Lemon Rose Battenberg Cake

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and take out two loaf pans. Line the loaf pans with parchment paper so that the flaps hang down the sides, then spray the pans liberally with cooking spray. Next, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl to fluff up the dry ingredients. Next, set up a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat the butter and sugar together in its bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, pressing down the sides as you add them. Finally, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by 1/2 of the milk. Repeat this again, then finish with the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter evenly between two bowls. Ideally, use a scale to be very precise. Mix the rose water and pink food coloring in one bowl, and the lemon juice and lemon zest in the other bowl. You now have two distinct and beautifully flavored batters. Transfer each to their own prepared loaf pans, place the loaf pans on a baking sheet for easy in and out, and bake for about 45 minutes. They will brown a bit on top and that’s okay. Insert a toothpick in the center of each to make sure it comes out cleanly. Let them cool for 10 minutes, then lift them out through the parchment paper flaps and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

While the cake loaves are baking and cooling, prepare the marzipan. Whisk together the almond flour, powdered sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and almond extract and stir everything together until it begins to bind together into almost a paste. Bring it together with clean hands and knead it for a few minutes to make sure it’s smooth and even. Shape it into a rectangle, cover it with plastic, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to assemble the cake.

Take the cooled cakes and trim the edges and tops so they form flat, perfect rectangles. Then cut each of them in half lengthwise to obtain 4 small thin rectangles. Heat the apricot jam in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. Brush the long side of a rectangle with the jam and sandwich it with a rectangle of the opposite color. Then brush the top of the sandwich with more jam and place the opposite colored rectangles on top. Brush the inside edge of the top rectangles so they stick together. Then brush the rest of the jam all over the outside before wrapping it in marzipan.

Roll out the marzipan between two sheets of parchment paper to form a long, thin rectangle. The short side should be long enough for the cake, while the long side should be long enough to wrap it around. Place the cake along the short side of the marzipan near the edge and gently bring the long side up to enclose it. Pinch the edges together and smooth them out and trim the excess. Use a fork to gently score criss-cross marks on top for some visual interest. Serve with tea! It will also keep for several days covered in the refrigerator since the marzipan prevents the cake from drying out.