Battenberg Cake
from Good British Food

Battenberg Cake is simply delicious

Battenberg Cake is a classic British food cake made with a delicious almond icing. Battenberg Cake is an ideal cake for a traditional English afternoon tea. A Battenberg cake is quite simple to make and tastes wonderful. Try out these other great tasting traditional English food desserts, Gooseberry Fool, and English Summer Pudding, Spotted Dick, Treacle Sponge Pudding, Bread And Butter pudding, Lemon Meringue pie, Gooseberry Pie, Custard Tart, Bakewell Tart, Madeira Cake, Gypsy Tart, Sussex Pond Pudding, Pound Cake.

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 50 mins (approx)

Serves: 4

Ingredients for cake:

175 g (6 oz) butter (softened)
175 g (6 oz) caster sugar
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
225 g (8 oz) flour (self-raising)
1/2 tsp of vanilla essence (extract)
1/2 tsp of raspberry essence (extract)

Ingredients for the icing:

15 ml (1 tbsp) raspberry jam (sieved)
225 g (8 oz) almond paste

Extras:

18 cm (7 in) square cake tin
greaseproof paper (or parchment paper)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) or Gas Mark 4.

2. Put the softened butter into a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the caster sugar.

4. Cream together the butter and sugar.

5. Gradually beat in the eggs.

6. Add the vanilla essence.

7. Fold in the flour.

8. Put half the mixture into one bowl.

9. Put the other half of the mixture into another bowl.

10. Stir the raspberry essence into one half.

11. Grease a 7 inch (18 cm) square cake tin.

12. Line the cake tin with the greaseproof paper.

13. Divide the tin in half by folding greaseproof paper down the centre of the tin (forming two compartments).

14. Pour the raspberry mixture into one compartment.

15. Pour the vanilla mixture into the other compartment.

16. Place cake tin into he preheated oven at 180C (350F) or Gas Mark 4.

17. Bake for about 50 minutes until springy to the touch.

18. Remove cake from the oven.

19. Cool on a wire rack.

20. Trim the edges of the cake.

21. Cut each piece in half lengthways.

22. Use some of the raspberry jam to hold the pieces together.

23. Sandwich together a pink and a vanilla piece on the bottom.

24. Sandwich together a vanilla and a pink piece on the top.

25. Brush the outside of the cake with the remaining jam.

26. Roll out the almond paste into a rectangle about 7 x 15 inches (18 x 38 cm).

27. Wrap the almond paste around the cake.

28. Neatly trim the edges.

29. Slice and serve the Battenberg Cake.

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