If you are a fan of Battenberg Cake, and marzipan in general, you are going to love these Battenberg Cupcakes! They have a pink and yellow almond sponge, they're filled with a fruity apricot jam, on top is a pink and yellow swirl of almond buttercream, and they're decorate with slices of mini battenberg cake. They are such fun cupcakes with a totally retro vibe, and super cute colours.
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a baking spread for the cupcakes and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
- I recommend using a good quality almond extract for the perfect flavour. I like Nielsen Massey.
- Use a professional grade food colouring for the best results. These types of food colouring not only provide excellent colour results, but they are gel based so they do not make the buttercream sloppy. They are also easily available for purchase online. My favourite brands are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. Other good quality brands are Colour Mill and Americolor.
- For more information on how to bake perfect cupcakes, check out my Vanilla Cupcakes recipe!
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Battenberg Cupcakes
Start by mixing the baking spread and caster sugar together in a mixing bowl for 5 minutes using an electric mixer. Or mix in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Then add the eggs and almond extract, and mix until fully incorporated. Gently fold in, or whisk by hand, the self raising flour. Divide the batter into two bowls, colour one with pink food colouring and the other with yellow food colouring.
Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, filling each case with an even amount of each coloured batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack and leave to cool fully. Use a cupcake corer, or a knife, to make a hole in each cupcake. Fill each hole with the apricot jam.
To make the buttercream, mix the softened butter for a few minutes on it's own. This is best done in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or you can use an electric hand mixer. Then add the icing sugar, milk and almond extract, and mix until combined. Separate the mixture into two, colour one with pink food colouring and the other with yellow food colouring. Put both buttercreams into a piping bag on opposite sides. Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes and decorate with mini battenberg slices.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How long do the cupcakes last for and can they be frozen?
The cupcakes will last for 2-3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze both the cupcakes and the buttercream. To freeze them separately, wrap the cupcakes well in cling film or put them in an airtight container. The buttercream can be frozen in a sealed tub. To freeze them decorated, freeze the cupcakes on a plate until frozen solid, then carefully wrap in cling film. Remove the clingfilm when you take the cupcakes out of the freezer to defrost, as if they defrost with it still on it could damage the buttercream.
Can you make the cupcakes with plain/all purpose flour?
Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 1 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.
Is butter or a baking spread better for cupcakes?
I prefer to use a baking spread (my preferred brand is Stork) for cupcake and cake sponges. I find that they are easier to use and they make the sponge rise more. You can also use most baking spread straight from the fridge, which is handy during a last minute baking emergency!
Should you use salted or unsalted butter for cupcakes?
I always use unsalted butter and baking spread for baking. This is because if you want to add salt to your recipe, you then have complete control of the salt level. Lots of people add salt to enhance the flavour of baked goods, so when you do this you want to know exactly how much you're adding. I personally prefer not to add salt to cakes and cupcakes. However, using a salted butter or baking spread will not affect the bake negatively and won't make it taste salty.
Do you have to decorate with two toned buttercream?
No, while the two toned buttercream looks very effective and is simple to do, if you are short on time just decorate the cupcakes with one solid colour.
Do you have to beat the butter and sugar together for the full 5 minutes?
You don't have to, but I do recommend doing this to achieve the same results as me. I like a very slight bump or dome on my cupcakes, and for them to rise all the way to the top of the cupcake cases. I've tested this recipe multiple times and found that beating the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes achieves what I consider to be the perfect rise!
Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?
While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cupcakes will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!
Can these cupcakes be made gluten free?
Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 1 + ½ teaspoons additional baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. You will also need to decorate the cupcakes with a gluten free alternative, or balls of golden marzipan would look good. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cupcakes if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Can these cupcakes be made dairy free?
For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for the cupcakes and the buttercream. For the buttercream I recommend using a block butter alternative, such as Flora Plant or the Stork Baking Block, for best results. You will also need to use a dairy free alternative for the decoration. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cupcakes if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
More tips for making the Battenberg Cupcakes:
- I used a Wilton 2D piping nozzle for these cupcakes.
- You can spread the buttercream onto the cupcakes with a spoon if you don’t want to pipe it.
- The mini battenbergs I used for decoration are by Mr Kipling.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- Cupcake tin
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Piping bags
- Wilton 2D Piping nozzle
- Yellow food colouring
- Pink food colouring
- Almond extract
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More marzipan recipes...
Battenberg Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 175 g Baking spread or butter softened, unsalted
- 175 g Caster sugar
- 3 Eggs large
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 175 g Self raising flour
- Yellow food colouring
- Pink food colouring
For the filling (optional)
- 175 g Apricot jam
For the buttercream
- 200 g Butter unsalted, softened
- 400 g Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 2-3 tbsp Milk
- Yellow food colouring
- Pink food colouring
For decoration
- 5 Mini battenbergs sliced up
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 140C Fan/325F/Gas Mark 3, and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases
- For the cupcake sponge, mix together the baking spread and caster sugar, ideally using an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, for 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy
- Add the eggs and almond extract, and mix them in well
- Then gently whisk, or fold in, the self raising flour
- Split the batter into two bowls. Add pink food colouring to one and mix it in, then add yellow food colouring to the other and mix it in
- Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, filling each cupcake case with half pink batter and half yellow batter. Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until a thin skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Put them on a rack to cool completely
- Use a cupcake corer or a knife to make a hole in the middle of each cupcake, fill each hole with the apricot jam
- For the buttercream, mix the softened butter on it's own for a few minutes. Then add the icing sugar, almond extract and milk, and mix until smooth. You can do this by hand, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer with paddle attachment will provide the best results. If the buttercream is too stiff, you can add a little more milk
- Split the buttercream into two bowls. Add pink food colouring to one and mix it in, then add yellow food colouring to the other and mix it in
- Fill a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle, with the pink buttercream on one side and the yellow buttercream on the other side. Pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcakes
- Decorate with the slices of mini battenberg
- Store in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a baking spread for the cupcakes and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
- I recommend using a good quality almond extract for the perfect flavour. I like Nielse Massey.
- Use a professional grade food colouring for the best results. These types of food colouring not only provide excellent colour results, but they are gel based so they do not make the buttercream sloppy. They are also easily available for purchase online. My favourite brands are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. Other good quality brands are Colour Mill and Americolor.
- For more information on how to bake perfect cupcakes, check out my Vanilla Cupcakes recipe!
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Jody
Amazing the best cupcakes Kat