Preheat oven to 350F (190c)

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites and salt until stiff.

Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff and sugar has dissolved.

Add egg yolks. Beat until well blended.

Sift together cornstarch, flour and baking powder and fold into the mixture.

Separate the batter into 2 bowls. In bowl 2, add the lemon zest in bowl 3 mix in the red food coloring and rose water.

Some cooks divide a 9″ square pan with cardboard wrapped in tin foil, I use two small loaf pans.

Bake for 15-20 min or until cakes spring back when lightly touched.

Leave in pan(s) for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

After the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to trim the crusts from top bottom and sides. Then slice each cake vertically in half.

Now stack the cake slices yellow pink on bottom layer, pink, yellow on top.

Glue the sections together using a generous Battenburgcakeassemblycoating of the warmed apricot jam between the layers and joints and all over the surface so the cake with bond to the marzipan.

Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan so that it is as long as the cake and at least twice as wide.

Place the cake in the center of the marzipan and pull the paste up and around, smoothing and then sealing the paste. Trim the excess and turn over. Cut off the end pieces with a serrated knife.

Dust a platter with icing sugar and place the cake on it. Cover and let the cake sit for a few hours before serving. Use a serrated knife to cut.

This cake is light and can dry out if you are not careful, so you can load on the toppings. You can serve with a light fruit sauce or my old friend non-fat strained (greek yoghurt).