Battenberg cake is a light sponge cake. The cake is covered in marzipan and, when cut in cross section, displays a distinctive two-by-two check pattern alternately coloured pink and yellow. It was originally invented by the chefs of the British Royal household to celebrate the marriage of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine and Prince Louis of Battenberg.
History
The chefs of the British Royal Family were introduced to the German style of cake making during Queen Victoria's reign. This included the use of bright colours and marzipan. The first Battenberg cake was made in that German style to celebrate the wedding of Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, and was named after her husband to be, Prince Louis of Battenberg.
Due to anti-German resentment in Britain during the First World War, Prince Louis anglicised his name from Battenberg to Mountbatten; however the cake named after him continued to be called a Battenberg.
Description
The first Battenberg was made of an almond flavoured sponge, with the two colours baked apart so that half of the mixture could be dyed pink. The sponge was then cut into four lengths which were then stuck together using apricot jam as the glue, with the pattern like a checkerboard, which has led to the cake lending its name to Battenburg markings. Then the cake is wrapped in marzipan, with more apricot jam to ensure that the cake is firmly held together. A design was then made into the marzipan with a knife.
Established variations are for coconut flavouring to the sponge cake and lemon curd or raspberry jam in place of apricot jam. British chef Heston Blumenthal made a savoury Battenberg out of salmon for his television show, Heston's Feasts.
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