake, and domino cake.
- If you can’t be bothered to make Battenberg, then Mr. Kipling and Marks and Spencer have you covered. I grew up with Battenberg’s from both of these fine brands and I highly reccomend them!
