Simnel Cake

recipe

Simnel Cake

No comments

Simnel cake originates from Mothering Sunday - the fourth Sunday of Lent when people traditionally returned to their 'mother' church. Now it is more generally associated with Easter, when it is often decorated with 11 balls of marzipan representing the disciples of Jesus, excluding Judas the traitor.

Ingredients

225g butter, softened
225g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
275g plain flour, sifted
pinch salt
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
225g sultanas
125g currants
125g glace cherries
50g mixed peel
500g almond marzipan
icing sugar, for dusting
cornflour, for dusting
2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved
mini Easter eggs, spring violets or 250g almond marzipan to decorate (optional)

Serves: 16 Preparation: 80 Cook Time: 120 Total Time: 200min

Directions

More recipes like this

Generously grease a cm/n cake tin and line with a double thickness of greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to //gas mark
Cream the butter and sugar until it is pale and fluffy and falls easily from the spoon. Beat in a quarter of the egg with the citrus zest, then add the remaining egg, a quarter at a time, beating well between each addition. If it starts to curdle, beat in a spoonful of flour.
Fold the flour, salt and baking powder into the cake mixture.
Stir in the dried fruit, glace cherries and mixed peel until they are evenly combined. Spread half of the mixture into the tin and level the surface.
Roll out a generous half of the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and cornflour and trim to a cm/n round. Set on top of the cake mixture, pressing it down lightly. Wrap the remaining marzipan in cling film and leave in the fridge.
Top the marzipan with the remaining cake mixture and level the surface. Cook in the centre of the oven for about hours until the cake is risen and firm. Leave in the tin until cool enough to handle, then transfer to a wire rack to go cold.
To decorate, roll out the reserved marzipan to a cm/n round. Brush the surface of the cake with the jam and lightly press the marzipan on top, then crimp the edges. Use the block of marzipan to make marzipan balls, or decorate with mini eggs or violets.