English Battenberg Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a square 8-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter and castor sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes of beating.

Sift the self-rising flour into the creamed mixture in two additions, folding gently with a spatula after each addition to avoid deflating the batter.

Add the vanilla essence and mix until just combined, then stir in 2 tablespoons of milk and mix until the batter reaches a soft, dropping consistency; add more milk if needed.

Divide the batter in half and place each portion into opposite corners of the prepared baking pan, leaving a channel down the middle.

Fill the channel between the two batter portions with apricot jam, spreading it evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.