Description
Battenberg cake brings nostalgic British tea time charm right to your kitchen, with its classic checkerboard pattern of vanilla and chocolate sponge squares bound together by sweet apricot jam and wrapped in marzipan. Slice this delightful treat and savor the delicate balance of flavors that make this traditional English dessert a true afternoon tea classic.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup 170g butter
- ¾ cup 150g caster sugar
- 1 cup 125g all-purpose flour
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup 50g almond flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons 5g baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon 1g salt
- 2 tablespoons 30ml milk
- 1 teaspoon 5g almond extract
- 2 tablespoons 16g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon 15g sugar
- 2 tablespoons 30ml milk
Finishing Ingredients:
- ¾ cup 180g apricot jam
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line an 8-inch square pan with a parchment paper divider, creating two separate sections.
- Mix 125g all-purpose flour, 50g almond flour, 5g baking powder, and 1g salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat 170g softened butter with 150g sugar until fluffy and light, then incorporate 3 eggs one at a time.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into butter mixture, alternating with 30ml milk until just combined.
- Split batter into two equal portions in separate bowls.
- Stir 5g almond extract into one half of the batter, creating the almond layer.
- Mix 16g cocoa powder, 15g sugar, and 30ml milk into the second batter half for the chocolate layer.
- Pour almond batter into one side of the prepared pan and chocolate batter into the other, keeping sections separate.
- Bake for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and edges are golden brown.
- Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack for 1 hour.
- Trim cake edges to create perfect rectangular layers with straight sides.
- Cut each colored layer into two equal-width strips.
- Warm 180g apricot jam and brush between cake strips to help them stick together.
- Alternate chocolate and almond strips to create a checkered pattern.
- Chill cake in refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving to set the design.
Notes
- Choose a sharp knife to create precise, clean-cut cake strips for the classic checkerboard pattern.
- Replace almond paste with marzipan if preferred, which provides a similar texture and flavor.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend and ensure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Room temperature ingredients help create a smoother, more consistent cake batter and prevent potential curdling during mixing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 to 10
- Calories: 306 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg