Simnel Cake

Name: Simnel Cake
Total time: 3.5 hours
Yield: 11
Ingredients: 250g self-raising flour; 250g golden caster sugar; 50g ground almonds; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 ½ tsp mixed spice; 5 medium eggs; 45ml milk (for dairy free use any soya, almond, rice milk etc.); 180ml Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil; 1kg mixed fruit (containing sultanas, currants, raisins, mixed peel); 700g marzipan; 50g apricot jam

3.5 hours

A traditional Simnel Cake is the ultimate Easter centrepiece – a rich, superbly moist fruit cake topped with a layer of golden marzipan and the classic eleven grilled marzipan balls for that delicious caramelised flavour. This recipe is packed with juicy dried fruit for an indulgent taste, and includes an extra layer of marzipan baked into the middle to make it even more special. As a classic fruit cake, it keeps beautifully; you can bake it well in advance and store it in an airtight container for up to a month before decorating. It can also be easily adapted to be dairy‑free, making it perfect for a range of Easter guests.

Method

1

Preheat the oven to 140°C. Grease and line a 20cm round tin.
2

In a large mixing bowl, add your flour, sugar, ground almonds, cinnamon, mixed spice, eggs, milk and Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil. Mix together until completely combined. Add your mixed fruit and stir in well.
3

Pour half the mixture into the tin. Then, roll out 300g of the marzipan to fit the tin (approx. 19cm diameter). Place this on top of the cake mixture. Pour the remaining mixture into the tin on top of the marzipan and spread out evenly. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes and then cover with greaseproof paper.
4

Bake for between 2 hours 45 minutes and 3 hours 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven, or until cooked through (it will be firm to the touch and a skewer will come out clean).
5

Cool completely in the tin on a wire rack and tip out when cooled. Gently heat the jam and brush over the top of the cake. Take approx. 250g of the marzipan and roll out into a circle to fit the top of the cake. With the remaining marzipan, create 11 balls and place around the top.
6

Finally, place under a grill until the marzipan is just browning or, for best results, carefully use a blowtorch to brown the desired areas.