Battenberg Cake

By MJH

It is said that Battenberg cake was created to honor the marriage of Queen Victoria's granddaughter to Prince Louis of Battenburg, in 1884.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (150 gm) butter
• 1 1/3 cups (150 gm) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (150 gm) cake and pastry flour
• 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk
• 2 drops red food colouring
• 1/2 cup (80 gm) apricot jam
• 200 gm package marzipan
• icing sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare a 7 inch (17.5 cm) square cake pan by lining it with a strip of thick foil, folded in such a way as to divide the pan into two even halves.

Line each half with a piece of parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl, and mix thoroughly with a wire whisk. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating continuously, followed by the vanilla and milk.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Divide the batter into two halves.

Mix the food colouring into one half and then smooth the batter into each half of the cake pan.

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely.

Use a sharp serrated knife to trim uneven edges and square up each cake, so that they are both the same size.

Cut each cake in half lengthways.

Heat up the jam and brush onto the surfaces to be joined together.

Assemble the cake, and brush jam onto the top surface.

Roll out the marzipan to about 1/8" (3-4 mm) thick, using icing sugar to prevent it sticking to the board. Try to get it as close as possible to the required dimensions to cover the four sides with a little overlap.

Position the cake, jam side down in the middle of the marzipan.

Brush remaining surfaces of the cake with jam and then finish wrapping with the marzipan, leaving the seam at the bottom of the cake.

Brush off any excess icing sugar and trim off any excess marzipan at the ends.

Chill for about half an hour before slicing and serving.