Battenberg Cake

Instructions

1. Prepare the baking tin
   Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease a 20cm square baking tin and line with parchment paper. Create a divider in the middle using a piece of parchment paper folded to double thickness, so you have two equal rectangular sections.
2. Make the cake batter
   In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition. Fold in the sifted flour until fully incorporated.
3. Color and flavor the batters
   Divide the mixture equally between two bowls. Add the vanilla extract to one half of the mixture. Add the almond extract and enough food coloring to the other half to create a vibrant pink color, mixing thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
4. Bake the cakes
   Spoon the vanilla mixture into one side of the prepared tin and the pink mixture into the other side. Level the surfaces with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Trim and assemble
   Once cool, trim the cakes to equal sizes. Cut each colored cake into two long rectangular strips of equal width. Heat the apricot jam in a small pan until melted, then pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. Brush the long sides of the cakes with jam, then arrange in a 2×2 checkboard pattern, alternating colors.
6. Apply marzipan coating
   Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a rectangle large enough to wrap around the cake (about 20cm x 30cm). Brush the outside of the assembled cake with the remaining jam. Place the cake in the center of the marzipan and wrap the marzipan around the cake, joining at the bottom. Trim any excess and gently press the edges to seal.
7. Finish and decorate
   Trim the ends of the cake neatly to show the classic Battenberg pattern. Score the top of the marzipan in a crisscross pattern using a sharp knife. Dust lightly with icing sugar if desired.