SIMNEL CAKE
* The marzipan balls are meant to represent Christ’s disciples. There are only 11 because Judas doesn’t get one.Serves 10
FOR THE MARZIPAN (MAKES 500 g)
250g ground almonds
250g icing sugar, plus
a little extra if needed
2 medium egg yolks, lightly
beaten, plus a little extra
if needed
Juice of ½ lemon135g caster sugar, plus
extra for dusting
60g unsalted butter, softened,
plus extra for greasing
60g baking margarine, softened
3 medium eggs
180g self-raising flour
90ml full-fat milk
100g currants
100g sultanas
30g apricot jam, strained1 To make the marzipan, mix ground
almonds and icing sugar in a bowl.
Add egg yolks and lemon juice and
mix to combine. You want a soft
dough texture so you can roll the
marzipan out without it cracking. If
a bit dry, add a little more egg yolk.
If a bit soft, add more icing sugar.2 Roll the marzipan into a ball, wrap
in clingfilm and chill in the fridge
for a few hours, or ideally overnight.
3 Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan
150C/Gas 3 and grease and line
a deep 18cm cake tin.
4 Cream the sugar, butter and
margarine until pale and fluffy. Then
add the eggs, one at a time, beating
well between each addition.
5 Sift in the flour and mix, making
sure to scrape down the sides of
the bowl. With your mixer still
running, slowly pour in the milk.
Add the currants and sultanas and
mix until just combined. Spoon half
the cake mixture into the tin and
level it gently with a spatula.
6 Take 200g of your marzipan, and
roll it into a ball. On a surface lightly
dusted with caster sugar, roll the
marzipan ball out into a circle the
size of your cake tin.
7 Place the marzipan on top of the
cake mixture in the tin. Put the rest
of the cake mixture into the tin and
level it gently with a spatula.
8 Bake for 35–40 mins until cake
is golden on the top then leave the
cake in the tin to cool completely.9 When the cake is cool, take 110g
of the remaining marzipan and roll
it into 11* balls of 10g each. Put them
to one side for a moment.
10 Lightly dust a surface with
caster sugar and roll the remaining
marzipan into a ball, then into a
thick circle the size of the cake.
11 Put the jam in a small saucepan
and bring it to the boil. Brush the
jam all over the top of the cake,
reserving a little to stick the balls on.
12 Place the marzipan on top of the
cake and press down gently. Press
the edges in so that it fits the top
of the cake seamlessly.
13 Dip the base of each marzipan
ball into a little warm apricot jam to
act as glue, and place them evenly
around the top of the cake. Finally,
if you have one, blowtorch the top
of the cake to toast the marzipan
a little and get a nice brown colour
on the centre of the cake and the
tops of each ‘disciple’.Taken from FITZBILLIES: Stories &
Recipes From a 100-year-old Cambridge
Bakery by Tim Hayward & Alison Wright
(Quadrille). Photography: Sam A. HarrisSIMNEL CAKE
- ThemarzipanballsaremeanttorepresentChrist’sdisciples.Thereareonly 11 becauseJudasdoesn’tgetone.
Serves 10
FOR THE MARZIPAN (MAKES 500 g)
250g ground almonds
250g icing sugar, plus
a little extra if needed
2 medium egg yolks, lightly
beaten, plus a little extra
if needed
Juice of ½ lemon
135g caster sugar, plus
extra for dusting
60g unsalted butter, softened,
plus extra for greasing
60g baking margarine, softened
3 medium eggs
180g self-raising flour
90ml full-fat milk
100g currants
100g sultanas
30g apricot jam, strained
1 To make the marzipan, mix ground
almonds and icing sugar in a bowl.
Add egg yolks and lemon juice and
mixto combine.Youwanta soft
doughtexturesoyoucanrollthe
marzipanoutwithoutit cracking.If
a bitdry,adda littlemoreeggyolk.
If a bitsoft,addmoreicingsugar.
2 Roll the marzipan into a ball, wrap
in clingfilm and chill in the fridge
for a few hours, or ideally overnight.
3 Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan
150C/Gas 3 and grease and line
a deep 18cm cake tin.
4 Cream the sugar, butter and
margarine until pale and fluffy. Then
add the eggs, one at a time, beating
well between each addition.
5 Sift in the flour and mix, making
sure to scrape down the sides of
the bowl. With your mixer still
running, slowly pour in the milk.
Add the currants and sultanas and
mix until just combined. Spoon half
the cake mixture into the tin and
level it gently with a spatula.
6 Take 200g of your marzipan, and
roll it into a ball. On a surface lightly
dusted with caster sugar, roll the
marzipan ball out into a circle the
size of your cake tin.
7 Place the marzipan on top of the
cake mixture in the tin. Put the rest
of thecakemixtureintothetinand
levelit gentlywitha spatula.
8 Bakefor35–40minsuntilcake
is goldenonthetopthenleavethe
cakein thetinto coolcompletely.9 When the cake is cool, take 110g
of the remaining marzipan and roll
it into 11* balls of 10g each. Put them
to one side for a moment.
10 Lightly dust a surface with
caster sugar and roll the remaining
marzipan into a ball, then into a
thick circle the size of the cake.
11 Put the jam in a small saucepan
and bring it to the boil. Brush the
jam all over the top of the cake,
reserving a little to stick the balls on.
12 Place the marzipan on top of the
cake and press down gently. Press
the edges in so that it fits the top
of the cake seamlessly.
13 Dip the base of each marzipan
ball into a little warm apricot jam to
act as glue, and place them evenly
around the top of the cake. Finally,
if you have one, blowtorch the top
of the cake to toast the marzipan
a little and get a nice brown colour
on the centre of the cake and the
tops of each ‘disciple’.Taken from FITZBILLIES: Stories &
Recipes From a 100-year-old Cambridge
Bakery by Tim Hayward & Alison Wright
(Quadrille). Photography: Sam A. Harris