I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent cutting cakes into strips, knives becoming blunt from the sheer quantity and fingers becoming calloused from the grip (RIP bread knife, you served our cause valiantly). Anyway, I thought I’d trigger some personal PTSD and include a version of a Battenberg recipe here, the root cause of all the cake cutting. And rather than cry over not achieving perfectly straight lines we’re using cutters and cake rings to create a chequerboard cake because it’s my time now and I will not relive trauma (maybe later, when I’m ready. Trauma bonding is always fun, is it not?)
RECIPE:
CHEQUERBOARD SPONGE
300g UNSALTED BUTTER (Cold and Cubed)
300g LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
5 MEDIUM WHOLE EGGS (Room temperature)
60g CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD
300g SELF-RAISING FLOUR
5g BAKING POWDER
20g COCOA POWDER
VANILLA MASCARPONE FROSTING
500g MASCARPONE
600ml DOUBLE CREAM
200g ICING SUGAR (Sieved. No lumpy frosting thank you very much)
2tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
50ml MILK
APRICOT JAM (For the assembly)
BEFORE YOU START…
Preheat your oven to 160c (Fan Oven- 170c for other, less powerful ovens)
Grease and Line four 20cm cake tins (or two if you only have two, with spare cut parchment for swift re-using of the tins for using multiple times)
METHOD:
FOR THE CHEQUERBOARD SPONGE…
Mix the sugar and butter until evenly combined. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar gradually, scraping down the sides of the bowl. It should resemble scrambled eggs at this stage. Fold in the flour and baking powder in slowly. Finish by folding in the flour.
Divide the mixture – 900g- between two bowls and add the cocoa powder to one and mix by hand until evenly mixed. Divide 450g of each mixture across the four cake tins and spread across the tin evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife comes outs clean when inserted.
FOR THE VANILLA MASCARPONE FROSTING…
Mix the mascarpone and sugar together until light and fluffy, add the essence and mix to until smooth. Loosen with the milk and mix until smooth and fluffy. Keep chilled in the fridge until needed.
LOOK. IT’S NOT PERFECT. I KNOW. We’ve got lots more opportunity to get there to achieve this goal, but this is early on in our journey so shall we just crack it a go because it’ll be delicious!
TO ASSEMBLE: Remove each cake from their cake tins trim the tops so they all be the same height and flat. Using the 4inch cutter, cut each cake and repeat with the 2inch cutter. Swap the circles so that the sponges alternative and glue together with the jam. I had a meltdown doing this so be kind and take your time. Sponges can glued together if they break apart. And remember, this is going to look cool and taste delicious regardless of imperfections! Alternating these sponges, now sandwich the layers together with more jam. Once assembled, place in the fridge to firm up for about 30 minutes. Cover with the frosting and dust with cocoa powder to make it look really cool. Hurrah we made it!
