Battenberg cake is a traditional British cake that has been enjoyed for centuries. It is a light, spongy cake made with almond paste and apricot jam.
Brief History and Origin
The origin of the Battenberg cake dates back to the late 19th century when Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse-Darmstadt (1863–1950), married Prince Louis of Battenberg (1854–1921). To celebrate their union, a special cake was created in their honor. This cake was named “Battenberg” after the prince’s family name. The original recipe for this cake included almond paste, apricot jam, and marzipan.
Battenberg Cake – The Recipe
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 35 mins
- Additional time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 1 hrs 30 min
- Servings: 6
Ingredients
For Sponge
- 350g softened butter
- 350g caster sugar
- 280g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp red food coloring
To assemble
- 200g apricot jam
- 100g almonds, ground
- ¼ tsp. almond extract
- 1 ½ tsp. lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 375g confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and preheat it to 175 degrees C. Also, prepare 2 7″ pans by lightly greasing them with butter.
- In a bowl, add butter and sugar, and mix until cream-like consistency. Add eggs, one by one and keep whisking, then add vanilla extract and mix again.
- Add salt, flour and baking powder, and mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Divide the batter into 2 equal portions. Add food coloring to 1 portion and mix well to make a pink color.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- When ready, take it out of the oven and leave it for 5 minutes. Then turn out on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Once the cakes get cool completely, cut each of them lengthwise across the thickness of the cake into 4 equal strips. Heat the jam, spread it on the sides of 2 white and 2 pink strips, and glue them to make a checkerboard pattern.
- When ready, spread jam on all sides of the cake. Repeat the process with the other 2 white and 2 pink strips to prepare 2 cakes.
- Add ground almond, almond extract, lemon juice, egg and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and knead until the almond paste becomes smooth and consistent. Divide into 2 equal portions.
- Dust a work surface with confections sugar and roll the paste until it is 1/8 inch thick. Make sure it is long so that it easily covers the cake.
- Place the cake on the end of the rolled paste and wrap the cake. Seal the edges by pinching it.
- Roll it in granulated sugar and serve.
Popular variations
Here are a few ways you can change this basic recipe to adjust it to your liking:
- Chocolate Almond Battenberg Cake:The combination of chocolate and almond is heartwarming and flavorsome.
- Black Forest Twist:The classic black forest flavors offer a rich combination of chocolate and cherry.
- Matcha Strawberry Battenberg Cake:Matcha and strawberry complement each other in flavor and make Battenberg cake visually appealing.
- Lemon And Pistachio Battenberg Cake:make this Battenberg a summer treat with lemon and pistachio.
- Coffee And Walnut Battenberg Cake:Coffee and walnut add warmth and thus is a great winter treat.
