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Traditional Easter Cakes – Simnel Cake Recipe
By Kate Miller
The Simnel cake is most associated with Easter tradition. It is a light fruit cake, similar to Christmas fruitcake; with 11 marzipan balls on top, signifying the true apostles minus Judas.
In the 17th century, Mothering Sunday became the day when girls in service were allowed a day off to visit their mothers. The girls would bake a Simnel cake as a gift and if the fruit cake remained moist and maintained its taste until Easter Sunday, she was seen as a good cook.
Simnel Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
250g (8oz) unsalted butter
2 large lemons
250g (8oz) caster sugar
4 large
eggs
200g (6oz) each chopped mixed peel and sultanas
600g (20oz) currants
450g (14oz)
plain flour
1 teaspoon each mixed spice and baking powder
Decoration:
2 packs made-
120g (4oz) each ground almonds, icing sugar and caster sugar
1 egg
lemon essence
Coloured
fruit pieces or chocolate eggs
How to make simnel cake:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
You
will need a 7-
Cream butter with sugar and grated
lemon rind until it is light and fluffy. Beat eggs one at the time and stir in the
peel and fruits.
Sift the flour with a little salt, baking powder and mixed spices. Fold into the creamed mixture.
Spoon the ingredients into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake at the centre
of the oven for about 3 to 3½ hours.
For the decoration, either soften the prepared
paste or make your own. If you choose to make your own, mix the ground almond and
all the sugar, adding half the lightly beaten egg with a few drops of lemon essence
together with 3 teaspoon strained lemon juice.
Knead the almond paste until smooth, add more lemon juice if necessary.
Roll ⅔ of
the paste to a 7-
The remaining paste is shaped into 11 small balls and place at equal intervals around the Simnel cake.
You can decorate the center of the cake with fruit or chocolate eggs. Happy Easter!
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