Simnel Cake is a traditional British cake associated with Easter. It’s a rich fruit cake with a layer of marzipan in the middle and on top. It’s often decorated with 11 or 12 marzipan balls, representing the 12 apostles minus Judas.
Here’s a basic recipe for Simnel Cake:
### Ingredients:
**For the cake:**
– 225g (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
– 225g (8 oz) sugar
– 4 large eggs
– 225g (8 oz) plain flour
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp mixed spice powder (or cinnamon and nutmeg)
– 225g (8 oz) mixed dried fruit
– 115g (4 oz) glacé cherries, chopped
– 115g (4 oz) currants
– 115g (4 oz) sultanas
– 85g (3 oz) almonds, chopped
– 50g (1 3/4 oz) lemon zest
– 50g (1 3/4 oz) orange zest
– 50g (1 3/4 oz) brandy or orange juice
**For the marzipan:**
– 250g (9 oz) marzipan
– 2 tbsp apricot jam (for glazing)
– 100g (3 1/2 oz) marzipan, rolled into 11 or 12 small balls (for decoration)
### Instructions:
1. **Preheat Oven:** Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). Grease and line an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake tin.
2. **Prepare the Cake Batter:**
– In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
– Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time.
– Sift together the flour, baking powder, and mixed spice powder, then fold into the butter mixture.
– Stir in the dried fruit, cherries, currants, sultanas, almonds, lemon zest, orange zest, and brandy or orange juice.
3. **Assemble the Cake:**
– Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared tin.
– Roll out the marzipan into a circle slightly smaller than the tin, and place it on top of the batter.
– Spoon the remaining batter over the marzipan and smooth the top.
4. **Bake:**
– Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much, cover it with foil.
5. **Cool and Decorate:**
– Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
– Heat the apricot jam and brush it over the top of the cake.
– Roll out the remaining marzipan and place it on top of the cake, smoothing it down.
– Brush the marzipan with a little beaten egg and place under a hot grill (broiler) for a few minutes until it is golden brown. Be careful not to burn it.
6. **Decorate:**
– Stick the marzipan balls around the edge of the cake.
– Optionally, you can brush the marzipan with a bit of water and lightly dust with icing sugar for a final touch.
Enjoy your Simnel Cake! It’s perfect for celebrating Easter or any special occasion.
