Símnel Cake- United Kingdom #151

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 Simnel Cake- United Kingdom #151

A light fruitcake usually served during Easter in the United Kingdom. It is a 2 layered cake, with marzipan in the middle and on top.     




Cake:

  • 1 c. Sugar
  • 1 plus 3/4 sticks of butter at room temperature
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-1/2 c. Flour
  • 1 tsp. Pumpkin spice
  • 50 g. Flaked almonds, toasted
  • 225 g. Sultanas (golden raisins)
  • 225 g. Currants
  • 100 g. Glacé cherries
  • 50 g. Candied peel
  • 1 orange’s zest
  • 1 lemon’s zest
  • 1 T. Apricot jam
  • 500 g. marzipan
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
     
  1. Preheat oven 300F. Line a deep 8” round cake tin with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter, then add the eggs one by one, beating after each addition.
  3. Fold in the flour and pumpkin spice until the mixture is fully combined.
  4. Mix in the nuts, dried fruits and zest, so that the fruits and nuts are evenly distributed through the batter. Set the bowl aside.
  5. Lightly dust your work surface with confectioners’ sugar and roll our a 1/3 of the marzipan to create a circle- slightly smaller than the cake tin.
  6. Spoon 1/2 the cake mixture into the cake tin then place the marzipan circle on top.
  7. Cover with the remaining mixture and transfer to the oven.
  8. Bake 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  9. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool on a wire rack.
  10. Roll out 1/2 of the remaining marzipan, on confectioners’ sugar dusted surface, into a circle, trimming around the cake tin to give you a neat edge.
  11. Brush the top of the cake with the apricot jam and stick the marzipan on top..
  12. Roll the remaining marzipan into 11 small balls and arrange around the edge of the cake.
  13. Use a blow torch to gently scorch the top of each ball and the middle of the cake to create the finished burnished effect.
Results: This was not difficult to make. However, I did make some changes. I did not know flaked almonds existed and I couldn’t fine them. I used whole almonds, chopped them up and then toasted them. Sultanas are same as golden raisins and that is what I used. I did not use currants or glacé cherries or candied peel. I did add chopped dried dates. I couldn’t find apricot jam, so I used apricot preserves. For the marzipan I made my own. I priced 500g of marzipan in the store and it was ridiculously expensive. I have a great recipe, which I’ll share.
Bottom Line: Very good. I would definitely make it again using my adaptations. 
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