Name: The contemporary simnel cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 100 g glacé cherries whole; 400 g fruit cake mix dried; 175 g butter unsalted, soft; 175 g castor sugar; lemon zest only; 225 g flour plain; 1 tsp Baking powder; 1/2 tsp cinnamon ground; 1/4 tsp ginger ground; 25 g almonds ground; 4 eggs organic; 2 Tbs milk; 200 g chocolate coated marzipan; 125 g butter; 100 g castor sugar; 2 eggs; 5 ml vanilla essence; 100 g almonds; 20 ml flour; 1 eggs whites only; 250 g icing sugar; chocolate chocolate balls

Recipe Disclaimer

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Ingredients (22)

100 g	glacé cherries — whole
400 g	fruit cake mix — dried
175 g	butter — unsalted, soft
175 g	castor sugar
	lemon — zest only
225 g	flour — plain
1 tsp	Baking powder
1/2 tsp	cinnamon — ground
1/4 tsp	ginger — ground
25 g	almonds — ground
4	eggs — organic
2 Tbs	milk
200 g	chocolate — coated marzipan

FRANGIPANE FILLING:

125 g	butter
100 g	castor sugar
2	eggs
5 ml	vanilla — essence
100 g	almonds
20 ml	flour

ICING:

1	eggs — whites only
250 g	icing sugar

DECORATION:

chocolate — chocolate balls

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Method:

Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Grease a 23cm springform tin and line with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar and mix in the lemon zest.

Combine the dry ingredients and add to the butter and sugar in two halves, alternating with the eggs and stirring after each addition. Stir in the milk, fruit and marzipan.

To make the frangipane filling, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Fold through the almonds and flour.

Spoon half the simnel cake mixture into the tin, top with the frangipane filling and then spoon over the rest of the filling.

Bake for half an hour, reduce the oven temperature to 150°C and bake for another 1½ hours.

When the cake is cool, release from the springform tin and ice.

To make the icing, lightly whisk the egg white and then gradually add enough sugar to make a thick, spreadable icing. Spread over cooled cake and place the chocolate ‘apostles’ around the edge before the icing sets.

Words and image: Fairlady

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