Battenberg Cake

Name: Battenberg Cake
Total time: 1 h 51 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 175 g Unsalted butter; 175 g Caster sugar; 3 piece Egg; 175 g self-raising flour; 50 g ground almonds; 1 tsp Almond extract; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 1 piece pink food colouring gel; 150 g Apricot jam; 30 ml Whole milk; 20 g Icing sugar; 400 g marzipan

1 hr 51 min · 20 min active · makes 2 cakes · ~1.3 kg · Medium

Battenberg cake features alternating pink and plain sponge squares bound with apricot jam and wrapped in almond marzipan. Serves 4.

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Battenberg Cake

Battenberg cake features alternating pink and plain sponge squares bound with apricot jam and wrapped in almond marzipan. Serves 4.

See more →

TOTAL TIME

1 hr 51 min

ACTIVE TIME

20 min

QUANTITY

2 cakes · ~1.3 kg

DIFFICULTY

Medium

CUISINE

—

Who’s eating

People here are for suitability — allergies, preferences and what to watch for. Portion sizing is off for this recipe.

Portions & fullness

Ingredients0/12

Tools0/16

Ingredients

0/12 gathered · 4 servings

175g

3piece

175g

50g

1tsp

1piece

150g

30ml

20g

400g

#	Quantity	Notes	State
1	175g	—	—
2	175g	—	—
3	3piece	—	—
4	175g	—	—
5	50g	—	—
6	1tsp	—	—
7	1tsp	—	—
8	1piece	—	—
9	150g	—	—
10	30ml	—	—
11	20g	—	—
12	400g	—	—

Tools

16 items

Serveware

2 items

Procedure

38 steps

1 of 38

Set the oven to 180 °C and leave it to come up to temperature.

180°C

⏱ 10 min

2 of 38

Line the base and sides of a square 20 cm baking tin with baking paper, then fold a double strip of baking paper to make a divider down the centre and secure it so the tin is split into two equal halves.

⏱ 1 min

3 of 38

Put the butter into a large mixing bowl.

Unsalted butter · 175 g

⏱ 5s

ResultUnsalted butter

4 of 38

Add the caster sugar to the bowl.

Caster sugar · 175 g

⏱ 5s

ResultUnsalted butter and caster sugar

5 of 38

Beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is very pale, light and fluffy.

⏱ 4 min

ResultPale creamed butter and sugar

6 of 38

Crack the eggs one at a time into the bowl, beating well after each addition.

Egg · 3 piece

⏱ 30s

ResultPale creamed butter and sugar and egg

7 of 38

Beat until everything is fully combined and the mixture is smooth.

⏱ 1 min

ResultSmooth egg-creamed mixture

8 of 38

Sift the self-raising flour into the bowl.

Self-raising flour · 175 g

⏱ 10s

ResultSmooth egg-creamed mixture and self-raising flour

9 of 38

Add the ground almonds to the bowl.

Ground almonds · 50 g

⏱ 5s

ResultSmooth egg-creamed mixture and self-raising flour and ground almonds

10 of 38

Fold the flour and almonds gently into the creamed mixture using a large wooden spoon, cutting through and turning until just combined with no dry streaks.

⏱ 1 min

ResultCake batter

11 of 38

Add the almond extract to the batter.

Almond extract · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultCake batter and almond extract

12 of 38

Add the vanilla extract to the batter.

Vanilla extract · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultCake batter and almond extract and vanilla extract

13 of 38

Stir the extracts in until evenly distributed through the batter.

⏱ 20s

ResultFlavoured cake batter

14 of 38

Divide the batter into 2 equal portions, leaving one in the large mixing bowl and spooning the second into a separate medium mixing bowl.

⏱ 20s

ResultTwo equal portions of cake batterused in step 17

15 of 38

Add a small amount of pink food colouring gel to the second portion of batter.

Pink food colouring gel · 1 piece

⏱ 5s

ResultPink food colouring gel

16 of 38

Stir the colouring through until the batter is evenly and vividly pink.

⏱ 20s

ResultPink cake batterused in step 18

17 of 38

Spoon the plain batter into one half of the prepared tin and spread it to the edges of that section.

Two equal portions of cake batter · step 14

⏱ 15s

ResultTwo equal portions of cake batter

18 of 38

Spoon the pink batter into the other half of the tin and spread it level.

Pink cake batter · step 16

⏱ 15s

ResultPink cake batter and two equal portions of cake batter

19 of 38

Slide the tin into the oven.

⏱ 10s

ResultPink cake batter and two equal portions of cake batter

20 of 38

Bake until the sponges are risen, golden at the edges and a skewer inserted into the centre of each half comes out clean.

180°C

⏱ 25 min

ResultBaked sponge halves

21 of 38

Using oven gloves, lift the tin out of the oven.

⏱ 10s

ResultBaked sponge halves

22 of 38

Leave the sponges in the tin for 10 minutes to settle and firm up slightly.

⏱ 10 min

ResultPartly cooled sponge halves

23 of 38

Carefully turn the sponges out onto a wire rack, peel away the baking paper, and separate the two halves.

Partly cooled sponge halves · step 22

⏱ 20s

ResultPartly cooled sponge halves

24 of 38

Leave the sponges on the rack until they are completely cold before assembling.

⏱ 1 hr

ResultCooled sponge halves

25 of 38

Transfer the cooled sponge halves to the chopping board.

⏱ 10s

ResultCooled sponge halves

26 of 38

Using a bread knife, trim all four sides of each sponge half to give neat, straight edges, then cut each half lengthways down the centre to give 4 long rectangular strips of equal size — 2 plain and 2 pink.

⏱ 1 min

27 of 38

Spoon the apricot jam into a small saucepan.

Apricot jam · 150 g

⏱ 5s

ResultApricot jam

28 of 38

Warm the jam over a gentle heat, stirring, until it is runny and smooth.

⏱ 2 min

ResultWarmed apricot jam

29 of 38

Brush the long sides of each sponge strip with the warmed apricot jam directly from the pan, then press one plain and one pink strip side by side, and lay the remaining pink strip on top of the plain one and the remaining plain strip on top of the pink one to form the classic chequerboard, pressing firmly so the strips adhere.

⏱ 1 min

ResultRemaining warmed jam

30 of 38

Pour the milk into a small bowl to use for sealing the marzipan.

Whole milk · 30 ml

⏱ 5s

31 of 38

Dust the work surface lightly with icing sugar.

Icing sugar · 20 g

⏱ 5s

ResultIcing sugarused in step 36

32 of 38

Place the marzipan on the dusted surface.

Marzipan · 400 g

⏱ 5s

ResultMarzipan

33 of 38

Roll the marzipan out to a rectangle just long enough to wrap around the assembled sponge and wide enough to cover all four long sides with a little overlap.

⏱ 1 min 30s

ResultRolled marzipan sheetused in step 36

34 of 38

Set the saucepan back over a gentle heat and stir the remaining jam until it is runny and brushable again.

⏱ 1 min

ResultRe-warmed apricot jam

35 of 38

Brush the top surface of the rolled marzipan evenly with the re-warmed apricot jam.

Re-warmed apricot jam · step 34

⏱ 30s

ResultJam-coated marzipan sheet

36 of 38

Set the assembled sponge at one short end of the marzipan, then roll the sponge away from you, pressing the marzipan firmly around all four sides, and dab a little milk from the small bowl with your finger to seal the join neatly underneath; pinch the ends to trim away any excess and crimp them with your fingertips.

Icing sugar · step 31 Rolled marzipan sheet · step 33 Jam-coated marzipan sheet · step 35

⏱ 2 min

ResultMarzipan-wrapped battenberg

37 of 38

Lift the finished cake onto a serving board.

⏱ 10s

ResultMarzipan-wrapped battenberg

38 of 38

Cut a thin slice from each end to reveal the chequerboard pattern, then slice the cake into portions at the table.

⏱ 30s

ResultBattenberg Cake

Total Time1 hr 51 min

#	Product	Tool	Action
1	—	180°C	Set the oven to 180 °C and leave it to come up to temperature.⏱ 10 min
2	—		Line the base and sides of a square 20 cm baking tin with baking paper, then fold a double strip of baking paper to make a divider down the centre and secure it so the tin is split into two equal halves.⏱ 1 min
3	175 g		Put the butter into a large mixing bowl.⏱ 5sResultUnsalted butter
4	175 g		Add the caster sugar to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultUnsalted butter and caster sugar
5	—		Beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is very pale, light and fluffy.⏱ 4 minResultPale creamed butter and sugar
6	3 piece		Crack the eggs one at a time into the bowl, beating well after each addition.⏱ 30sResultPale creamed butter and sugar and egg
7	—		Beat until everything is fully combined and the mixture is smooth.⏱ 1 minResultSmooth egg-creamed mixture
8	175 g		Sift the self-raising flour into the bowl.⏱ 10sResultSmooth egg-creamed mixture and self-raising flour
9	50 g		Add the ground almonds to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultSmooth egg-creamed mixture and self-raising flour and ground almonds
10	—		Fold the flour and almonds gently into the creamed mixture using a large wooden spoon, cutting through and turning until just combined with no dry streaks.⏱ 1 minResultCake batter
11	1 tsp		Add the almond extract to the batter.⏱ 5sResultCake batter and almond extract
12	1 tsp		Add the vanilla extract to the batter.⏱ 5sResultCake batter and almond extract and vanilla extract
13	—		Stir the extracts in until evenly distributed through the batter.⏱ 20sResultFlavoured cake batter
14	—		Divide the batter into 2 equal portions, leaving one in the large mixing bowl and spooning the second into a separate medium mixing bowl.⏱ 20sResultTwo equal portions of cake batterused in step 17
15	1 piece		Add a small amount of pink food colouring gel to the second portion of batter.⏱ 5sResultPink food colouring gel
16	—		Stir the colouring through until the batter is evenly and vividly pink.⏱ 20sResultPink cake batterused in step 18
17	Two equal portions of cake batterstep 14		Spoon the plain batter into one half of the prepared tin and spread it to the edges of that section.⏱ 15sResultTwo equal portions of cake batter
18	Pink cake batterstep 16		Spoon the pink batter into the other half of the tin and spread it level.⏱ 15sResultPink cake batter and two equal portions of cake batter
19	—		Slide the tin into the oven.⏱ 10sResultPink cake batter and two equal portions of cake batter
20	—	180°C	Bake until the sponges are risen, golden at the edges and a skewer inserted into the centre of each half comes out clean.⏱ 25 minResultBaked sponge halves
21	—		Using oven gloves, lift the tin out of the oven.⏱ 10sResultBaked sponge halves
22	—		Leave the sponges in the tin for 10 minutes to settle and firm up slightly.⏱ 10 minResultPartly cooled sponge halves
23	Partly cooled sponge halvesstep 22		Carefully turn the sponges out onto a wire rack, peel away the baking paper, and separate the two halves.⏱ 20sResultPartly cooled sponge halves
24	—		Leave the sponges on the rack until they are completely cold before assembling.⏱ 1 hrResultCooled sponge halves
25	—		Transfer the cooled sponge halves to the chopping board.⏱ 10sResultCooled sponge halves
26	—		Using a bread knife, trim all four sides of each sponge half to give neat, straight edges, then cut each half lengthways down the centre to give 4 long rectangular strips of equal size — 2 plain and 2 pink.⏱ 1 min
27	150 g		Spoon the apricot jam into a small saucepan.⏱ 5sResultApricot jam
28	—		Warm the jam over a gentle heat, stirring, until it is runny and smooth.⏱ 2 minResultWarmed apricot jam
29	—		Brush the long sides of each sponge strip with the warmed apricot jam directly from the pan, then press one plain and one pink strip side by side, and lay the remaining pink strip on top of the plain one and the remaining plain strip on top of the pink one to form the classic chequerboard, pressing firmly so the strips adhere.⏱ 1 minResultRemaining warmed jam
30	30 ml		Pour the milk into a small bowl to use for sealing the marzipan.⏱ 5s
31	20 g		Dust the work surface lightly with icing sugar.⏱ 5sResultIcing sugarused in step 36
32	400 g		Place the marzipan on the dusted surface.⏱ 5sResultMarzipan
33	—		Roll the marzipan out to a rectangle just long enough to wrap around the assembled sponge and wide enough to cover all four long sides with a little overlap.⏱ 1 min 30sResultRolled marzipan sheetused in step 36
34	—		Set the saucepan back over a gentle heat and stir the remaining jam until it is runny and brushable again.⏱ 1 minResultRe-warmed apricot jam
35	Re-warmed apricot jamstep 34		Brush the top surface of the rolled marzipan evenly with the re-warmed apricot jam.⏱ 30sResultJam-coated marzipan sheet
36	Icing sugarstep 31		Set the assembled sponge at one short end of the marzipan, then roll the sponge away from you, pressing the marzipan firmly around all four sides, and dab a little milk from the small bowl with your finger to seal the join neatly underneath; pinch the ends to trim away any excess and crimp them with your fingertips.⏱ 2 minResultMarzipan-wrapped battenberg
	Rolled marzipan sheetstep 33
	Jam-coated marzipan sheetstep 35
37	—		Lift the finished cake onto a serving board.⏱ 10sResultMarzipan-wrapped battenberg
38	—		Cut a thin slice from each end to reveal the chequerboard pattern, then slice the cake into portions at the table.⏱ 30sResultBattenberg Cake
Total Time			1 hr 51 min

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated · pre-cooking · 92% ingredients covered

Nutrient	Per serving
	1,346kcal
	22g
	76g
	30g
	155g
	114g
	6g
	240mg

Ingredients0/12

Tools0/16

Recipe

Battenberg Cake

Battenberg cake features alternating pink and plain sponge squares bound with apricot jam and wrapped in almond marzipan. Serves 4.

What you’ll doYou will cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, fold in flour and almonds with extracts, then divide the batter and colour half pink. Bake both batters side by side in a divided tin, cool completely, then trim and cut each sponge into four strips. Sandwich them in an alternating chequerboard pattern with warm apricot jam, wrap the assembled block in jam-brushed marzipan, seal it, and chill before slicing to reveal the pattern.

Serves4

Total1 hr 51 min

LevelMedium

Ingredients

Unsalted butter175 g
Caster sugar175 g
Egg3 piece
Self-raising flour175 g
Ground almonds50 g
Almond extract1 tsp
Vanilla extract1 tsp
Pink food colouring gel1 piece
Apricot jam150 g
Whole milk30 ml
Icing sugar20 g
Marzipan400 g

Tools

Serving boardKitchen counterBaking tinRolling pinSmall bowlLarge mixing bowlBread knifeOvenMedium mixing bowlSmall saucepanPastry brushWire rackWhiskWooden spoonBaking paperChopping board

Method

Set the oven to 180 °C and leave it to come up to temperature.

180°C10 minOven

1 minBaking tin, Baking paper

Put the butter into a large mixing bowl.

5sLarge mixing bowlUnsalted butter · 175 g

Add the caster sugar to the bowl.

5sLarge mixing bowlCaster sugar · 175 g

Beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is very pale, light and fluffy.

4 minLarge mixing bowl, Whisk

Crack the eggs one at a time into the bowl, beating well after each addition.

30sLarge mixing bowlEgg · 3 piece

Beat until everything is fully combined and the mixture is smooth.

1 minLarge mixing bowl, Whisk

Sift the self-raising flour into the bowl.

10sLarge mixing bowlSelf-raising flour · 175 g

Add the ground almonds to the bowl.

5sLarge mixing bowlGround almonds · 50 g

Fold the flour and almonds gently into the creamed mixture using a large wooden spoon, cutting through and turning until just combined with no dry streaks.

1 minLarge mixing bowl, Wooden spoon

Add the almond extract to the batter.

5sLarge mixing bowlAlmond extract · 1 tsp

Add the vanilla extract to the batter.

5sLarge mixing bowlVanilla extract · 1 tsp

Stir the extracts in until evenly distributed through the batter.

20sLarge mixing bowl, Wooden spoon

Divide the batter into 2 equal portions, leaving one in the large mixing bowl and spooning the second into a separate medium mixing bowl.

Result · Two equal portions of cake batter · used in step 17

20sLarge mixing bowl

Add a small amount of pink food colouring gel to the second portion of batter.

5sMedium mixing bowlPink food colouring gel · 1 piece

Stir the colouring through until the batter is evenly and vividly pink.

Result · Pink cake batter · used in step 18

20sMedium mixing bowl, Wooden spoon

Spoon the plain batter into one half of the prepared tin and spread it to the edges of that section.

15sBaking tinTwo equal portions of cake batter · step 14

Spoon the pink batter into the other half of the tin and spread it level.

15sBaking tinPink cake batter · step 16

Slide the tin into the oven.

10sBaking tin, Oven

Bake until the sponges are risen, golden at the edges and a skewer inserted into the centre of each half comes out clean.

180°C25 minBaking tin, Oven

Using oven gloves, lift the tin out of the oven.

10sBaking tin, Oven

Leave the sponges in the tin for 10 minutes to settle and firm up slightly.

10 minBaking tin

Carefully turn the sponges out onto a wire rack, peel away the baking paper, and separate the two halves.

20sWire rackPartly cooled sponge halves · step 22

Leave the sponges on the rack until they are completely cold before assembling.

1 hrWire rack

Transfer the cooled sponge halves to the chopping board.

10sChopping board

1 minChopping board, Bread knife

Spoon the apricot jam into a small saucepan.

5sSmall saucepanApricot jam · 150 g

Warm the jam over a gentle heat, stirring, until it is runny and smooth.

2 minSmall saucepan

1 minChopping board, Pastry brush

Pour the milk into a small bowl to use for sealing the marzipan.

5sSmall bowlWhole milk · 30 ml

Dust the work surface lightly with icing sugar.

Result · Icing sugar · used in step 36

5sKitchen counterIcing sugar · 20 g

Place the marzipan on the dusted surface.

5sKitchen counterMarzipan · 400 g

Roll the marzipan out to a rectangle just long enough to wrap around the assembled sponge and wide enough to cover all four long sides with a little overlap.

Result · Rolled marzipan sheet · used in step 36

1 min 30sKitchen counter, Rolling pin

Set the saucepan back over a gentle heat and stir the remaining jam until it is runny and brushable again.

1 minSmall saucepan

Brush the top surface of the rolled marzipan evenly with the re-warmed apricot jam.

30sKitchen counter, Pastry brushRe-warmed apricot jam · step 34

2 minKitchen counterIcing sugar · step 31Rolled marzipan sheet · step 33Jam-coated marzipan sheet · step 35

Lift the finished cake onto a serving board.

10sServing board

Cut a thin slice from each end to reveal the chequerboard pattern, then slice the cake into portions at the table.

Result · Battenberg Cake

30sServing board, Bread knife

Printed 28 September 2026