Battenberg Cupcakes

These battenberg cupcakes boast almond and vanilla sponge, raspberry jam, marzipan and a smooth, two-tone almond buttercream.

They're just like the classic oblong sponge they take their name from, only better!

Now, I won't lie, there are quite a few steps to making these battenberg cupcakes, so they are a bit of an afternoon project. However, every element is in itself quite easy, you'll only need common, easy to pick up ingredients, and the results are absolutely, totally showstopping.

To start, you'll make the almond sponges. The method for making the batter is a breeze; a simple case of creaming butter and sugar together, then whisking in eggs, vanilla and almond extract before folding in self-raising flour and ground almonds, and finally, stirring in a splash of milk.

Then the fun begins as you divide the batter between two bowls and use food colouring to turn half the batter yellow and half pink. You then pile the batter into cupcake cases in alternating blobs, swirl with a skewer and bake - the resulting sponges are so pretty!

Next, you'll top each sponge with a touch of jam and a disc of marzipan, reflecting the marzipan you find wrapped around a traditional battenberg.

With that done, you'll turn your attention to the gorgeous two-tone almond buttercream, which you'll make by beating butter, icing sugar, milk and almond extract together and then, as with the sponges, dividing in two and colouring half yellow and half pink.

When it comes to piping, you'll need a piping bag and an open star nozzle, plus some cling film (saran wrap). The cling film is the secret to getting perfectly balanced, defined two-tone swirls in your buttercream and I've included photos below so that you'll know just what to do.

Finally, you'll push a tiny slice of mini battenberg into the top of each cake to complete the look. Aren't they just adorable?

If you're a fan of battenberg in its classic form, you'll adore these battenberg cupcakes. They really go all out of the almond flavours and have a gorgeous range of textures from the tender sponge, to the chewy marzipan to the creamy, yielding buttercream. Just stunning!

Read on for the full recipe with detailed instructions and a helpful photograph for every step. And if you have any questions, just leave me a comment. Enjoy!

Instructions

Make the sponges

Preheat the oven temperature to 180C/350F (160C/320F fan-assisted).

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases. 

Put the sugar and butter in a bowl.

Beat together until very pale and fluffy.

Add one egg and whisk.

Whisk in the remaining eggs on by one.

Add in the vanilla and almond extract.

Whisk until fully combined.

Add the flour and ground almonds.

Fold in until combined into a thick batter.

Add the milk.

Stir in to loosen the batter.

Divide the batter equally between two bowls and use the food colouring to colour one bowl pink and the other bowl yellow.

Share the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake cases in alternating blobs. 

Swirl each cupcake lightly with a skewer.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top springs back if a finger is pressed gently on top, and a skewer pushed into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Add the marzipan layer

Slice the tops off the cupcakes as needed to give a flat surface.

Brush the tops of the cakes with jam.

Place a marzipan round on top of each cake.

Roll out the marzipan to about 2mm thick. 

Cut out 12 rounds about the same width as the tops of your cupcakes. 

Make the almond buttercream

Place the softened butter in a bowl.

Beat until creamy.

Sift in the icing sugar, then add the vanilla and milk.

Whisk starting slowly until just combined.

Add the hot water and whisk again, building up to full speed and beating for several minutes until pale, fluffy and considerably increased in volume.

Divide the buttercream equally between two bowls and use the food colouring to colour one half pink and the other half yellow.

Lay a large square of cling film on the counter and spoon the yellow buttercream in a lines along it, then fold over and twist the ends to form a sausage. Repeat with the pink buttercream.

Drop the two sausages into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pull the twisted cling film ends of both through the nozzle then snip the excess clingfilm away.  

Do a little test piping on a plate to make sure you're getting both colours, then pipe the buttercream in swirls on top of each cake. 

To finish, pop a slice of mini battenberg on top of each cake.

Once you've given my recipe a go, I'd love you to come back and leave a comment letting me know how yours turned out.

I'd love to see your videos and pics, too! Just tag me on social media. I'm @emilylearycooks on Twitter and TikTok or @amummytoo on Instagram.

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