Simnel Cake

Name: Simnel Cake
Cuisine: European, British
Ingredients: 100 grams glace cherries; 500 grams mixed dried fruit; 175 grams soft unsalted butter; 175 grams caster sugar; zest of 1 unwaxed lemon; 225 grams plain flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon ground ginger; 25 grams ground almonds; 3 large eggs; 2 tablespoons milk; 1 kilogram yellow marzipan to decorate; icing sugar for rolling; 1 tablespoon apricot jam (melted); 1 egg white (optional)

Instructions

Originally, this cake was made for Mothering Sunday, but it has for a long, long time been an essential Easter confection, the marzipan balls on top representing the apostles: eleven in total as, for understandable reasons, Judas is persona non grata. I make this a very light fruit cake, totally different in taste and texture from the damp, dark offerings of Christmas.

Updated at: Sun, 30 Mar 2025 17:09:38 GMT