Simnel Cake

< Back to Easter Recipes

Ingredients:

  • Metric:
  • 175 g butter or margarine
  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 225 g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 300 g currants
  • 100 g sultanas
  • 75 g chopped mixed peel
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
  • 500 g Marzipan
  • 3-4 tablespoons apricot jam
  • 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
  • Imperial:
  • 6 oz butter or margarine
  • 6 oz caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 8 oz plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 12 oz currants
  • 4 oz sultanas
  • 3 oz chopped mixed peel
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
  • 1lb Marzipan
  • 3-4 tablespoons apricot jam
  • 1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Method:

Line an 18 cm / 7 inch round cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar together and beat in the eggs gradually. Sift the flour with the spices and fold it in, then the fruit. Mix to a soft dropping consistency with a little milk. Put half the mixture into the tin and level it off.

Divide the marzipan into 3 and roll out one-third on a sugared board into a round slightly smaller than the tin. Pinch the edges to prevent the paste cracking. Lay the marzipan round on top of the cake mixture then cover with the rest of the mixture and level it off. Tie a band paper round the outside of the tin and 5 cm / 2 inches above it to protect the top of the cake during baking.

Place it in a preheated moderate oven so that the top of the cake is in the centre of the oven and bake at 170°C/325°F, Gas Mark 3 for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 150°C/300°F, Gas Mark 2 for a further 2 hours or until the cake is firm to the touch.

Allow to cool in the tin before turning out on to a wire rack to cool. Leave on the lining paper, wrap the cake in foil and store for at least 2 weeks.

When required, unwrap the cake. Heat the jam and sieve it if lumpy. Roll out one of the remaining pieces of marzipan into a round to put on the top of the cake. Brush the apricot glaze over the top of the cake and press on the marzipan round. With the forefinger of one hand and the finger and thumb of the other, pinch the edge of the marzipan into flutes. Flatten the remaining piece of marzipan and divide it into 11 equal parts. Roll the pieces into small balls. Brush the top and sides of the marzipan on the cake with beaten egg. Press on the balls in a ring round the edge of the cake and glaze them with beaten egg. Place on a baking sheet and bake near the top of a preheated hot oven at 230°C/450°F, Gas Mark 8 for 5 minutes or until nicely coloured. Alternatively brown under a hot grill. Cool the cake and serve.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]