Battenberg ♥

I thought it was time to set myself a bit of a challenge to try baking something a little harder than usual. As it turns out it wasn’t very hard at all, but loads of fun xx

Ingredients

• 175g/6oz/0.75 cup butter, softened
• 175g/6oz/scant 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 175g/6oz/1.5 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• pinch of salt
• 2.5ml/1.5 tsp red food colouring
• 2.5ml/1.5 tsp rosewater
• 2.5ml/1.5 tsp orange flower water or almond extract
• 450g/1lb marzipan
• 90ml/6 tbsp apricot jam
• 30ml/2 tbsp sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 190○C/375○F/Gas mark 5. Lightly grease a swiss roll tin, 30 x 20 x 2.5cm (12 x 8 x 1in). Lightly grease the base and line it with baking paper.
Cut a strip of cardboard to fit the inside of the tin lengthways. Cover with tinfoil, lightly grease and wedge in place. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the caster sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and beat well. Lightly fold in the flour and salt.

Put half the mixture in a clean bowl and mix in the red food colouring and rosewater until evenly tinted. Turn into one side of the tin.
Mix the orange flower water or almond extract into the remaining batter and turn into the empty side of the tin. Smooth into the corners.

Bake for 20 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Leave to stand for 5 minutes. Slide the blade of a knife between cake, tin and tinfoil strip, and turn out on to a wire rack lined with silicone paper. Remove the lining paper. Leave to go cold.

Trim the cake so that each half measures 28 x 9cm (11 x 3.5in). Cut each slab in half lengthways so there are four equal pieces.

In a pan, bring the jam and sugar slowly to the boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 30-60 seconds. Remove from the heat.

To assemble the cake, brush the top of each plain cake strip with the syrup and press them together to make a chequerboard pattern.

Roll out the marzipan to 28cm/11in square. Brush the cake top with syrup, and place the cake syrup-side down 1cm/o.5in from one edge of the marzipan. Brush the rest of the cake with syrup. Wrap the marzipan over and around the cake, smoothing it firmly with your hand. Press firmly at the join to seal. Trim away any excess marzipan.

This gave me the opportunity to use some new plates that I got in the charity shops last week xx And a chance to play with my camera, which is always good!! x

This is a recipe that will be repeated many times in the future, it certainly didn’t last long this time! x Nom nom x