Chocolate Battenberg Cake

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175C/155C Fan) and preparing your baking tray. See further instructions for a DIY Battenberg cake tray here
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
3. Reserve a tablespoon of flour, placing it in a small bowl and set aside. Sift the rest of the flour into the mixing bowl along with the baking powder and add the ground almonds. Stir the batter together well, ensuring no pockets of unmixed flour remain.
4. Then divide the batter evenly into two smaller mixing bowls (roughly 1¼ cup each).
5. In a small cup, stir together the cocoa powder and boiled water until it forms a paste. Add this to one of the mixing bowls of batter and fold through.
6. Add the reserved tablespoon of flour and the vanilla bean paste to the second bowl of batter and fold to incorporate.
7. Pour each batter into one of the sides of the Battenberg baking tray and bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle of the cake on either side if the divider.
8. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes in the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (or about an hour).

Instructions for Ganache

1. To make the ganache, place the cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat and warm to simmering.
2. Allow to simmer for a few minutes (avoid bringing to a boil), before pouring over the chopped chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl. Let this set for 2 minutes and then stir until smooth.

Instructions for Assembling

1. Begin by trimming the cakes. This is best done by stacking one on top of the other to ensure the edges are cut and trimmed straight down the sides. Trim only the two long sides to start, you will trim the ends (short sides) once wrapped in marzipan.
2. Next make a slice down the centre (lengthwise) through both cake layers so that you have four strips (2 vanilla and 2 chocolate - stacked on top of each other).
3. Swap one layer of vanilla for one layer of chocolate to create the chequerboard.
4. Using the ganache, spread a thin layer on the sides of the cake strips where they meet each other and stick these together to help solidify the cake loaf.
5. Roll the marzipan out in a long rectangle about 9" wide and 20" long (about ¼" thick).
6. Spread a layer of ganache over the top of the Battenberg cake and invert this over the middle of the marzipan so that the ganached top is facing down. Spread the remaining ganache over the sides and bottom (now facing up) of the Battenberg.
7. Gently wrap the marzipan around the cake loaf. Press and smooth the marzipan to cover the sides and base, trimming excess on the base so that there is a slight overlap. Press this seam to seal shut and flip the Battenberg over so that the smooth cake top is facing up.
8. Trim the two ends (short sides) of the Battenberg so that you remove excess marzipan and the ends of the cake, giving straight edges and revealing the chequerboard pattern.