Simnel Cake

I love that so many of our festivals and special days have their own cake! Simnel cake is a fond farewell to winter and a welcoming hug to spring and I love making it just as much as I do the Christmas cake. When I baked it yesterday the sun came out and blazed through the kitchen window and I grinned, a lot!

The cake itself is a delicious equal measures fruit cake.

Ingredients

225g (80z) soft butter

225g (80z) light brown sugar

225g (80z) self-raising flour

2 tsps mixed spice

4 eggs

225g (8oz) sultanas

100g (4oz) raisins

50g (2oz) currants

100g (40z) glacé cherries, rinsed, dried and chopped

grated rind of 2 lemons

500g  (about 1lb) marzipan (almond paste) I used white marzipan into which I squidged a couple of drops of yellow food colouring, you can buy yellow marzipan ready-made or you can leave it white – it’s up to you!

a little apricot jam

1 egg beaten to glaze

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm (8 inch) deep round cake tin.

Put all the ingredients except the marzipan, jam and egg glaze into a large bowl and beat well until thoroughly combined. Cue gratuitous photo of my favourite gadget!

• Put half the cake mixture into the prepared tin.
• Roll out one-third of the marzipan into a circle the same size as your cake tin. Pop the tin on top, press down lightly and remove. Cut around the circle which should be stamped onto the marzipan.
• Put this circle of marzipan on top of the cake mix in the tin.
• Spoon the rest of the cake mix into the tin and level the surface
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 2½ hours until well risen, brown and firm to the touch. If it is browning too quickly cover the tin with foil after an hour or so.
• Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, turn onto a wire rack to cool completely
• When the cake is cool roll out half of the remaining marzipan into a circle to fit the top of your cake
• Warm a little apricot jam in a pan and brush over the surface of the cake
• Place your marzipan circle on top and crimp the edges with your fingers
• Make 11 marzipan balls or eggs by rolling pieces between your palms (these represent Jesus’ apostles minus Judas because of his betrayal)
• Brush the marzipan with a little of the beaten egg and place the balls/eggs on top, brush them with a little egg too
• Pop the cake under the grill to brown slightly

Serve with a nice cup of tea and a bit of chatter!