Chocolate and vanilla Battenberg with rolled buttercream fondant
Ingredients
175g unsalted butter, softened & cut in cubes
175g caster sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract, divided
175g all-purpose (plain) flour + 2 tbsp
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp cocoa
Nutella ganache (see below)
Directions
Preheat oven to 180°C.
For the tin: one way is to grease a 20cm square baking tin with butter, then line the tin with parchment paper, creating a divide in the middle with parchment or foil. Check the photos in the pdf for detailed instructions. Or you might be lucky enough to own a special Battenberg cake tin. I used two 20x10cm loaf tins that have a square cross-section, so I could be sure of a square(ish) cake.
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in 1/2 tsp of the vanilla.
Whisk the dry ingredients (except he cocoa and extra flour) together in a bowl then add to the butter mixture and mix together until the ingredients are just combined and the batter is smooth.
Separate the batter evenly into two bowls.
Add the remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla and the extra 2 tbsp flour to one batter and fold in until combined. Add the cocoa to the other batter and fold until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Spoon the batter into the each half of the prepared baking tin/s.
Smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula, making sure it is right into the corners.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cake is well risen, springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean (it should shrink away from the sides of the pan).
Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out to cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
Once completely cool, trim the edges of the cake with a long serrated knife.
Cut each sponge in half lengthways so that you are left with four long strips of sponge.
Neaten the strips and trim as necessary so that your checkered pattern is as neat and even as possible.
Spread Nutella ganache onto the strips of cake to stick it together in a checkered pattern (one yellow next to one chocolate. On top of that, one chocolate next to one yellow).
Nutella ganache
Ingredients
1/2 cup Nutella
80ml heavy cream
Directions
Put the Nutella into a medium bowl.
Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just boiling.
Pour cream over Nutella and whisk until smooth.
Cool to room temperature before using.
Rolled buttercream fondant
Ingredients
115g butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
450g powdered sugar + plus extra for bench
Directions
Mix butter, sugar syrup and vanilla together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the powdered sugar and stir until combined.
Turn out onto a surface well dusted with powdered sugar and knead until smooth. Roll out between two sheets of parchment in a rectangle that is wide enough to cover the length of the cake and long enough to completely wrap the cake. Remove the top sheet of parchment.
Spread one long side of the constructed cake with jam or Nutella ganache.
Place the cake on the fondant towards one end, jam/ganache side down.
Spread the remaining three long sides with jam/ganache.
Roll the cake carefully, pressing the fondant around the cake, making sure the join is either neatly in the one corner or will be underneath the cake once turned over. Remove the parchment.
Carefully turn the cake over so that the seam is under the cake.
Neaten the ends of the cake and remove excess fondant by trimming off a small slice of cake on both ends to reveal the pattern. Decorate the top, if desired.
pizzarossa 
Your Battenbergs look very nice, and the buttercream fondant is an interesting idea! Great job!
Thanks Liana! I’m so glad to have a covering that worked after the chocolate disaster! 🙂
You sure stuck with it with three attempts. It is looking pretty good for both of those I think – better than mine 🙂
It was just grim determination! LOL! Yours looks great! I saw your marzipan posts, but I have never made it so couldn’t offer any sage advice. These challenges certainly do challenge us!
The nutella ganache sounds amazing! And your cakes look lovely :o)
Thank you 🙂 The nutella ganache is great – the kids much prefer it to proper ganache, and it’s way easier.
You had me at “Nutella ganache”! I the vibrant pink squares are in your first (second?) attempt 🙂
Uh, that should say, “I like how vibrant the pink squares are in your first (second?) attempt”.
The pink was a bit of an accident – I’ve never used food colouring in cake before and didn’t realise it would bake to a much more vibrant colour than it looked in the batter, so I kept adding more! LOL!
Your cakes look gorgeous, I love the deep pink color!
Thank you 😀
I’m impressed that you made three cakes – your tenacity is to be admired! I’m going to try your Nutella ganache, although I doubt it will make it to a cake. It probably won’t get any further than a spoon!
LOL! It is too good! 🙂
Dedication to battenbergs right there! I personally love making these cakes, the traditional ones so far as, even though I too am not a marzipan fan, I do rather like it on battenbergs for some reason. Your nutella ganache looks gorgeousss, as do all your cakes 🙂 lovely post and you definitely ended up with a winner of a cake!
Thank you *so* much. I just adore trying new things and not giving up until I have come some way close to dealing with the scariness. This is definitely a cake I’ll keep making – my kids and hubby loved it and that’s the goal for me. 🙂
You did a marvellous job on this challenge! Your Battenberg cakes look so delicious and so beautiful.:)
Thank you so much 🙂
You did a fantastic job! I have never attempted a cake like this and fear it would really be a disaster for me.
P.S.
Congrats on your first acceptance! So happy for you:)
Thanks so much Nancy, for your kind words and your tireless support of your fellow bloggers 🙂
Looks good! I’m glad you were able to try the rolled buttercream!
Thank you! And thank you so much for the help with the fondant! 🙂