Battenberg Cake Recipe (Checkered Sponge Cake)
This Battenberg cake recipe is made by baking a soft vanilla sponge, cutting it into neat strips, and assembling a simple checkered pattern. A light lemon sugar glaze helps the pieces stick together and gives a tidy finish. If you’re wondering how to make Battenberg cake, just follow the steps in order and keep your cuts as even as you can.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Method
Preheat and prep the pan
Heat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Grease the pan and line the base with parchment. If you have a divider for two colors, set it in place.
Cream butter and sugar
Beat the butter and sugar for 2–3 minutes until lighter and fluffy. This helps keep the sponge tender.
Add eggs and vanilla
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing briefly after each. Stir in the vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the batter in 2–3 additions and fold until you don’t see dry flour.
Adjust with milk
If the batter feels too stiff, mix in 2–3 tablespoons of milk. You want a thick batter that drops slowly from a spoon.
Split the batter and bake
Divide batter evenly into two portions. You can leave one plain and lightly tint the other without changing the flavor. Bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and cut into strips
Turn the cakes out onto a rack and cool fully. Trim edges, then cut into long, even strips; neat squares make the checkerboard look cleaner.
Make the lemon sugar glaze
Whisk the egg white. Add lemon juice and water, then gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth and spreadable. Use the extra powdered sugar to fine-tune thickness.
Assemble the checkerboard
Brush a thin layer of glaze on the sides of the strips. Arrange four strips into a 2x2 checker pattern, press gently, and line up the edges.
Set and serve
Smooth a very thin coat of glaze over the top and sides to tidy it up. Let it sit 20–30 minutes to set, then slice and serve.