Authentic Battenberg Cake Recipe England, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
The quintessential British teatime confection, the Battenberg cake, although simple when it comes to ingredients, is quite a technical challenge for any baker. It consists of two differently colored Genoise or pound cake strips glued together with apricot jam which are stacked to make a checkerboard pattern and enveloped in marzipan. The ingredients for the sponge are butter, sugar, flour, raising agent, eggs, vanilla, and red food coloring, which is added only to one half of the batter to get two different colored sponges which are assembled so to make a checkerboard pattern.
Cooking tips
-
homemade marzipan
The simplest way to make marzipan at home is to knead 250g/8.8 oz of ground almonds, 250g/8.8 oz of confectioners’ sugar, and one egg white into a compact mass. The marzipan should be kept wrapped in plastic foil and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. The marzipan prepared and stored this way will keep for a week. Alternatively, if wanting it to keep for longer, freeze it. -
working with marzipan
The marzipan needs to be rolled out into a rectangle on a surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar, so it doesn’t stick. Once rolled to the desired size, the assembled cake should be placed on top, and the marzipan then needs to be enveloped around the cake. For a neater look, it’s important to place the cake seam side down on the platter. -
battenberg cake pan
A special Battenberg cake pan — a cake pan with three separators, making for four separate sections — is available for purchase. The advantage of this pan is that the differently colored batters will bake separately and simultaneously. Also, it’s easier to make the sponges the same size. If you do not have one, you can do a makeshift one as instructed in the recipe. -
variations
The variations on the basic recipe include adding different flavors, either to the sponge or the marzipan. Adding ground almonds to the sponge is also common as it gives the sponge flavor and moisture. Instead of apricot jam, different flavored kinds of buttercream can be used.
Traditional Battenberg Cake
PREP 1h
COOK 25min
RESTING 2h 5min
READY IN 3h 30min
This is the traditional recipe for the Battenberg cake — two differently colored pound cakes, apricot jam, and marzipan. The recipe is very detailed and even gives instructions on how to make a makeshift Battenberg cake pan. You can use ready-made marzipan or make one by following the instructions in our "cooking tips" section.
Ingredients
CAKE
175g (6 oz) softened butter, plus extra for greasing
175g (6 oz) golden caster sugar (or regular sugar, if unavailable)
3 eggs
175g (6 oz) self-rising flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
red food coloring paste, a dab
TO ASSEMBLE
6 tbsp apricot jam
500g (1.1 lbs) ready-made marzipan (check out the "cooking tips" section for instructions on how to make homemade marzipan)
2–3 tbsp confectioners' sugar, for rolling
Preparation
Set the oven to preheat to 190°C/375°F.
Coat the insides of a 20 cm/8-inch square cake tin (with a removable bottom) with butter.
Then, lay the parchment paper on top of the tin foil. Next, fold it in half along the long length, then open it up and push the centerfold upwards to create a 4cm pleat in the center.
Place inside the cake tin, making sure it sticks to its surface, the end result being two 20x10cm (8x4-inch) sections.
Add the butter, the sugar, the flour, the eggs, and the vanilla to a large bowl and beat with a mixer until well combined. Divide the batter into two equal portions. Then, add the red food coloring to one half and mix until blended.
Transfer each batter into a separate section of the cake tin, then smooth out the surface of both.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes or until risen.
Take out of the oven and let cool for five minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen the sponges. Next, take out of the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Finally, if the sponges are uneven in height, press on them lightly to make them even.
Stack the sponges, then trim off the edges to make them neat and even. Then, slice each of the sponges lengthways in half to get four sponges.
Warm the apricot jam over low heat, then pass it through a sieve to make it more spreadable.
Spread one long side of each of the lighter sponges with the apricot jam, then glue each to the long side of each darker sponge.
Spread the top of one pair of glued sponges with apricot jam, then place the other pair of glued sponges on top to create a checkerboard design. Spread the top and the sides with apricot jam.
Dust the working surface with confectioners' sugar, then place the marzipan on top and roll it out into a 40x20cm/16x10-inch rectangle.
Place the cake upside down onto the center of the marzipan. Spread the bottom, now the top, of the cake with apricot jam.
Wrap the cake with marzipan, then smooth the sides with a big palette knife to help marzipan stick to the cake and press on the edges to seal. Turn the cake seam side down, then trim the edges.
Place on a platter and serve.
Other authentic recipes
Rating And Comments
Rate It
Wanna try?
Add To List