Battenberg Cake
Cooking Time: 60 mins
Ingredients:
- 200g very soft butter
- 200g caster sugar
- 200g self raising flour
- 100g ground almonds
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 3 large free-range eggs
- A drop of red food colouring
- 4 tbsp of apricot jam for assembly
- Marzipan125g ground almonds
- 125g caster sugar
- 125g icing sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- A dessert spoon of brandy
Pre-heat an oven to 160 degrees/gas 3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, self raising flour, ground almonds, baking powder and eggs together for a minute or two until smooth. Spoon half the mixture into one half of the prepared tin, then add a drop or two of red food colouring to the remaining mixture - it should have a salmon pink colour. Spoon this into the other half of the tin. Using the back of a dessert spoon level the mixture, allowing a slight dip in the middle so the cakes will rise evenly. Bake the cakes in the pre- heated oven for 35-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean - if you don't have a skewer a stick of spaghetti will work just as well.
Allow the cakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then carefully turn out and leave to cool on a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling you can make the marzipan. Mix the ground almonds and sugars together in a bowl, then add the egg yolks and brandy and knead into a smooth paste. Don't over work the paste as the almonds will release oil and make the paste oily. Wrap the paste in cling film and chill until ready to use.
Step by step guide to making a Battenburg cake
Photographs: Shane O'Neill
Labels: Bread And Cakes, Dessert
