SIMNEL CAKE

I had heard of this traditional Easter cake which dates back to mediaeval times, but had never made it or tried it.  It is a fruit cake with marzipan baked into the cake and decorated with eleven marzipan balls to represent the twelve disciples (minus Judas).  

If you haven’t attempted a fruit cake you will be surprised at how easy they are.  You just need to be patient as it cannot be rushed in the baking, long and slow.  It will also keep for weeks in an airtight container.

Preparation - 45 minutes

Cooking - 1hr 45 minutes

Skill - medium

Serves 12-16

Ingredients

200g sugar

200g butter

3 medium eggs

225g flour

1 tsp mixed spice

50g flaked almonds, toasted

225g sultanas

225g currants

100g glace cherries

50g candied peel

1 orange, zest

1 lemon, zest

1 Tbsp apricot jam or glaze

500g marzipan

Method

Preheat oven 150C

Line a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking paper

In a large bowl beat together the sugar and butter, add the eggs one at a time, beating well.

Fold in the flour and mixed spice and mix through to combine.

Add the dried fruit, nuts and zest, mix through the cake batter so they are evenly distributed. Set aside.

Lightly dust a clean work surface with icing sugar and roll out a ⅓ of the marzipan to create a circle, slightly smaller than the cake tin.

Spoon half the cake batter into the cake tin, place the marzipan circle on top, cover with remaining mixture.

Bake for 1 hour 20-45 minutes (approx).  To check whether the cake is cooked, insert a skewer into the cake centre, it will come out clean when cooked.

Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes in the tin before turning out to cool completely.

To finish - roll out half of the remaining marzipan on a lightly dusted surface so that it forms a circle to cover the top of the cake.

Brush the top of the cake with the apricot jam.

Carefully place the circle of maxipan on top of the cake.

Roll remaining marzipan to form 11 small balls.

Place the balls around the top of the cake.