Melicia & Ayanda’s Battenberg

Method

1. Sift the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
2. In an electric mixing bowl. Beat butter and sugar untill light and fluffy.
3. Add egg whites to the egg mixture. Add the yogurt and mix well.
4. Add the sifted ingredients alternatively with the milk.
5. Divide the batter into 2 bowls. Add the purees and essences respectively.
6. Line 2 small loaf tins with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Pour respective batters in each
7. Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Cool sponges down before cutting into 2 rectangles of each sponge.
9. Place a strawberry cake rectangle next to a mango rectangle use buttercream to adhere the rectangles next to each other.
10. Cover the top of the two rectangles with buttercream. This is the glue to stick the other 2 rectangles for the next layer.
11. Alternate the sponge rectangles to get a checkerboard effect.
12. Frost the full cake in a thin layer of buttercream and rest in the refrigerator until firm enough to cover with Mazipan.

18. When cake is firm, roll the Mazipan to about 5mm thick. Place the Battenberg sponge on the serving board and cover with the Mazipan.
19. Cut the excess off around the edges and smooth out the Mazipan using a cake smoother.
20. Chill the cake for 15 minutes.
21. Heat the mirror glaze to melt it down to a coating consistency.
22. Place the two coloured mirror glaze into 2 jugs respectively and pour it together over the mazipan covered cake.
23. Decorate the batternberg with fresh strawberries, mango brunoise and saffron cream.

Vanilla buttercream

1 00g Clover butter, softened
200g icing sugar, sifted
2.5ml vanilla extract.

Method

1. Place butter in a bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually add icing sugar to the butter and beat till light and fluffy.

Marzipan

Ground almonds
Icing sugar
Water
Almonds essence

Method:

1. Place ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined.
2. Add almonds essence and water and pulse until just combined.
3. Place in plastic wrap and set aside until required.

Saffron cream

6g saffron
150ml Clover fresh cream
20ml icing sugar

Method:

1. Heat 50ml cream. Add saffron and allow to infuse for an hour. Cool in the refrigerator.
2. Place cream in a bowl of the stand mixer and whisk to soft peaks, add icing sugar gradually.
3. Add saffron infused cream and whip to stiff peaks.
4. Chill until required. Fill a piping bag and set aside.