Battenberg Cake
This classic Battenberg Cake is a beautiful British dessert made with alternating squares of soft almond and raspberry sponge, joined together with apricot jam and wrapped in a smooth layer of white marzipan. With its signature checkerboard pattern and elegant finish, this charming cake is perfect for afternoon tea, celebrations, and special occasions.
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Servings: 8
Equipment
- 8-inch Battenberg tin or 8×8-inch baking pan
- Electric mixer
- Spatula
- Serrated Knife
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
- 175 g unsalted butter softened
- 175 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 175 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g almond flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
For the Yellow Almond Sponge
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
For the Pink Raspberry Sponge
- 1 teaspoon raspberry extract or strawberry extract
- Few drops pink food coloring
For Assembly
- ¾ cup apricot jam
- 500 g white marzipan
- Powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar together for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Gradually fold in the dry ingredients, alternating with milk, until a smooth batter forms.
- Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. Mix almond extract into one portion and raspberry extract with pink food coloring into the other.
- Spread each batter into its own section of the prepared pan and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes until the cakes are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely before removing them from the pan.
- Trim both cakes into equal rectangular strips. Cut each colored sponge into two equal long strips to create four sections.
- Warm the apricot jam slightly until smooth. Brush the sides of the sponge strips with jam and arrange them into a checkerboard pattern, alternating pink and yellow squares.
- Dust a work surface with powdered sugar and roll the marzipan into a rectangle large enough to wrap around the entire cake.
- Brush the outside of the assembled cake lightly with jam, then place it on the marzipan and wrap tightly. Trim away excess marzipan and gently smooth the edges.
- Chill the cake for 30 minutes before slicing into neat pieces
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for the lightest sponge texture.
- Keep the sponge strips equal in size to achieve the classic checkerboard appearance.
- Do not skip chilling before slicing; it helps create clean edges.
- White marzipan gives the traditional elegant finish shown in classic Battenberg cakes.
- Raspberry or strawberry flavoring creates the signature pink layer.