An Easy Simnel Cake

Simnel Cakes and Easter go together like peas and carrots! If you don't live in the UK, you are probably very unfamiliar with Simnel Cake.  I adore Simnel Cake myself, but then I am a fan of fruit cakes in general.  

This very easy simnel cake recipe is one of my favourite go-to's for seasonal Easter Treats. It embodies all of the yumminess of a full sized Simnel Cake, but not a lot of the faffing about!  Works for me!

A Simnel cake is a light fruit cake with two layers of almond paste or marzipan, one in the middle and one on top, that is toasted, and eaten during the Easter period here in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some other countries.  

I think it's also made for Mother's Day, but I'm not entirely sure.   I did not bake a full Simnel Cake  . . . because I didn't have enough Marzipan in my cupboard. However,  I did find a recipe for a Simple Simnel Cake which I baked in its place and it turned out lovely.

The  original recipe comes from a  Good Food cookery magazine, entitled The Good Food Cake Collection. Its filled with lots of yummy cakes.

This is what would be considered to be a white fruit cake, or light. It is stogged full of lovely dried vine fruits, as well as glace cherries.  Also included are the flavors of oranges (zest, juice and cointreau), along with the traditional layer of marzipan in the center. 

 

I really  love marzipan, don't you?  Filled with almond moreishness!  It is extremely lovely in this cake.  It goes so well with cherries you know.

 





It's baked in a loaf tin, but do be warned you will need a large one.  It is a lot of cake.

I recommend a deep 9 X 4 inch loaf tin at the very least, or two smaller tins.  You don't want to fill any tin more than 3/4 full with the cake batter.

The top is glazed with a simple orange glaze icing and topped with caramel crusted almonds.  

The original recipe called for whole blanched almonds, but I didn't have any of those. I did have flaked however and they worked beautifully.

So what you get is a beautiful fruity cake,  studded with vine fruits, and with a delicious layer of almondy marzipan in the centre, a scrumptious glaze on top and those beautiful crunchy sweet almonds scattered over the top.  

Whew!  That was a real mouthful!! This is a cake that just begs to be served with a nice hot cuppa.  Do indulge . . .  and Happy Easter.

 WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AN EASY SIMNEL CAKE

This is a simple recipe I adapted from one found in the paperback magazine book entitled BBC Good Food Cake Collection.  Simnel Cake is a traditional Easter Cake here in the UK.  It can be rather over complicated, so it's nice to have a simple version to play with.  Love the candied almonds on top!  If you have any leftovers, use them as a salad topping!  You will need a large deep loaf tin.

 

the zest and juice of 2 large oranges

2 TBS Cointreau

350g of mixed dried fruit (2 1/2 cups)

100g whole glace cherries (2/3 cup)

250g pack of marzipan (1/2 pound)

200g butter, softened (14 TBS)

200g caster sugar (1 cup)

350g of self raising flour (2 1/2 cups)

4 large free range eggs

2 TBS milk

For the frosting:

125g of sifted icing sugar (scant cup)

zest of one orange plus 1 - 1 1/2 TBS orange juice

For the almonds:

50g of toasted flaked almonds (generous half cup)

100g caster sugar (1/2 cup)

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY SIMNEL CAKE

Make the candied almonds. Have ready a lightly buttered baking sheet. Toast the almonds carefully in a skillet, over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Tip out into a bowl.  

Add the sugar and let it sit, undisturbed until it begins to melt.  Swirl every now and again until it is completely liquid and turns a golden caramel colour.  Don't be tempted to rush this process as you will end up with burnt sugar.  Medium heat is sufficient.  Remove from the heat. 

Tip in the almonds, stirring to coat.  Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and tear them apart with two forks while they are still hot, breaking them up into little clumps.  Allow to cool completely.  Remember hot sugar is HOT.  Don't touch.

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F gas mark 3.  Butter a large loaf tin and line it with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put the mixed dried fruit into a bowl along with the orange zest and juice and the cointreau.  Let to set while you make the batter.

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Beat in the eggs.  Tip iin the flour and milk and beat all together until you have a lovely smooth batter. Stir in the fruit plus their juices to combine. 

Shape the marzipan into a log roughly the length of the loaf tin.  Roll out to the width of the loaf tin.  Trim as necessary.

Spread half of the cake batter into the lined loaf tin.  Cover with the rolled out marzipan.  Cover with the remaining batter, smoothing the top over.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 40  minutes until the cake is well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing.  Remove and discard the paper.

On the day you want to serve the cake, whisk the ingredients together for the glaze icing.  Drizzle this over top of the cake, and scatter with the candied almonds.  Let set before cutting into slices to serve.

For a more traditional recipe, and some of the history of the Simnel cake  you can find one on the ASDA recipe pages here. 

 

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Yield: One large loaf

Author: Marie Rayner

A Simple Simnel Cake

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 40 MTotal time: 1 H & 55 M

Simnel Cake is a traditional Easter Cake here in the UK. It can be rather over complicated, so it's nice to have a simple version to play with.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• the zest and juice of 2 large oranges
• 2 TBS Cointreau
• 350g of mixed dried fruit (2 1/2 cups)
• 100g whole glace cherries (2/3 cup)
• 250g pack of marzipan (1/2 pound)
• 200g butter, softened (14 TBS)
• 200g caster sugar (1 cup)
• 350g of self raising flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 4 large free range eggs
• 2 TBS milk

For the glaze:

• 125g of sifted icing sugar (scant cup)
• zest of one orange plus 1 - 1 1/2 TBS orange juice

For the almonds:

• 50g of toasted flaked almonds (generous half cup)
• 100g caster sugar (1/2 cup)

Instructions

1. Make the candied almonds. Have ready a lightly buttered baking sheet. Toast the almonds carefully in a skillet, over medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Tip out into a bowl. Add the sugar and let it sit, undisturbed until it begins to melt. Swirl every now and again until it is completely liquid and turns a golden caramel colour. Don't be tempted to rush this process as you will end up with burnt sugar. Medium heat is sufficient. Remove from the heat.
3. Tip in the almonds, stirring to coat. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and tear them apart with two forks while they are still hot, breaking them up into little clumps. Allow to cool completely. Remember hot sugar is HOT. Don't touch.
4. Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F gas mark 3. Butter a large loaf tin and line it with baking paper. Set aside.
5. Put the mixed dried fruit into a bowl along with the orange zest and juice and the cointreau. Let to set while you make the batter.
6. Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs. Tip iin the flour and milk and beat all together until you have a lovely smooth batter. Stir in the fruit plus their juices to combine.
7. Shape the marzipan into a log roughly the length of the loaf tin. Roll out to the width of the loaf tin. Trim as necessary.
8. Spread half of the cake batter into the lined loaf tin. Cover with the rolled out marzipan. Cover with the remaining batter, smoothing the top over.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes until the cake is well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing. Remove and discard the paper.
10. On the day you want to serve the cake, whisk the ingredients together for the glaze icing. Drizzle this over top of the cake, and scatter with the candied almonds. Let set before cutting into slices to serve.

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