Easter Cake
A Simnel cake is a light fruit cake covered in marzipan. It’s a classic Easter cake recipe and one the whole family will love as a tea time treat.
Ingredients
Cake
200g caster sugar
200g butter, softened
250g self-raising flour
4 large eggs
Zest of one orange
1 tbsp mixed spice
250g sultanas
150g ready to eat dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
50g stem ginger, finely chopped
200g butter, softened
250g self-raising flour
4 large eggs
Zest of one orange
1 tbsp mixed spice
250g sultanas
150g ready to eat dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
50g stem ginger, finely chopped
Topping
2 tbsp apricot jam
450g golden marzipan
450g golden marzipan
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150C Fan / Gas Mark 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 1 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.
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