Easter Simnel Cake

This version is cooked with chunks of marzipan in the cake mixture, which melt deliciously into the cake.

Ingredients

• 1 x 100 g pack whole blanched almonds
• 1 x 500 g pack marzipan
• 8 oz (225 g) plain flour
• 3 level teaspoons baking powder
• 1 rounded teaspoon mixed spice
• 5 oz (150 g) light soft brown sugar
• 5 oz (150 g) butter, well softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 x large jar mincemeat (approx 400g)
• 12 oz (350 g) mixed dried fruit
• 2 oz (50 g) chopped candied peel
• zest 1 orange grated
• zest 1 lemon grated
• icing sugar for dusting
• 1 dessertspoon apricot jam
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6, 400°F) to roast the almonds, then lower it to 150°C (gas mark 2, 300°F) when you come to cook the cake.

You will also need a deep, round cake tin measuring 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter, the base and sides lined with a layer of buttered, greaseproof paper.

Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet and pop them in the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted to a golden brown colour, then chop the almonds roughly when cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (gas mark 2, 300°F) for the cake. Chop half of the block of marzipan into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes and toss them in 1 tablespoon of the flour from the cake. Re-wrap the other half of the marzipan block to use later.

Take a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and spice in, then simply place all the ingredients, except the marzipan, icing sugar, icing, apricot jam and egg yolk, into the bowl. Give everything a really good mixing with an electric hand whisk a wooden spoon, for about 2-3 minutes to get it all evenly distributed. Finally, gently fold in the squares of marzipan and any remaining flour.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, levelling the surface. Place a suitably sized square of double greaseproof paper with a small hole in the centre over the top. Place the cake on the centre shelf of the oven and bake for 2¾-3¼ hours at the lower temperature of 150°C (gas mark 2, 300°F). Have a look after 2¾ hours — the cake is cooked when the centre feels springy when lightly pressed. After it is cooked, leave it in the tin for 30 minutes before turning it out on to a wire rack to cool.

For decoration, make 11 small balls from some of the reserved marzipan. Roll out the remaining marzipan onto surface dusted with icing sugar into a round to fit the top of the cake. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam and fit the marzipan round on top of the cake, pressing it securely all round, and trimming off any overhanging pieces.

Now pre-heat the grill, and when the grill is really hot brush the marzipan and balls with the egg yolk and place the cake under the grill, about 4 inches (10 cm) from the heat. Give it about 30 seconds watching it carefully, until it turns a toasted brown colour. The cake is now ready to eat or be stored.

First attempt at a Simnel cake from Dave – looks yummy!