British cakes are relatively simple mostly because they tend to be paired with teas or made for special occasions that call for elegant but striking cakes. Creme and excessive sugar are absent in their cakes and instead, jams, powdered sugar, and cakes with a glaze enjoy immense popularity. With that being said let us introduce you to the cakes we are talking about – the aesthetically pleasing Batterberg Cake with its chessboard pattern, the bright lemon drizzle cake with its sweet, drizzled glaze, and of course, the classic Victorian classic, the Victoria Sponge Cake, with jam in its center. Try these British Desserts, the next time you feel like baking something fancy, somewhat familiar but still grounded in its taste and looks.
1.Batterberg Cake
Ingredients
- 150 gm unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 150 gm caster sugar
- 3 eggs, whisked
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 gm self-raising flour
- 30 ml milk
- 2 drops of pink food coloring
- 80 gm warm apricot jam
- 200 gm marzipan, pre-rolled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and while it heats assemble all the ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until it’s noticeably pale, light, and fluffy, typically taking three to four minutes.
- Pour the beaten eggs into the mixture very gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, while continuously beating. Once all eggs are incorporated, stir in the vanilla extract.
- Sift flour into the bowl and add the milk. Beat everything until you achieve a smooth, batter.
- Divide your batter equally between two bowls. In one bowl, add pink food coloring, add one drop, stir, and check the color to see if it's pink enough, if not add more.
- Grease a six-inch square cake tin thoroughly. Fold a piece of aluminum foil to make a sturdy wall down the middle of the tin to separate the batters.
- Carefully spoon the pink batter into one side of the divided tin and the plain batter into the other. Gently smooth the tops of both sections with a spatula.
- Place the tin in the center of your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. A fully baked cake springs back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove it and place it on a wire rack to cool.
- Once cool, trim each colored section to ensure they're the same size. Cut each color lengthways down the middle, giving you four long rectangles—two pink and two plain.
- Warm your apricot jam slightly and brush one long side of a pink strip with jam, then stick it to a plain strip. Repeat with the remaining strips, but place them in the opposite color arrangement, creating the characteristic Battenberg checkered pattern when stacked.
- Roll out the marzipan if it's not pre-rolled and brush with jam, then wrap it around the assembled cake, creating neat corners and tucking the seam underneath. Trim any excess.
- Crimp the edges and lightly dust with powdered sugar, then chill the cake for at least one hour before serving to set.
2. Victoria Sponge Cake
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 200 gm caster sugar
- 200 gm softened butter
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 200 gm self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp milk
For the filling:
- 115 gm butter, softened
- 140 gm icing sugar, sifted
- 1-2 drops vanilla extract, optional
- 170 gm strawberry jam
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C, grease two 8-inch round cake tins with butter, and line with parchment paper.
- Add butter and sugar in a spacious mixing bowl, then use an electric mixer to beat light and fluffy, around three to four minutes.
- Break the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk, then pour into the butter-sugar in small portions, and mix thoroughly after each addition.
- Sift flour and baking powder into the bowl. Pour milk and using a spatula fold until you have a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter between the two pans and smoothen the tops.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The cakes are ready if they’re golden and pull away from the sides.
- Remove from the oven and place them on a wire rack, cool in pan for 5-10 minutes. Then, carefully turn the cakes out onto the wire rack, peel the parchment, and leave them to cool.
- While your cakes cool, make the buttercream by beating the butter until it's very smooth. Gradually add the sugar, beating after each addition. Then end with the vanilla extract, and beat until fully combined.
- Place one cake sponge on your serving plate and spread the buttercream across the surface evenly. Follow with the strawberry jam over the buttercream. Place the second sponge on top.
- Dust the top generously with icing sugar just before serving.
3. Lemon Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 225 gm unsalted butter, softened
- 225 gm caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 225 gm self-raising flour
- 1 lemon, zested
For the drizzle:
- Juice of 1½ lemons
- 85 gm caster sugar
Instructions
- Start by heating your oven to 180°C. Then line a standard loaf tin with parchment paper with it overhanging so you can pull out the cake easily.
- Whisk butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy and light, which should take three to five minutes.
- Crack each egg into the bowl, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
- Sift the flour into the bowl, add the lemon zest, and using a spatula, mix.
- Transfer the batter to the cake tin and use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, and the top is golden brown.
- Mix lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl, it’s okay if the sugar doesn't fully dissolve.
- While the cake’s still warm, and in its tin, use a fork to make holes all over the top, pushing quite deep but not all the way to the bottom. Slowly pour your drizzle mixture over the cake.
- Leave the cake in its tin until completely cool. Once cool, carefully lift it out using the parchment paper. Slice and serve.