Although the exact origins of battenberg cake are unclear, it is generally believed that it was invented to celebrate the wedding of Louis Battenberg to Princess Victoria 1884. The first records of battenberg actually described a cake with nine squares, and it wasn’t until it began to be industrially produced that the number was scaled down to four. Even with only four squares, this cake is still a real test of precision and technical skill – cutting all of the squares to the same size and encircling in an even layer of marzipan is rather tricky. Speaking from experience, when choosing the red food colouring, make sure you buy a bake-safe gel – the liquid colourings will not work, and powdered berries will end up turning your sponge a lovely hue of purple.
