BATTENBERG CAKE PAN RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease 2 loaf pans that have a base measurement about 8-x-4-inches (20-x-10-cm) – a little larger or smaller will work fine. Line the pan with parchment paper.
• Place the flour, sugar, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix in until the mixture is a rough crumbly texture. Whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla together and add all at once to the bowl. Mix first on low speed then increase the speed to medium-high, beating for 2 minutes. Divide the batter in half*, scraping and spreading half of it into one prepared loaf pan. Add a little pink food coloring to the remaining batter, stirring well, and then spread this in the other pan. Bake the cake(s) for about 30 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool, the cake in the pan.
• To assemble, trim away the outside edges of each cake. Slice each cake into 4 long strips. Trim each strip so that it is square and the brown bottom is trimmed away.
• Stir the chilled, strained apricot jam to soften it and spread a thin layer over a strip of the pink cake. Top with a strip of yellow cake and repeat this with a second pink & yellow piece. Spread jam on one side of this duo and adhere the other duo, but inverted, so that no two like colors are touching (checkerboard). Repeat this with the remaining 2 pink and yellow cake strips, making two cakes.
• On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll out half of the marzipan into a 9-inch (23 cm) square just shy of ¼-inch (6 mm) thick. Spread jam on one long side of the checkerboard cake and lay it, jam side down at one end of the marzipan. Trim the outside edges to the length of the cake. Spread apricot jam on the remaining 3 sides of the cake and roll it up with the marzipan, trimming where the seams meet. Use a pastry crimper or the back of a knife to mark patterns in the cake as you wish. Repeat this with the remaining cake
• To serve, slice the cake into ½-inch slices. The cake will keep, well-wrapped (no need to refrigerate) for up to 5 days.
• To divide the batter evenly, weigh the entire batter. Then scrape half of it into the prepared pan and tint the remaining batter.

Steps:

• Cream butter and 1 cup sugar together.
• Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla.
• Stir in flour, baking powder and salt gently.
• Add milk if needed.
• Divide batter into 2 equal parts.
• Add food coloring to 1 part to make a deep pink color.
• Grease two 7-inch square pans.
• Spread batters into pans.
• Bake at 350°F until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
• Let stand in pans 5 minutes.
• Turn out on racks to cool.
• Trim edges from both cakes.
• Cut each cake lengthwise into 4 strips as wide as the cake is thick.
• Trim to make strips match.
• Heat jam slightly.
• Spread on sides to glue 2 pink and 2 white strips together checkerboard fashion.
• Spread all 4 sides of completed cake with jam.
• Repeat with remaining pink and white stripes.
• Makes 2 cakes.
• To make almond paste: Mix almonds, confectioners' sugar, egg, lemon juice and almond extract together.
• Knead until smooth, adding a bit of lemon juice or water if too dry to roll.
• Add only 1/2 teaspoon at a time. It will be stiff.
• Divide into 2 equal parts.
• Roll 1/2 of paste 1/8 inch thick on a surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar.
• Cut to fit length of cake and long enough to cover 4 sides leaving ends uncovered.
• Lay cake on one end of paste. Wrap completely to enclose all 4 sides of cake pinching paste to seal.
• Roll in granulated sugar.
• Place with seal underneath on serving plate, or store in plastic bag.
• repeat for second cake. Chill.
• Slice thinly to serve.