This Vegan Battenberg Cake is a version of the traditional British Battenberg and is just as good as the original. Consisting of light fluffy almond sponges arranged in a chequered pattern, sandwiched together with jam and wrapped in a thick layer of almond marzipan. It’s easier to make than you think and tastes divine.
This recipe has been made in collaboration with Renshaw, who make the BEST cake decorating products! All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)
Delicious Vegan Battenberg Cake
No cake is more British than a traditional Battenberg cake. Did you know that it is also called a ‘church window cake’ and was created in the late 1800’s. A bit of history! You will often see the Battenberg served up at an afternoon tea, or at any celebratory occasion. There is something extremely nostalgic about the pink and yellow squares wrapped in a layer of sweetly scrumptious marzipan which no other cake seems to achieve.
I’m am so excited to finally share my recipe for the much loved ‘Battenberg’ cake. I grew up on Battenberg when I was younger. I remember it well as it was my dad’s favourite, he would eat the cake and I would scoff on the marzipan. It’s such a classic, nostalgic and loved cake that I wanted to create this vegan version which would do it justice. This recipe got a 10 out of 10 from my dad, so it must be AMAZING – haha!
What is a Battenberg Cake?
Battenberg (or Battenburg) is a classic British cake consisting of almond flavoured sponges coloured yellow and pink, sandwiched together with jam and wrapped in marzipan, and when sliced reveals the chequered pattern.
It’s one of those recipes and bakes which looks like it would be a very technical and hard to make, but it’s actually really easy and also fun. You just need a few tools, a bit of time and some simple ingredients and you’re ready to go! Keep scrolling to learn how to make this scrumptious cake!
Tools you’ll need:
- Tin : You can go all out and be fancy and get yourself a Battenberg tin, or you can do what I did and make your own. Use an 8 x 8 inch loose-base square tin and line it fully with greaseproof paper. Allow the paper to hang either sides of the tin, this makes it easy to remove the cake when ready. I’ve linked to the tin here.
- Tin foil + greaseproof paper : This goes with the above, but in order to prevent the cake from sticking to the tin, line it with greaseproof paper. Wrap some card in tin foil, and cut it to fit snug in the middle of the tin. This will act as the divider for the two different coloured cakes.
- Food grade brush : Make sure to use a food grade brush to brush on the jam. I have linked the one I use here.
- Sharp knife : Once the cakes have baked, remove from the tin, allow them to cool then cut them with a very sharp knife. It’s best to use a serrated knife to prevent cracking. I’ve linked the best serrated cake knife here.
- Weighing scales : It’s best to use a set of electronic scales when measuring out batter, as this makes for accurate measurements! If you use cups, it’s not necessarily an accurate way of baking as opposed to grams.
Ingredients you’ll need to make a Vegan Battenberg:
- Self raising flour : You want to use self raising flour for this recipe, as the cakes need to have a good height to them. You can use plain flour, but you risk baking a flat Battenberg.
- Ground almonds : The ground almonds give the cake a slightly denser texture, and a delicious flavour, identical to the classic Battenberg.
- Sugar : Use fine white caster sugar.
- Baking powder : The baking powder helps the cake to rise.
- Dairy-free butter : Make sure to use vegan block butter, such as Naturli Vegan Block, Flora Plant Block Butter or any vegan block butter available to you. If you use margarine, you risk the cake not being as stable.
- Dairy-free milk : You can use any dairy-free milk, soya, almond, oat etc. Soya does work the best in cakes and is the one I would recommend.
- Almond extract / almond flavouring : To give the classic Battenberg flavour, use almond flavouring or almond extract. Either will work perfectly.
- Apricot jam : Apricot jam is used in the traditional Battenberg, and works beautifully with the almond flavours of the cake. Use it to sandwich the cake layers together, and attach the marzipan. Optional- You can use strawberry or raspberry jam.
Marzipan (from Renshaw)
Pink food gel : To give the cake a gorgeous pink shade, I used the Rainbow Dust ProGel in the colour ‘Raspberry’. The Rainbow Dust ProGel is the ONLY food colouring I use. You can buy liquid food gels, and natural food colourings in most supermarkets, but I would highly recommend ProGel. All of ProGel colours are vegan friendly! They are extremely highly pigmented, meaning you only need a tiny drop in your batter or icing, and it doesn’t effect the consistency of the cake. Note that the colour of the cake may look slightly peachy but looks pinker when it’s cooked and cut! I’ve even used their red ProGel to make the BEST Vegan Red Velvet Cake, which is in my Award-Winning baking book.
The main part of a Battenberg is that it’s wrapped in a gorgeous layer of marzipan. I used my favourite white marzipan from Renshaw. Renshaw is my go-to store for all my baking ingredients and tools, such as fondants, icings, food colours, edible glitters and of course marzipan. This marzipan is vegan friendly, and SUPER delicious!
Check out Renshaw here, and their amazing vegan range!
Make sure to check out the Rainbow Dust ProGel here.
How to make a Vegan Battenberg Cake
You will be so impressed with how EASY and simple the cake is to make. It only takes a couple of ingredients, which you possibly already have in your kitchen cupboards, along with a few tips and tricks. You’ll be a Battenberg PRO when you make this recipe. Happy Baking!
- Cakes
Mix all of the cake batter ingredients together, then divide equally in half into two separate bowls. Leave one batter plain, and colour the other with pink food gel. Mix to combine, then pour into the tin. Bake, and allow to cool before cutting and assembling.
- Jam
Cut the cake colours in two so you end up with 4 pieces of cake (2 plain yellow, and 2 pink).
- Marzipan
Roll out the marzipan into a large rectangle shape. Brush apricot jam over the marzipan. Lay a pink and a yellow slice of cake side by side at one end of the marzipan, brushing jam in between to stick sponges. Brush more jam on top of the sponges, then sandwich the remaining 2 slices on top, alternating colours. Smooth the marzipan over the cakes to cover. Trim any excess cake or marzipan. Cut both ends off of the Battenberg to neaten.
- Slice and serve
Use a sharp knife, cut the Battenberg into slices. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!
Vegan Battenberg FAQ
Is this recipe vegan?
- YES! This recipe is fully vegan and doesn’t contain any animal ingredients. Always make sure to double check your ingredients before using to make sure they are 100% vegan friendly.
Can this cake be made gluten-free?
- Unfortunately not. This cake has been made and recipe tested using gluten based self raising flour. I am yet to perfect a gluten-free vegan Battenberg, but will keep working on it!
I don’t like Apricot, can I use a different flavour?
- Of course you can! I have tried this recipe with strawberry and raspberry jam and they worked perfectly! The colour of the jam may tint the cakes slightly pinkish.
How to remove the cake from the tin?
- I always recommend a loose base tin! It makes removing cakes from the tin a breeze, simply push up the base and allow the cakes to cool, then peel away the grease proof paper! I have linked the exact on here. if you are going to be making a Battenberg, either buy a Battenberg tin or a loose base 8×8 tin!
Can I freeze my Battenberg?
- You can freeze the cake. It keeps well for up 2 weeks. After that the texture may be a little dry, but still tasty none the less.
How to store a Battenberg cake?
- The marzipan surrounding the cake helps to keep the sponges fresh and moist. In order to help with freshness, store the cake in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store in the fridge for up to 5 days but make sure to allow the cakes to come to room temperature before serving.
What to do with the trimmings?
- Simple answer, eat them- haha! They’re very taste with a cup of tea or coffee – even nicer dunked! Alternatively, you can cut the pieces into squares, and use them to decorate cupcakes / cheesecakes.
Looking for more delicious vegan recipes, check these out:
Easy Vegan Air Fryer Doughnuts
BEST EVER Vegan Lemon Loaf (Starbucks Copycat)
How to make Vegan Caramel Sauce
Easy Chocolate Sweet Rolls (vegan)
No-Bake Vegan White Chocolate Cheesecake
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Battenberg Cake
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is the BEST and ONLY Vegan Battenberg you’ll want to make making. Filled with almond flavours and a delicious marzipan, it’s easy to make and perfect with a cup of tea!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cake
- 280g of self raising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 100g of ground almonds
- 220g of caster sugar
- 180g of dairy-free butter
- 190ml of dairy-free milk
- 2 teaspoons of almond extract / almond flavouring.
- Pink or red gel food colouring (I use Rainbow Dust Colours ProGel in Raspberry)
Decoration
- 2 heaped tablespoons of apricot jam
- 1 slab of Vegan marzipan (I use Renshaw)
Instructions
Method (Cake)
- Preheat oven to 170°C Fan (180°C) and line your Battenberg tin with greaseproof paper. Remember to leave extra to pull it out the tin.
- Sift the the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Melt the butter either in the microwave or in a saucepan on the hob until melted. Whisk together the melted butter, milk and almond extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk to combine. Do not over-beat the batter.
- Using a scale for accuracy, measure out the batter then divide it into two separate bowls. Leave one batter plain, and colour the other batter with pink food gel, until you reach the desired shade, be careful not to add too much.
- Add the coloured batter into one half of the tin, and the uncoloured batter into the other half. Spread them level then bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cakes should rise and be a light golden colour on top.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and place the tin on a wire rack, leaving the cakes to cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Carefully lift them out onto a wire rack using the overhanging greaseproof paper. Peel off the greaseproof paper and leave them on the wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the Battenberg
- Once the cakes are completely cool, trim the tops and sides of both yellow and pink cakes with a very sharp serrated knife. You want them to be the exact same height and length.
- Heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan until runny, then sieve, getting rid of any large chunks of apricots / jam.
- Roll out the marzipan block on a lightly floured surface until around 20cm wide, then keep rolling lengthways until the marzipan is approximately 0.5cm thick. Trim the marzipan so the edges are straight (make it a large rectangle). Brush the entire sheet of marzipan with the apricot jam. Place a pink and a yellow slice side by side at one end of the marzipan, brushing jam in between to stick the sponges together. Brush more jam on top of the sponges, then sandwich remaining 2 slices on top, alternating colours to give a checkerboard effect.
- Carefully roll the cake or lift up the marzipan to cover the cake and smooth it down with your hands (check out my video for reference). The edges should meet up once rolled. If you have a gap, stick and smooth any left over marzipan into the gaps to cover. Trim the marzipan to the length of the cakes. This will make it really neat and tidy.
- Cut into slices, serve and enjoy!
Notes
To store: Store the cake in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store in the fridge for up to a week, making sure to bring it to room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Battenberg has been one of my favourite cakes since I was a little kid. This recipe has captured the magic of childhood and allowed me to enjoy Battenberg again! It’s so nice that my fiancé was even tempted to try it and he doesn’t like marzipan. (He’s had three slices now haha) Thank you Holly!!
This was so delicious, and much easier to make than it looks! I made it for myself for Mother’s Day. I tried my hand at homemade marzipan, and it was so good and simple to make. My cake wasn’t as beautiful as yours, but it sure was a hit with my family!
Made this for my friend who is vegan, she hasn’t had battenberg in 5 years and she basically cried with joy. This cake is so so good, so much better than shop bought.
Hi there, I’m just wondering about those gorgeous cake forks! Where are they from?
Author
Hello lovely, they’re from Oliver Bonas a while ago xxx
Made the cake with my daughter and it’s one of the best vegan cakes I’ve ever tried. She also loved decorating the cake, it didn’t look 100% like the photos due to a 4 year olds messy hands, but the taste is impeccable!!!! Definitely will be making again! oxoxox