
Spring Battenburg Cake
- Cooking and Prep: 2 h
- Serves: 8
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Contains:
Ingredients (16)
For the Cake
To assemble the cake
Start Cooking
Preparations
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Grease a 10 x 7 baking dish, set aside.
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Fold a piece of Gefen Parchment Paper in half, then, while folded, trim the edges to fit the length of the pan.
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Place the parchment inside the greased pan with the crease sticking up and running lengthwise. (You are dividing the pan in two portions with the crease of the parchment.)
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Smooth each side of the parchment down into the pan, adhering it to the bottom
For the Cakes
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Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
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Beat in the 3 eggs one at a time.
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Then mix in almond extract.
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In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
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Gently add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and stir on low speed until combined.
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Add milk if mixture is too dense—batter will be thick but should spoon out easily.
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Divide batter into two equal parts (this recipe makes about 3 1/4 cups batter).
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Tint one portion of batter pink, and the other portion green.
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Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean.
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Turn cakes out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Assemble Cake
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Using a serrated knife, trim each cake evenly into two long cuboid cakes. You should have two green cake pieces and two pink.
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Melt apricot jam and brush cakes on all sides with it.
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Stack cakes together in two-by-two, creating a square of alternating colors.
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On a piece of parchment, roll marzipan thinly with a large rolling pin, making sure there is enough to completely cover the stacked cakes.
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Roll stacked cake tightly in marzipan, pressing to secure the edges.
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Dust work surface with confectioners’ sugar and roll ready-made fondant into a large thin sheet—again, making sure there is enough to completely enrobe the cake.
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Roll marzipan coated cake in fondant making sure the seam is placed at the bottom of the cake—trim as needed.
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Slice a small portion of cake off each side, removing the excess fondant and marzipan along with it.
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With the back of a knife press criss-cross patterns in the top of the cake (like quilting).
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Make a small indention with a lollipop stick where each line meets.
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Put a small dab of corn syrup in each hole (use a small paintbrush or toothpick to apply) and place a single pearl dragee in each hole.
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Store in an airtight container or wrap in cling film.