Easter Cake
A Simnel cake is a light fruit cake that is covered in marzipan & was originally made as a treat for Mothering Sunday.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
200 g caster sugar
200 g butter, softened
250 g self-raising flour
4 large eggs
zest of one orange
1 tbsp mixed spice
250 g sultana
150 g ready to eat dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
50 g stem ginger, finely chopped
200 g butter, softened
250 g self-raising flour
4 large eggs
zest of one orange
1 tbsp mixed spice
250 g sultana
150 g ready to eat dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
50 g stem ginger, finely chopped
For the Topping
2 tbsp apricot jam
450 g golden marzipan
450 g golden marzipan
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150 C fan / Gas 3. You will need a 23cm / 9” round springform tin. Line the base and grease the sides well.
- Mix the caster sugar, butter, flour, eggs, zest and spice together in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the prepared fruit and mix well. Spoon half of the cake mixture into the base of the tin.
- Roll one third (150g) of the marzipan out to a 23cm (9”) circle and place on top of the mixture. Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and level.
- Bake in the oven for about one hour 45 minutes to 2 hours or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the tin and leave to become cold.
- Meanwhile, roll another third of the marzipan out to a 23cm (9”) circle.
- When the cake is cold, melt the jam in a small pan, then brush the top of the cake with the jam and place the marzipan circle on top.
- Divide the remaining third of the marzipan into 11 pieces and shape into little balls by rolling between your palms.
- Position these around the edge of the cake.
- Arrange fresh flowers or flowers made of icing in the middle of the cake and decorate to serve.
