BATTENBERG CAKE (english)

Ingredients :

For the cake :

- 175g butter, at room temperature

- 175g of sugar

- 3 eggs

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 175g flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- a few drops of food coloring, black here but traditionally red

For the buttercream : you will only use a very small part but you will not be able to make smaller quantities …

- 175g of chocolate

- 225g of butter

- 1 tablespoon  milk

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 250g icing sugar

For the custard :

- 300ml of whole milk

- 300ml of fresh cream

- 1 vanilla pod, splitted

- 4 egg yolks

- 115g of sugar

For the assembly :

- 350g almond paste 

Preparation :

For the cake :

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Butter and flour two small rectangular molds (10×15 cm) or a special mold.

In a bowl, combine the sugar and the butter with electric mixer until the mixture clarifies. Add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

In a bowl, combine the flour and the baking powder. Add it gradually to the previous mixture.

Divide the dough into two equal parts. Add the dye to one half. Mix well to obtain an uniform color. Pour each batter in mold.

Bake about 30 minutes in the oven. Cut off any excess dough with a sharp knife. Let cool down before unmolding. Set aside on a wire rack. Cut into four equal parts (two of each color).

For the buttercream :

Melt the chocolate in microwave. In a bowl, beat the butter, the milk, the vanilla and the icing sugar until the mixture is creamy. This may take several minutes with electric mixer.

For the assembly :

Spread or roll out the marzipan. Apply the buttercream on the four sides of each slice of cake. Place  two parts of different color in the center of the marzipan. Place the other two over so to achieve a checkerboard. Wrap into the marzipan.

Use the remaining marzipan and other odds and ends to decorate your cake.

For the custard :

Put the milk, the cream and the vanilla pod in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until clarification. When the milk/cream mixture is boiling, pour it into the bowl. Beat the mixture and then pour it back in the pan. Return to heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thickening (the liquid no longer flows on the spoon). The mixture must never boil. Remove from heat and let cool down.

Serve warm or cold on a slice of your Battenberg!