A traditional Easter cake – or is it?
Opinion is divided as to whether the original Simnel cake recipe was for a Mothering Sunday gift (allegedly made by brother and sister Simon and Nellie – Sim-Nel, get it?) or a post-Lent celebration cake, using all the ingredients you were supposed to have given up for forty days and forty nights.
But most people seem to accept this mix of fruit, spices and marzipan is an Easter treat, complete with 11 marzipan balls on the top – representing the apostles minus Judas of course.
Whatever its origins, what matters is that it should be a moist, fruity but not overly heavy cake.
Ours has a little twist of added ginger and orange flavoured liqueur.
Simnel cake
Ingredients
- 500 g bag dried mixed fruit
- 150 g glacé ginger
- 6 tablespoons of orange-flavoured liqueur
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 175 g butter softened, plus extra for greasing
- 175 g brown sugar
- 3 pieces of stem ginger finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of the syrup
- 3 eggs beaten
- 225 g plain flour
- 1 heaped teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 heaped teaspoons mixed spice
- 500 g marzipan
Instructions
- Mix the dried fruits, ginger and syrup in a bowl with the liqueur and leave to stand for at least 1 hour.
- Grease and line an 18cm cake tin with non-stick baking parchment.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C, gas mark 2.
- Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat well until pale and creamy.
- Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little of the flour if the mixture starts to curdle.
- Stir in the flour and spices, then the dried fruit mixture with any juices left in the bowl.
- Divide the marzipan into 3.
- Take one third and shape into a ball and roll out onto a surface dusted with icing sugar to an 18cm circle.
- Spoon half the cake mixture into the tin and spread in an even layer.
- Lay the marzipan circle over the cake mixture, pressing it down gently.
- Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and spread with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for about 2 1/4 – 2 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Be careful to check the cake mix, not the marzipan layer, as this will always be sticky.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Transfer the cooled cake to a baking sheet and brush the top with the ginger syrup.
- Roll out another third of the marzipan as above and press down onto the top of the cake.
- Pinch decoratively around the edges.
- Using the last third of marzipan, make 11 balls, about the size of a mini egg, and arrange them on top, sticking them with a little extra syrup from the jar.
- Heat the surface of the cake under a moderate grill for 1-2 minutes, watching closely, until the marzipan starts to toast.
Other recipes you may like:
• Mincemeat fruitcake
• Vegan jumbleberry chocolate cake
• Chocolate, ginger and chilli brownie