It seems appropriate that in the month that Bake off began again, we've chosen a Battenberg cake recipe. We're in the midst of British Food Fortnight where the food in the café has been centred around British classics and some of our suppliers have showcased their produce. So what better way to continue the celebrations but with a cake?! Battenberg cake is a bit of a throwback, a part of the traditional afternoon tea and thought to be created in honour of Queen Victoria's granddaughter's wedding into the Mountbatten family.
Makes 2 Battenbergs
Ingredients:
795g caster sugar
12 whole eggs
510g plain flour
21g baking powder
300g whipping cream
205g melted unsalted butter
7g vanilla extract
½ cap red food colouring
600g marzipan
Apricot jam
Method:
1. Whisk eggs and sugar until light, airy and pale.
2. Sieve flour and baking powder and fold into the sabayon.
3. Warm the cream and butter and fold into the mixture.
4. Divide the mixture into two equal amounts.
5. Fold in the red food colouring to one half of the mixture.
6. Pour each mixture into its own greased and lined baking tray and bake at 175oc for approximately 30-35 minutes.
7. Check with a skewer and when it comes out of the centre of the cake clean, remove from the oven.
8. Allow to cool before cutting into 30mm strips that are 30mm deep.
9. When assembling the Battenberg use apricot jam to stick the different sponge strips together (the pink sponge should always be placed next to the plain sponge).
10. Roll a 300g piece of marzipan to approximately 3mm thick, keeping as rectangular as possible.
11. Roll the assembled sponge strips in the marzipan to check the sizing.
12. Trim any excess marzipan.
13. Spread the marzipan with a thin layer of apricot jam and roll the assembled sponge strips.
14. Cut to desired thickness.
