Michelle Evans-Fecci's cherry bakewell Battenberg cake
These two brilliant, British classic flavours of almond and cherry, combine to make a wonderfully eye-catching and delicious result.
Key information
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time
Cooking time: 1 hour (including assembly)
Serves: 8
Recipe difficulty rating: Difficult
Allergens: Remember to provide a list of potential allergens for each item served at your Coffee Morning event so people can clearly see what ingredients they contain. You can use our cake labels, but make sure you write clearly in block capitals and black ink.
Ingredients
180g softened butter
180g caster sugar
150g plain flour
55g ground almonds
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp amaretto liquor (optional)
Pink food colouring
Cherry jam
Marzipan
How to prepare Michelle Evans-Fecci's cherry bakewell battenberg cake
- Preheat oven to 160°C fan.
- Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 20”x20” tin. Fold a piece of foil and baking paper the same size of the tin then place in the centre of the tin to create a divide.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add ground almonds, eggs and flour then mix well. Add vanilla.
- Divide the mixture into two separate bowls, add the almond extract and amaretto to one bowl and pink food colouring to the other.
- Place mixture in tin, pink on one side, and plain on the other. Level the top and bake for 25-30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
- Once cooled, level sponges, trim edges and cut into two equal pieces so you have two plain and two pink sponges exactly the same size.
- Roll out marzipan.
- Heat jam slightly and using a spatula, smooth the jam on top and sides of one plain piece of sponge and stick one pink sponge to the side of it. Top with pink sponge in the same way then the final plain almond sponge so you have a chequered effect.
- Smooth a thin layer of jam all over the long sides, then wrap the sponge in the marzipan, leaving the seem at the bottom.
- Neaten edges by trimming and pinch the top edges to decorate.