Disclaimer: This E-liquid was provided to me free of charge for the purpose of conducting a review. This fact notwithstanding, I will as best I'm able, provide an honest, accurate and unbiased assessment of this product.Battenburg cake is a light sponge cake with a pink and yellow tiled cross section, all held together with apricot jam and covered with a layer of marzipan. It's popularly served in the UK for afternoon tea with a selection of cakes, pastries, luxury ingredient sandwiches, tea, coffee or champagne.
Here's a recipe for Battenburg cake for the particularly industrious amongst you.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1120657/battenberg-cake
For those, like myself, who want to enjoy the taste of Battenburg cake but either don't know their way around a kitchen, are too busy or too lazy to bake, Judy from Waves of Vapour http://www.wavesofvapour.co.uk/ offers us Battenburg Cake E-Liquid.
http://www.wavesofvapour.co.uk/BATTENBURG_CAKE/p1589930_8826381.aspx
This liquid is available in 10 (£5.00), 30 (£12.00), 50 (£18.00) or 100ml (£34.00) bottles and in nicotine strengths of 8, 12, 18, 24 or 36mg. It comes in 100% VG or VG/PG ratios of 50/50 or 70/30. The sample I'm reviewing is 12mg nicotine strength with a VG/PG ratio of 70/30. The bottle is clearly labeled with health and safety warnings including a tactile warning triangle which complies with EU law regarding labelling of toxic substances. The screw top cap is childproof.
The website describes this liquid as "Yummy moist sponge cake melded with delicious apricot jam wrapped in velvety smooth marzipan". Before filling the mini nova with the juice, I warmed the bottle slightly, uncapped it and held it up to my nose. The fragrance is a delicate, sweet vanilla, very reminiscent of egg custard.
To get the most from this liquid, I find that I need to take a number of primer draws to heat the coil before I take one deep, sustained inhalation directly into the lungs. As I draw on the e-cig I feel a mellow flow of velvety vapour across my tongue that is mildly sweet and tastes somewhat of vanilla flavoured cake. The flavour builds in intensity, though not greatly so, until the sustained inhalation when I draw the vapour mixed with a breath of fresh air down into my lungs. At this point, there's the residual, subtly sweet taste of sponge cake. On the exhalation, the vapour unpacks it's last surprise with the revelation of almond. No hint of the bitterness associated with almond extract... just the delicate creaminess of marzipan. Again, like other juices I've tried recently, all the flavours of this juice meld and linger in the aftertaste. I wasn't able to taste apricot jam at any stage in the vape, but I suspect that a variable voltage device dialled to the "correct" voltage would reveal its presence. Vaping Battenburg Cake fills the room with a lovely perfume.
As a VG heavy liquid, Battenburg Cake produces good amounts of vapour that hang in the air for a good while after exhaling. The sample that I was vaping was 12mg nicotine strength so throat hit was negligible.
Waves of Vapour's Battenberg Cake is a gentle, mellow affair. It's a warm Sunday afternoon on the lawn with a cup of tea and Vera Lynn on the phonograph and the sure knowledge that all is well with the world. Or will be tomorrow.
