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Battenberg Cake

July 16, 2012 in Baked Treats, Desserts

June Daring Bakers Challenge

This is a very late post, very late. But this challenge looked like so much fun that there was no way I was going to miss it. I was travelling for a week (right when the post was due) and then you can imagine how busy work can get once you get back home. Anyways, I made the cake finally this weekend and it was delicious. I am so glad that I did not miss this challenge. The pictures do not do justice to the cake. So here’s the walnut-coffee flavored Battenberg cake with chocolate plastique.

Mandy of What The Fruitcake?! came to our rescue last-minute to present us with the Battenberg Cake challenge! She highlighted Mary Berry’s techniques and recipes to allow us to create this unique little cake with ease.

Now for some history about the Battenberg cake before we get down to the nitty gritty details. This cake has very grand beginnings. It was actually created as a wedding cake for royalty. The first Battenberg cake was made to celebrate the marriage of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Victoria, to husband Prince Louis of Battenberg. It’s traditionally flavoured with almond and has the signature Battenberg markings, that is, the yellow and pink squares (said to represent the four princes of Battenberg). The strips of sponge are glued together using jam (normally apricot) and the whole cake is covered in marzipan. Sometimes the edges are crimped and the top is patterned with a knife.

Although there are specialised Battenberg cake tins available, you don’t need one. This can be baked in a square baking tin and a divide made with foil to separate the two batters. This recipe really is all about simplicity.

Preparation time:
Preparation: 15-20mins
Baking & Cooling Time: 45-60mins
Assembly: 15-20mins

Ingredients:

Serves 10

Battenberg Cake
  1. ¾ cup (1½ sticks) 175gm /6 oz Unsalted Butter, softened & cut in cubes
  2. ¾ cup / 175gm /6 oz Caster Sugar
  3. 1¼ cups / 175gm /6 oz Self-Raising Flour
  4. 3 Large Eggs, room temp
  5. ½ cup / 65gm /2 1/3 oz Ground Almonds (Can be substituted with ground rice)
  6. 3/4 tsp / 3½ gm Baking Powder
  7. 3 tsp (15 ml) Milk
  8. ½ tsp (2½ ml) Vanilla Extract
  9. 1½ tsp (7½ ml) 7 gm Instant Coffee Powder or Granules
  10. 3 Tbsp / 25gm/1 oz Walnuts, roughly chopped
To Finish
  1. ½ cup (1 stick) 115gm /4 oz Unsalted Butter
  2. 2 cups / 225gm /8 oz Powdered (Icing/Confectioners’) Sugar
  3. ½ tsp / 2 gm Instant Coffee
  4. 1½ tsp (7½ ml) Milk or Cream
  5. 1 cup / 225gm /8 oz Marzipan, natural or yellow
Milk Chocolate Plastique
  1. 200gm /7 oz Good Quality Milk Chocolate (+-50% Cocoa content)
  2. 3 Tbsp / 45ml /1½ oz Light Corn Syrup / Glucose Syrup / Golden Syrup

Directions:

For the Battenberg Cake
  • Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/160°C Fan Assisted/Gas Mark 4
  • Grease an 8”/20cm square baking tin with butter
  • Line the tin with parchment paper, creating a divide in the middle with the parchment (or foil) – Tip: See photos or watch video above for detailed instructions or prepare Battenberg tin by brushing the tin with melted butter and flouring.
  • Whisk together dry ingredients (except walnuts and coffee) and combine with the wet ingredients in a large bowl (except vanilla and milk) and beat together just until the ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth.
  • Spoon half the mixture into a separate bowl and stir in the vanilla, 1½ teaspoons milk and chopped walnuts.
  • Spoon the walnut mixture into the one side of the prepared baking tin.
  • Dissolve the coffee in the remaining 1½ teaspoon milk and add to the remaining batter, stir until just combined.
  • Spoon the coffee batter into the other half of the prepared baking tin.
  • Smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula, making sure batter is in each corner.
  • Bake for 25-30mins until the cake is well risen, springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean (it should shrink away from the sides of the pan).
  • Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out to cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
  • Once completely cool, trim the edges of the cake with a long serrated knife.
  • Cut each sponge in half lengthways so that you are left with four long strips of sponge.
  • Neaten the strips and trim as necessary so that your checkered pattern is as neat and even as possible.
  • Combine the buttercream ingredients together and mix until combined.
  • Spread a thin layer of buttercream onto the strips of cake to stick the cake together in a checkered pattern.
  • Dust a large flat surface with icing sugar then roll the chocolate plastique in an oblong shape that is wide enough to cover the length of the cake and long enough to completely wrap the cake.
  • Spread the top of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream.
  • Place the cake on the chocolate plastique, buttercream side down.
  • Spread buttercream onto the remaining three sides.
  • Press the chocolate plastique around the cake, making sure the join is either neatly in the one corner, or will be underneath the cake once turned over
  • Carefully flip the cake over so that the seam is under the cake and score the top of the cake with a knife, you can also crimp the top corners with your fingers to decorate.
  • Neaten the ends of the cake and remove excess marzipan by trimming off a small bit of cake on both ends to reveal the pattern.
For Chocolate Plastique
  • Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, stir occasionally.
  • Once completely melted, remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.
  • Stir in corn syrup / glucose syrup / golden syrup, it will seize up almost immediately, just keep stirring until mixed and it comes away from the side of the bowl.
  • Transfer chocolate into a sealable bag, spread the chocolate out then seal the bag.
  • Leave overnight or refrigerate for about 2 hours until completely firm.
  • Turn out from the bag and knead on a surface dusted with powdered sugar, at first it will just break , but as you knead, it will warm up and start to become pliable.
  • Knead until it’s pliable enough to roll out or mould, 5 – 10mins.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. It is a beautiful looking cake and is delicious. And I can already think about a hundred variations on this. The cake itself, buttercream and the covering can all be varied to result in different kinds of cakes. And this cake is not a very big one. It results in about 8-10 slices so if you are baking this for a party, you can easily make 2-3 of them in different variations and I can promise you that it will be a big hit.

Thanks once again to the daring bakers for the wonderful recipe.

Shilpa

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Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake with Apple Walnut filling

March 27, 2011 in Desserts, Snacks

March Daring Bakers Challenge

I am so glad I joined the Daring Bakers. Each month I learn something new and exciting. The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

Life has been really busy off late. We are moving to a new place in a couple of days so the packing has started. Amit and I are both giving our next exams in the PhD journey in April so we are both busy typing out our proposals for the exam. And to top it I have my part-time internship! So busy busy month. Have been a little slow on updating my blog due to all these events which tend to take a precedence over everything else. But the daring bakers and daring cooks challenge is something I promised myself, I won’t miss for anything so here I am typing away to complete the blog on time!

I loved this month’s challenge. It’s a very easy to make recipe and the only tricky part for me as usual was the yeast! My love hate relationship with yeast is slowly turning into a love love relationship! I like that because that means more home-baked breads… While I was thinking about what kind of filling to make, Amit suddenly expressed his desire to have some apple crumble. So I decided that I would make an Apple Walnut filling for the Coffee Cake. So here is the recipe for the Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake with Apple Walnut filling.  You can also make a savory version of this, which I will very soon. Maybe as my first bake at the new place!

I made one loaf of the coffee cake with half the measurements from the recipe given below and it serves 4-5 persons with a few second helpings.

Preparation time:

For the dough:

  • 10 – 15 minutes preparation of the dough
  • 8 – 10 minutes kneading
  • 45 – 60 minutes first rise
  • 10 – 15 minutes to prepare meringue, roll out, fill and shape dough
  • 45 – 60 minutes for second rising.

Baking time: approximately 30 minutes

Ingredients:


For the yeast coffee cake dough:

  1. 4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour
  2. ¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar
  3. ¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼  oz.) salt
  4. 1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons /  7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast
  5. ¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk
  6. ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature)
  7. ½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
  8. 2 large eggs at room temperature

For the meringue:

  1. 3 large egg whites at room temperature
  2. ¼ teaspoon salt
  3. ½ teaspoon vanilla
  4. ½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sugar

For the Filling:

  1. 4 apples chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  2. 2/3 cup sugar
  3. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  4. 1/2 cup chopped walnut

Egg wash:

  1. 1 beaten egg
  2. Cocoa powder (optional)
  3. Confectioner’s sugar (powdered/icing sugar) for dusting cakes

 

Directions:

Prepare the dough:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.
  • In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.
  • With an electric mixer on low-speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes.
  • Add the eggs and 1 cup (150 g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes.
  • Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together.
  • Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the  1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.
  • Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.

Prepare your filling:

  • Add the chopped apples to a saucepan and add the cinnamon and sugar to it and let it cook. This takes about 15-20 minutes depending on what kind of apples you use. Make sure that the apples are soft and mushy but is still in chunks. You do not want it to get too mushy.
  • Cool this to room temperature before using to fill the dough.
  • Chop the walnuts and set it aside.

Prepare the Meringue:

  • Once the dough has doubled, in a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low-speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque.
  • Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cake:

  • Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Punch down the dough and divide in half.
  • On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle.
  • Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges.
  • Spread half the apple over the meringue and then sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the apple.
  • Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down.
  • If you would like to make a round coffee cake Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal. I made a log shaped coffee cake this time.
  • Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the log or the outside edge of the round coffee cake at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals.
  • Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.
  • Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.
  • Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.
  • Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling.
  • These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

This weekend coffee cake is what we had for breakfast and I must say I am loving it. It all gooey inside and the dough is both fluffy and crunchy. I loved this and am so ready to make a savory version of this very soon. I loved this recipe specially since it’s so versatile – just change the filling and you have a different version of the coffee cake! And once again cheers to all the daring bakers for all the awesome versions of the coffee cakes tried and tested over the month of March. I am sure there are many happy tummies out there, having enjoyed the yummy coffee cakes. And a special thanks to Jamie and Ria for the wonderful challenge this month.

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