Simnel cake recipes
Our top 3 of 4 Simnel cake recipes
Ingredients
- 4 oz Butter
- 4 oz Soft brown sugar
- 3 Eggs beaten
- 5 oz Plain flour
- Pinch Salt
- ½ tsp Ground mixed spice
- 12 oz Mixed raisins currants
- and sultanas
- 2 oz Chopped mixed peel
- ½ Lemon rind only
- 1 tbsp Apricot jam
- 1 Egg beaten for glazing
- Almond Paste
- 4 oz Caster sugar
- 4 oz Ground almonds
- 1 Egg beaten
- ½ tsp Almond essence
Method
- To make the almond paste:
- 1. Place the sugar and ground almonds in a bowl. Add enough beaten egg to give a fairly soft consistency. Add the almond essence and knead for a minute until the paste is smooth and pliable. Roll out a third of the almond paste to make a circle 18cm/7in in diameter and reserve the remainder for topping of the cake.
- To make the cake:
- 1. Preheat oven to 140C.
- 2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- 3. Gradually beat in the eggs and then sift in the flour, salt and spice a little at a time. Finally, add the dried fruit, peel and grated lemon rind and mix well.
- 4. Put half the mixture in a greased and lined 7in cake tin.
- 5. Smooth the top and cover with the circle of almond paste.
- 6. Add the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top leaving a slight dip in the centre to allow for the cake to rise.
- 7. Bake for 1½ hours.
- 8. When cooked, remove from oven and leave to cool.
- To decorate the cake:
- 1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush the top of the cooled cake with the apricot jam.
- 2. Divide the remainder of the almond paste into two, roll out a circle to cover the top of the cake with one half and form 11 small balls with the other half.
- 3. Place the circle of paste on the jam and set the balls round the edge.
- 4. Brush the top with a little beaten egg.
- 5. Return the cake to the oven for about 10 minutes or long enough for the almond paste to brown.
- Et voila a perfect easter treat!
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Add commentIngredients
- 225 g Butter softened
- 225g Sugar
- 225g Plain flour
- 4 Eggs
- 225g Sultanas
- 110g Currants
- 110g Glace cherries quartered
- 2 Oranges grated zest only
- 2 Lemons grated zest only
- 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 450g Almond paste
- 2 tbsp Apricot jam warmed
- 1 Egg beaten
Method
- 1. Pre-heat oven to 150°C.
- 2. Place the butter, sugar, flour, eggs sultanas, currants, glace cherries, orange zest, lemon zest and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and beat together until thoroughly blended.
- 3. Place half the mixture in a buttered and lined 20cm deep round cake tin and level the surface.
- 4. Take one-third of the almond paste and roll it out into a circle the size of the tin. Place it on top of the cake mixture.
- 5. Spoon the remaining cake mixture over and smooth the surface.
- 6. Bake the cake for about 2 hours 30 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Cover with foil after 1 hour if the top is browning too quickly.
- 7. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- 8. When the cake has cooled, brush the top with the warmed apricot jam and roll out half of the remaining almond paste to fit the top. Press firmly on the top and crimp the edges to decorate.
- 9. Mark a criss-cross pattern on the almond paste with a sharp knife.
- 10. Form the remaining almond paste into 12 balls (to represent the 12 apostles). Arrange the balls around the outside.
- 11. Preheat the grill. Place the cake under the grill to turn the almond paste golden.
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Add commentIngredients
- 8 oz butter
- 8 oz soft. brown sugar
- 8 oz self raising flour
- 4 oz sultanas
- 4 oz currants
- 4 oz raisins
- 2 oz chopped.mixed peel
- 2 oz chopped glacé cherries
- 4 eggs
- 4 tbsp sherry
- MARZIPAN:
- 8 oz ground almonds
- 4 oz Icing Sugar Sieved
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp almond essence
- ½ tsp Vanilla essence
- DECORATION:
- 3 oz Icing Sugar Sieved
- Green colouring
- Easter novelties
- Ribbon or foil.
Method
- To make marzipan:
- 1. Mix ground almonds,sieved icing sugar and caster sugar well together.
- 2. Add remainder of ingredients and knead together lightly.
- To make cake:
- 3. Line and grease an 8in cake tin.
- 4. Soften the butter in a large bowl to creamy consistency.
- 5. Stir ingedients gradually together and mix till well blended.
- 6. Spread mixture in the tin,scooping out middle slightly.
- 7. Take half of the marzipan,arrange in small pieces close together over half the cake mixture in the tin,cover with rest of cake mixture and bake at 325F/170C/Gas Mark 3 for 30 minutes,then at 300F/150C/Gas Mark 2 for 1 1/2-1 3/4 hrs till cake is easing away from the sides of the tin.
- 8. Leave in the tin for a while,then turn onto a wire rack.
- 9. When cold,roll out half remaining marzipan to cover top of the cake.Cut a 3-4 inch circle from the middle.Shape 10-12 balls from rest of marzipan,arrange them round top edge of cake.
- Brush all marzipan with egg.
- 10. Put into the oven at 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6,or under heated grill to colour lightly.
- 11. Fill centre space with glacé icing made from icing sugar coloured pale green.
- Decorate with Easter chicks and eggs,tie ribbon.
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