Easter Simnel Cake
Simnel cakes have been baked in Britain around Easter time since medieval times. It's lighter and less fruity than a Christmas cake, and with a layer of marzipan in the middle, as well as on the top. The tradition of adding 11 balls of marzipan symbolizes Jesus's disciples; Judas is left out, it being Easter... I use little chocolate eggs instead, just because it looks prettier. You can make the cake a couple of weeks in advance, then store it well wrapped up, before decorating in time for the Easter weekend, but it will still taste delicious if you don't have time. I'm going to decorate mine in a couple of weeks, but until then here's a finished one from a couple of years ago.
Easter Simnel Cake
Simnel cakes have been baked in Britain around Easter time since medieval times. It's lighter and less fruity than a Christmas cake, and with a layer of marzipan in the middle, as well as on the top. The tradition of adding 11 balls of marzipan symbolizes Jesus's disciples; Judas is left out, it being Easter... I use little chocolate eggs instead, just because it looks prettier. You can make the cake a couple of weeks in advance, then store it well wrapped up, before decorating in time for the Easter weekend, but it will still taste delicious if you don't have time. I'm going to decorate mine in a couple of weeks, but until then here's a finished one from a couple of years ago.
Open in Cookpad AppSteps
- 1
Mix the raisins, sultanas and dried peel in a bowl and pour in the rum, stir, cover and leave to soak. You can do this a couple of hours ahead if you want to.
- 2
Butter a 20in loose bottomed cake tin, then line the base and sides with baking parchment. Cut a second disc of parchment the same size as the base, and set aside for later. Heat the oven to 130C/1/2 Gas.
- 3
Gently toast the whole almonds in a medium oven until golden, keep an eye on them, set aside to cool. Put the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, salt and mixed spice in a large bowl, whisk together to mix and lose any lumps.
- 4
Beat the softened butter in a food processor, or with an electric beater or a vigorously applied wooden spoon until soft, then beat in the sugar. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
- 5
Add the beaten egg to the mixture, a little at a time, continuing to mix. Add a little flour in between the egg to prevent curdling.
- 6
Add the remaining flour mixture and the orange and lemon zests, and fold in with a metal spoon.
- 7
Roughly chop the toasted almonds and add to the mixture.
- 8
Add the cherries, soaked fruit and rum, and golden syrup to the bowl, and mix well, then stir in the milk so you have a soft dropping consistency.
- 9
Add half of the cake mixture to the tin, and smooth level. Roll out about 200g of the marzipan to a disc just smaller than your tin, and place on top of the cake mixture.
- 10
Spoon the rest of the cake mixture in to the tin, smooth the top, and gently place the disc of baking parchment on top. Bake in the oven for 2 and a half hours. This is an unusually long, slow bake, but the end result was perfect.
- 11
When the cake is cooked (test with a skewer), remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin until you can handle it, then remove the tin and baking parchment.
- 12
To decorate brush the top of the cake with warmed apricot jam or marmalade. Roll out a disk of marzipan and use the base of the tin to cut an exact circle. Place on top of the cake.
- 13
Form an edging of marzipan to fit round the outside of the top and mark with a fork. Toast briefly under the grill if you wish until golden. Stick on with more jam.
- 14
Fill the centre with thick glacé icing and decorate with little eggs or other Easter decorations.
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