Recipe Index

Serving count not stated for this recipe, so quantities are shown as written.

Ingredients

• 6¼ oz butter, softened, for the plain sponge
• 6¼ oz caster sugar, for the plain sponge
• 5 oz self-raising flour, for the plain sponge
• 1¾ oz ground almonds, for the plain sponge
• 1/2 tsp baking powder, for the plain sponge
• 3 medium eggs, for the plain sponge
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, for the plain sponge
• 1/4 tsp almond extract, for the plain sponge
• 6¼ oz butter, softened, for the pink sponge
• 6¼ oz caster sugar, for the pink sponge
• 5 oz self-raising flour, for the pink sponge
• 1¾ oz ground almonds, for the pink sponge
• 1/2 tsp baking powder, for the pink sponge
• 3 medium eggs, for the pink sponge
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, for the pink sponge
• 1/4 tsp almond extract, for the pink sponge
• 1/2 tsp pink food colouring
• 7 oz apricot jam
• 2 lb 3 oz marzipan
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 8 in square cake tin, and divide it down the middle with a folded strip of foil wrapped in baking paper so you can bake both colours side by side.
2. Make the plain sponge: beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour, ground almonds and baking powder, followed by the vanilla and almond extracts.
3. Make the pink sponge in exactly the same way in a second bowl, adding the pink food colouring with the extracts until evenly coloured.
4. Spoon one batter into each half of the tin, level the tops and bake for 25–30 minutes until risen, springy and just shrinking from the sides. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.
5. Trim the edges of both sponges neatly, then cut each into two long, even strips. Warm the apricot jam and brush it over the strips, joining one plain and one pink strip side by side, then stacking the other two on top in the opposite arrangement to make a chequerboard. Brush the outside all over with jam.
6. Roll the marzipan out on a surface dusted with icing sugar into a rectangle big enough to wrap the cake completely. Set the cake at one end and roll it up in the marzipan, pressing the join underneath. Trim the ends neatly to reveal the chequerboard pattern, and crimp the top edges if you like. Slice to serve.

Nutrition not computed — no serving count in the source recipe (per-serving values cannot be derived without one).