Battenberg Cake

6 steps · 39 min total

1. 01

   Bake the Almond Sponge

   Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line the base and sides of a 20cm square tin with baking parchment; two 20cm-long strips crossed over the base work well. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat with an electric whisk until the mixture is smooth, then scrape it into the prepared tin, spreading it evenly to the corners. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely while you prepare the second sponge.
2. 02

   Bake the Pink Sponge

   Line the 20cm square tin again as you did for the first sponge. Combine all the remaining sponge ingredients, omitting the almond extract this time. Gently fold in the pink food colouring until the batter is evenly tinted. Scrape the mixture into the tin and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool completely.