Lemon-Orange Battenberg Cake
Serves: 1 (7½-inch) cake
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup almond meal
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/16 teaspoon yellow gel food coloring
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
  • ⅛ teaspoon orange gel food coloring
  • ½ cup apricot jam
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
  • Vanilla Bean Marzipan (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8-inch square cake pan; line pan with parchment paper. Fold a sheet of foil over 3 to 4 times to create a sturdy 8-inch-long, 1-inch-tall strip. Place in center of prepared pan to form a divider.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with a mixer at medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
  4. Divide batter evenly between 2 bowls. In one bowl, fold in lemon zest, lemon juice, and yellow food coloring. In other bowl, fold in orange zest, orange juice, and orange food coloring. Pour each batter into one side of prepared pan.
  5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. Using a serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion, cut each cake into 2 (7½×1×1-inch) rectangles, discarding scraps.
  7. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat apricot jam and 1 tablespoon water on high in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until warm and fluid.
  8. On a work surface lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar, roll out Vanilla Bean Marzipan to a ⅛-inch thickness using a rolling pin. Brush one side of one piece of lemon cake with warm apricot jam, and place on Vanilla Bean Marzipan, jam side down. Brush other sides of lemon cake with jam. Brush one side of one piece of orange cake with jam, and place alongside lemon cake piece, jam side down. Brush other sides of orange cake with jam and top with remaining lemon cake piece. Brush other sides of lemon cake with jam. Place remaining orange cake piece alongside and on top of lemon cake pieces. Gently press all cake pieces together. Brush outside of all cake pieces with jam again.
  9. Carefully wrap Vanilla Bean Marzipan around cake, gently pressing to smooth out air pockets and seal. Cut off any excess Vanilla Bean Marzipan. Serve immediately, or wrap securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Slice just before serving.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/lemon-orange-battenberg-cake/