Battenburg
Posted on
06/29/2012
by cakecrumbs
- Tags:butter cake, cakes, frostings and icings
- Location:Melbourne, Australia
- Mood:rushed
- Music:Fine Again :: Seether
I'd never heard of a Battenburg Cake before this challenge. So much the better. I love exploring something foreign to me.
Normally I would try a unique variation of a classic recipe given, but Mandy's classic Battenburg looked so lovely. Besides I love almond buttercake, and loved the symbolism behind the pink and white squares said to represent the four princes of Battenburg. Classic it is.
I joined the layers with apricot jam and added a crumb coat of vanilla buttercream before wrapping the Battenburg in marzipan. I topped it with flowers for something a little different.
I folded the ends of the marzipan to give it a material type look. I wanted to make it look like a neat little package. As well as cooking this cake for the first time, this was my first time working with marzipan. I assumed it was similar to fondant and dived right in. I wasn't sure how well it would work for moulding and thought the flowers might sag, but they were fine. I used mini dragees for the centre bud.
Time to cut it open. It wasn't perfect, but I was glad it at least looked chequered.
Have to remember to cut off the crusts next time to make it pretty.
If you'd like to see more pictures of this cake, check out the original post at my blog.
I was so disappointed by the layers challenge on Masterchef.
Oh I was, too! It was definitely the only challenge ever on MasterChef were I was like, "I could have done better". Though I was glad to see Emma finally eliminated. Unexpected, though, given she prided herself on desserts.
Peter Gilmore's cake earlier in the month looked amazing, though. I plan to try it soon.