Name: Simnel cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Ingredients
Ingredients: 625 ml flour cake; 12 ml Baking powder; 10 ml cinnamon ground; 2 ml nutmeg ground; 270 g butter unsalted; 250 ml castor sugar; 5 eggs extra-large; orange zest only; oranges juice only; 300 ml almonds ground; 250 ml each currants, sultanas and glacé cherries; 80 ml mixed citrus peel; 560 g marzipan; jam smooth, apricot

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Ingredients (14)

625 ml	flour — cake
12 ml	Baking powder
10 ml	cinnamon — ground
2 ml	nutmeg — ground
270 g	butter — unsalted
250 ml	castor sugar
5	eggs — extra-large
	orange — zest only
	oranges — juice only
300 ml	almonds — ground
250 ml	each currants, sultanas and glacé cherries
80 ml	mixed citrus peel
560 g	marzipan
	jam — smooth, apricot

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Method:

The cake is decorated with 11 marzipan balls to symbolise the 11 faithful apostles and sometimes has a larger ball in the middle to represent Christ.

Preheat the oven to 170 °C.

Lightly grease a 23 cm springform cake tin with margarine and line the inside with 5 layers of baking paper that protrude 2,5 cm above the tin.

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder and spices.

2. Cream the butter with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.

3. Use your hands to mix the sifted flour mixture, orange rind and juice, almonds, dried fruit and citrus peel into the creamed mixture.

4. Turn half the batter into the tin and spread it evenly.

5. Roll a third of the marzipan into a 22 cm disc and put it on top of the batter in the tin.

6. Spoon the remaining batter on top and spread evenly. Bake the cake for 2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

7. Leave to cool in the tin, then remove and transfer it to a cake platter. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam. Roll out a 22 cm disc and 11 small balls from the remaining marzipan.

8. Cover the cake with the marzipan disc and place the 11 balls in a circle on top, securing them with apricot jam. Dust the cake with cinnamon.

TIPS • The cake keeps well for about 10 days in an airtight container. • Use milk instead of the orange juice and rind.