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I made a BATTENBURG! Mrs. Next would be proud!

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JoyinVirginia:
On old board I had written about my quest to find a Battenburg recipe that looked like something I could actually make. I was inspiredy by Thursday Next's mother, Mrs. Next, who is famous for her Battenburg cake. I understand Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, says it is his favorite! I was severely handicapped by never actually having seen a real Battenburg. All I had to go on was advice from folks here and some recipe boards and news groups I searched in my quest for a Battenburg recipe.

I DID it! I made a Battenburg from a  recipe I found online, apparently written or adapted by an American because it lists Confectioner's sugar instead of caster sugar as an ingredient. (Caster sugar = confectioner's sugar= fine sugar, I think.) I like it, I made my own almond paste with the help of a food processor to chop up the almonds. I have a friend who is a pastry chef who advised me on working with the almond paste. She also could have connected me with a source of premade almond paste, but making it yourself is much less expensive. It only took about 2 hours all total and I didn't make too much mess doing it. Now anytime Thursday Next - or even Hamlet - would like to drop by, I will be able to make them feel right at home!
When I get time I will post recipe under cookbook folder.
Joy in Virginia

Clara Bow:
Now I was thinking Battenburg lace....I love that stuff...
Congrats! I take it this is not an easy recipe? I love it when I pull one of those off!

JoyinVirginia:

--- Quote from: Auntie Venom on January 28, 2007, 05:45:26 PM ---Now I was thinking Battenburg lace....I love that stuff...
Congrats! I take it this is not an easy recipe? I love it when I pull one of those off!

--- End quote ---
Thanks, Auntie Venom! The actual recipe for the cake and almond paste which is the icing is NOT difficult or complicated. The complex part that required a bit of patience and a ruler was the actual construction. I allowed myself an entire afternoon for the project, and it was done completely in less than two hours. Start to finish including clean-up.

Half of the batter has to be tinted pink, the other half left plain, but you can use a measuring cup for exact separation. And I found a site that explained how you can make a sheet cake pan divider with aluminum foil, if you don't have two 7 inch pans - I don't. You end up with two small cakes that you cut into four strips each. You use apricot jam (on one site someone substituted raspberry and said it was delicious) to paste together the strips to make a checkerboard pattern when the cake is cut.

Now all I have to do is find an authentic British person to try it and let me know if it tastes like it's supposed to. Hmmm.... I think the owner of Penny Lane Pub downtown is from Britain... Hmmm.
Joy in Virginia

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