Simnel cake recipe

Simnel Cake recipe

This article was published by: Matthew

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About this recipe

In this blog post I will guide you thru the steps and ingredients needed to craft this recipe. Grab your favorite apron and let's start.
simnel cake is a traditional Easter treat that has been enjoyed in the UK for centuries. This delightful fruitcake is adorned with a layer of marzipan in the middle and on top, making it a visually stunning dessert. The recipe involves a rich and moist fruitcake base filled with dried fruits, spices, and citrus zest. It is then baked to perfection and decorated with eleven marzipan balls representing the apostles (minus Judas).

Keywords: Simnel cake, Easter, traditional, fruitcake, marzipan.

simnel cake recipe details

Simnel cake recipe, recipe Rating: 4.5
Number of votes:97 

Ingredients

230 g	butter, softened
220 g	sugar
4 medium	eggs
230 g	flour
220 g	raisins
140 g	dried currants
100 g	candied cherries, chopped
60 g	mixed fruit peel, chopped
2 tbsp	grated lemon peel
2 tsp	mixed spice
	For the almond layers:
450 g	almond paste, (marzipan)
40 g	apricot jam
1 medium	egg, beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 150C and grease a springform pan (20 cm).

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add flour, the raisins, currants, candied cherries, mixed fruit, lemon zest and mixed spice. Beat well to combine.

Pour 1/2 of batter into prepared pan.

Divide almond paste into 3 equal portions and roll out one portion into a 20 cm circle. Place the circle of almond paste on the cake batter in pan and cover with remaining cake batter.

Bake for 2 1/2 hours, or until evenly brown and firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Set oven to broil.

When the cake has cooled, brush the top with warmed apricot jam and roll out the second portion of the almond paste into circle as before. Place on top of cake.

Divide the remaining portion of the almond paste into 11 pieces and roll into balls.

Brush the almond paste on top of cake with beaten egg and then arrange the 11 balls around the outside edge on the top of the cake. Brush the balls lightly with egg.

Place cake under the broiler and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until almond paste is golden brown.

Preparation time:
ca. 45 min
Grade of difficulty:
tricky
Calories per portion:
n/a