Pina Colada Raspberry Battenberg Cake

In this easy recipe, you’ll find step-by-step photographs and success tips to help you along the way. Enjoy!

This post is kindly sponsored by Whittard of Chelsea, however all opinions are my own.

Pina Colada Raspberry Ripple Battenberg
Pina Colada Raspberry Ripple Battenberg

About this Pina Colada Raspberry Battenberg

TASTE: flavours of pineapple, coconut, raspberry and almond. Tropical and fresh!
TEXTURE: Moist sponge wrapped in a thick layer of soft and chewy marzipan.
EASE: don’t let the number of steps in the method put you off; this recipe is easy and enjoyable to make.
PERFECT FOR: afternoon tea in the sunshine, celebrations or a summery sweet treat.
BAKING FACT: Battenberg cake was first created as a wedding gift for Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria and originated from the UK.

Pina Colada Raspberry Ripple Battenberg
Pina Colada Raspberry Ripple Battenberg

What’s used to flavour this Pina Colada Raspberry Battenberg cake?

Traditional Battenberg sponge is made using ground almonds giving it a soft texture and a delicate almond flavour. But for this Pina Colada Raspberry Battenberg recipe you’ll add a fresh and summery flavour twist using these two hot chocolate from Whittard’s luxury range:

  • Whittard Pina Colada White Hot Chocolate – 1 tbsp is mixed into half of the cake mixture to make the yellow sponge, adding flavours of cooling coconut and zingy pineapple.
  • Whittard Raspberry Ripple White Hot Chocolate – 1 tbsp is mixed into the other bowl of cake mixture to make the pink sponge, with sweet, sharp raspberry flavour. If you want a brighter pink colour, you can also add a few drops of pink food colouring.

Whittard’s hot chocolates are perfect for adding bold, delicious flavour to many different bakes, like my Cookies & Cream Millionaire’s Shortbread made using their Cookies & Cream Hot Chocolate.

Pina Colada Battenberg cake mixture using Whittard hot chocolates

Make your own Battenberg cake tin

To make this recipe, you don’t need to buy a fancy Battenberg cake tin. Instead, save yourself the pennies and make your own in less than 5 minutes. All you’ll need is an 8x8inch square baking tin, some greaseproof paper and scissors.

  1. Cut the lining: cut a square piece of greaseproof paper that’s bigger than the baking tin. Place it on top of the tin and make two incisions on the right-hand edge and the left-hand edge, one at the top and one at the bottom (see step 1 photo below).
  2. Line the base and sides: press the paper into the base of the tin, overlapping the corners so they fit snugly (see step 3 photo below).
  3. Cut the divider: to make the divider, cut a 20cm x 10cm rectangular piece of greaseproof. Fold it in half along the short edge. On the opposite side of the crease, fold back roughly 1cm of paper so the divider has a base to sit on (see step 3 photo below).
  4. Fit the divider: fit the divider into the cake tin to make two halves. If it doesn’t stand upright, you can use a little spray oil or butter to stick it to the bottom.

How to assemble a Battenberg cake

It takes a little brain power to assemble a Battenberg cake but once you’ve figured out the steps, it’s actually really easy. Below I’ve broken in down into the main parts, with photos and tips for each so you can breeze through this part of the recipe.

First cut the sponges

Once the sponges are baked and have cooled completely, lift them out of the baking tin and place them on a flat surface. Trim the edges to neaten them up and level off the top of the sponge, so it’s completely flat. The straighter the sides, the neater the Battenberg will be. Slice each sponge into two long strips; you want to make sure each strip has the same width as thickness. For example, mine were 1 inch wide and 1 inch thick.

Then brush the sponges with warm jam

Traditionally apricot jam is used to stick the sponges together, but seeing as this is a Pina Colada Battenberg, I decided to use pineapple jam instead. Heat the jam in a small saucepan and use a pastry brush (or spoon) to brush each long side of the sponges. Leave the ends jam-free as they’ll be exposed when the marzipan is wrapped around the sponge.

Brushing battenberg sponge with jam
Stack the sponges to make a chequered pattern

Lift the sponges up and stack them on top of each other, pink on top of yellow, yellow on top of the pink. Then stick the two stacks together to create a chequered pattern. At this point, you can trim the edges to make them neat and sharp.

stacking battenberg sponges
Now roll out the marzipan and cut to size

On a piece of greaseproof paper, roll out a block of marzipan into a 25cm(l) x20cm(w) rectangle that’s roughly 0.5cm thick. Place the Battenberg in the middle and trim the long sides of the marzipan so they line up perfectly with the edges of the sponge.

Rolling out marzipan
Lastly, wrap the sponge in marzipan

Use the greaseproof paper to lift up the marzipan and tightly wrap it around the sponge. Smooth each side of the cake to make sure the marzipan is stuck to the sponge. Trim off any excess marzipan and place the Battenberg seam side down, so the top is smooth and neat. That’s it; your Battenberg is now ready to decorate!

Leftovers? Here’s how to store your Pina Colada Battenberg

  • Eat within 3 days: remove the decoration on top, wrap in clingfilm and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Perfect for when those sweet cravings kick in!
  • Freeze and eat within 3 months: remove the decoration on top, wrap in clingfilm and then again in foil. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving. If the marzipan is a little sticky, leave it uncovered at room temperature to dry it out a little.

Equipment used for this recipe


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Pina Colada Raspberry Battenberg Cake

A tropical twist on a classic cake – this Pina Colada Raspberry Battenberg tastes like summer in every bite!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Baking, British
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

For the chequered sponge

To assemble

  • 4 tbsp Pineapple jam
  • 400 g Marzipan
  • Icing sugar for rolling the marzipan

To decorate:

  • 1 tbsp Pineapple jam
  • 25 g Coconut flakes
  • 8 Fresh raspberries

Instructions
 

Start by making chequered sponge

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan assisted) / 180°C (conventional).
  • Line the base and sides of a 20x20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper. To make a divider, cut a 20cm x 10cm rectangular piece of greaseproof paper and fold it in half. Insert the divider in the middle of the baking tin to divide it into two sections. Check out the notes in the blog post above for more help with this.
  • Beat the margarine (or butter), sugar and almond extract together until light and creamy.
  • Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined.
  • Gently fold in the self-raising flour, ground almonds and milk until the cake mixture is smooth.
  • Divide the cake mixture evenly between two bowls.
  • Mix the Whittard Pina Colada White Hot Chocolate powder into one bowl. Mix the Whittard Raspberry Ripple White Hot Chocolate powder into the other bowl. If you want a brighter pink colour, mix in a few drops of pink food colouring.
  • Spoon one of the mixtures into one side of the baking tin and the other mixture in the other side, smoothing them out on top.
  • Bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden on top. Leave to cool completely.

Assemble the Battenberg sponge

  • Lift both sponges out of the baking tin and place them on a flat surface.
  • Use a sharp knife to level off the top of each sponge so they’re completely flat, and trim the edges of each sponge to make them straight.
  • Slice each sponge lengthwise to make 2 rectangular strips that are as wide as the cake is thick (mine were 1 inch thick and 1 inch wide). You should now have 2 strips of yellow Pina Colada sponge and 2 strips of pink Raspberry Ripple sponge.
  • Heat the pineapple jam in a small saucepan on the hob until warm and sticky. Lightly brush the jam onto each long side of the 4 strips of sponge.
  • Stack and stick the sponges together to make a chequered pattern. If needed, trim the ends to neaten them up.
  • Dust a large piece of greaseproof paper and rolling pin with icing sugar.
  • Place the block of marzipan on top of the greaseproof paper and roll into a 25cm(l) x20cm(w) rectangle that’s roughly 0.5cm thick.
  • Carefully place the Battenberg sponge into the middle of the marzipan and brush the top with jam.
  • Trim the long edges of the marzipan so that they line up perfectly with the short edges of the sponge.
  • Now use your hand to wrap the marzipan around the sponge, sealing it together on top. This part is a bit like wrapping a present, just make sure the marzipan is wrapped tightly and use the jam to stick it to the sponge.
  • Now turn the Battenberg upside down so that the sealed edge is underneath and trim off any excess marzipan.

To decorate

  • Lightly brush the top of the Battenberg with pineapple jam.
  • Scatter the coconut flakes on top and place the fresh raspberries down the middle of the cake.
  • Slice, serve & enjoy!
Keyword Battenberg, coconut flakes, ground almonds, Marzipan, Pina Colada, Raspberries

Have you made this recipe?

I’d love to know what you think and see your creation! Leave a review below & tag me on Instagram @jessie.bakes.cakes

More cake recipes to try

This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. I only recommend products that I know, trust and love!

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Annie S.
1 year ago

Oh my goodness that looks amazing! The photography is truly gorgeous!!!

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