Easter Simnel Cake

A traditional Simnel cake has a seam of marzipan baked through the middle of the cake and the top is traditionally adorned with a circle of marzipan, 11 balls of marzipan placed around the edge (omitting 1 for Judas) to represent the disciples of Jesus. You will find different recipes that have been handed down through generations as to which part of Britain one lives.

My Simnel cake this year is not quite one hundred percent traditional as opposed to my other ‘Simnel cake’. This year’s cake comes from a book I purchased last year and I have had this recipe bookmarked since then. The book in question is called ‘Cakes Galore by Valerie Barrett’, which has many gorgeous mouth-watering cakes to recreate, i.e. Red Velvet Cake, Choco-malt Cake, (the one that has Maltese’s adorned around the top of the cake) to mention but a few.

I am entering this cake into an Easter Cake Bake Round 3 event being hosted by the lovely Julia over @ A Slice of Cherry Pie. This is the third year running Julia has hosted this great event, last year I sadly missed it by the skin of my teeth and vowed I would ensure I entered this year.

Easter Cake

Makes 12-14 slices

Ingredients
500g (1lb 2oz) luxury dried fruit
2tbsp Amaretto
175g (6 oz) softened butter

175g (6 oz) soft light brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
200g (7 oz) self-raising flour
2 tsp ground mixed spice
50g (2 oz) ground almonds
500g (1lb 2oz) ready-made natural almond paste or marzipan
225g (8 oz) ready-made yellow almond paste or marzipan
1-2 tbsp warmed apricot jam
To Decorate
Coloured ribbon
Sugar-coated chocolate eggs

You will also need: a deep 18cm (7 in) round cake tin, greased and lined with greaseproof paper or non-stick baking paper

Method

Put the mixed fruit in a bowl and sprinkle over the Amaretto. Leave to soak for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan 130°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Beat in the eggs and lemon zest. Fold in the flour, mixed spice and ground almonds, then add the dried fruit mixture and mix well. Set aside. Roll out half of the natural almond paste or marzipan on a sheet of non-stick baking paper to form an 18cm (7 in) circle. Spoon half of the cake mixture into the base of the prepared tin, spreading it evenly. Place the almond paste on top. Spoon over the remaining cake mixture, then level the surface. Bake in the oven for 2-2½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire to cool.

Roll out the remaining natural almond paste and all but 50g (2 oz) of the yellow paste to form two 18cm (7 in) circles and place the yellow one on top of the natural one. Shape 8 balls from the remaining yellow paste. Lightly brush the top of the cake with warmed apricot jam, leaving a small circle in the centre uncoated. Place the almond circle, yellow side up, on top of the cake and trim the edges. Using a glass, lightly mark a circle in the centre of the cake. Using a sharp knife, cut through both almond-paste layers up to the edges of the circle to make 8 segments. Lift up the pointed end of each segment and peel it back to reveal the natural almond paste underside. Press it gently into the edges of the cake. Place a yellow almond paste ball on top. Tie a ribbon around the cake and fill the centre with sugar-coated chocolate eggs.

Lastly, sit back in wonder of the splendid cake you have created and have an “egg-cellent” slice of Easter cake!