Simple Simnel Cake Recipes

SIMPLE SIMNEL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Tip the zest and juice into a bowl. Add the Cointreau, mixed fruit and cherries. Meanwhile, grease and line the base and sides of a 2kg loaf tin with baking parchment. Shape the marzipan into a sausage the length of the tin, then roll out to the width with a rolling pin.
• Put the butter, sugar, flour and eggs and milk in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-whisk until smooth. Stir in the mixed fruit and their juices. Spoon half the mixture into the loaf tin, then cover with the layer of marzipan. Top with the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hr 50 mins until risen and firm to the touch. (Take care if you are checking by piercing with a skewer as you may pierce the marzipan and think that the cake is not cooked yet.) Cool in tin, peel away the paper once cold. It will keep wrapped in foil for 2 weeks.
• To make the caramel almonds, tip the almonds into a frying pan and heat, swirling the pan so the almonds toast. Tip from the pan then add the sugar to the pan and heat until the sugar turns to a liquid caramel - take care not to heat it too fast or it will burn. Add the almonds, then pour onto a greased baking sheet to set. Will keep in a cool place for 2 days.
• Decorate the cake on the day you eat it, as the caramel will dissolve on contact with the cake. Mix the icing sugar with the orange zest and juice until smooth, then pour over the cake. The mix is quite wet and will dribble down the sides. Chop the almond caramel, scatter over the icing and leave until the icing sets.

SIMPLE SIMNEL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven 160c Fan / 140c/Fass 3.
• Tip the zest and juice into a bowl.
• Add the Cointreau, , mixed fruit and cherries. Meanwhile, grease and line the base and sides of a 2kg loaf tin with baking parchment.
• Shape the marzipan into a sausage the length of the tin, then roll out to the width with a rolling pin.
• Put the butter, sugar, flour and eggs and milk in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-whisk until smooth.
• Stir in the mixed fruit and their juices.
• Spoon half the mixture in the loaf tin, and then cover with the layer of marzipan.
• Top with the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the tip.
• Bake for 1hr 50 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. If you do the skewer test, make sure you don't pierce a piece of marzipan otherwise you may think the cake isn't cooked when it is.
• Cool in the tin, peel away the paper once cold. You can keep it wrapped in foil for 2 weeks if needed.
• To make the caramel almonds, tip the almonds into a frying pan and heat, swirling the pan so the almonds toast. Tip from the pan then add the sugar to the pan and heat until the sugar turns to a liquid caramel - take care not to heat it too fast or it will burn. Add the almonds, then pour onto a greased baking sheet to set. Will keep in a cool place for 2 days.
• Decorate the cake on the day you eat it, as the caramel will dissolve on contact with the cake. Mix the icing sugar with the orange zest and juice until smooth then pour over the cake. The mix is quite wet and will dribble down the sides. Chop the almond caramel, scatter over the icing and leave until the icing sets.

SIMNEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease one 9 inch tube pan.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• Cream butter or margarine and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and the sifted flour mixture. Fold in the raisins, and candied peel mixing well. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Makes about 16 servings.

EASTER SIMNEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch springform pan. Line the bottom and sides of pan with greased parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour. Stir in the golden raisins, currants, candied cherries, mixed fruit, lemon zest and mixed spice. Pour 1/2 of batter into prepared pan.
• Divide almond paste into 3 equal portions. Roll out 1/3 of the almond paste to an 8 inch circle. Place the circle of almond paste on the cake batter in pan. Cover with remaining cake batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours, or until evenly brown and firm to the touch. If the cake is browning too quickly, cover with foil after an hour of baking. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Set oven to broil.
• When the cake has cooled, brush the top with warmed apricot jam. Roll out 1/3 of the almond paste into an 8 inch circle and place on top of cake. Divide the remaining 1/3 of almond paste into 11 pieces and roll into balls. These represent the 11 Apostles (excluding Judas.) Brush the almond paste on top of cake with beaten egg. Arrange the 11 balls around the outside edge on the top of cake. Brush the balls lightly with egg.
• Place cake under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes, or until almond paste is golden brown.

SIMNEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius Grease and line a 20 cm round deep cake tin with double thickness of baking (parchment) paper.
• Sift flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Stir in the zest, cherries, peel, sultanas, raisins, and currants.
• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little extra flour if the mixture begins to curdle. Add the flour and fruit mix and milk and mix to a soft dropping consistency. Spread just over half of the mixture in the tin.
• On a surface dusted with icing sugar, roll out 200 g almond paste to a 19 cm circle. Place on top of the mixture in the tin. Spoon in the rest of the mixture. Level the top and make a slight dent in the centre. Bake for 2 3/4 hours, or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin.
• For the decoration, dust the work surface with icing sugar. Knead a little yellow colouring into 350 g almond paste, then cut off 50 g and set aside. Roll out the remainder into a 20 cm circle. Brush the top of the cake with the jam and put the almond paste on top. Crimp the edges.
• Take the remaining almond paste and divide into 5 pieces. Dust your hands with icing sugar and roll each piece into an egg shape. Arrange on the cake with the violets.