Name: Simple simnel cake
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 oranges grated zest and juice; 2 tbsp Cointreau; 350g mixed dried fruit; 100g whole glacé cherry; 250g pack marzipan; 200g soft butter diced; 200g golden caster sugar; 350g self-raising flour; 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp milk; 50g blanched almond; 100g caster sugar; 125g icing sugar; zest 1 orange; 1-1.5 tbsp orange juice

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Simple simnel cake

Simple simnel cake

Sara Buenfeld

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Easy

Prep: 1 hr and 20 mins

Cook: 1 hr and 50 mins

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.14 ratingsRate

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This is a perfect quick-mix-fix for Easter - based on traditional recipes

Freezable

Vegetarian

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Roast spring lamb with rosé wine & oranges

A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratings

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

2 oranges

grated zest and juice
2 tbsp Cointreau
350g mixed dried fruit
100g whole glacé cherry
250g pack marzipan
200g soft butter

diced
200g golden caster sugar
350g self-raising flour
4 large eggs
2 tbsp milk

For the caramel almonds

50g blanched almond
100g caster sugar

For the icing sugar

125g icing sugar
zest 1 orange
1-1.5 tbsp orange juice

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal406
fat14g
saturates7g
carbs67g
sugars34g
fibre2g
protein5g
salt0.44g

low

Method

step 1

Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Tip the zest and juice into a bowl. Add the Cointreau, mixed fruit and cherries. Meanwhile, grease and line the base and sides of a 2kg loaf tin with baking parchment. Shape the marzipan into a sausage the length of the tin, then roll out to the width with a rolling pin.
step 2

Put the butter, sugar, flour and eggs and milk in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-whisk until smooth. Stir in the mixed fruit and their juices. Spoon half the mixture into the loaf tin, then cover with the layer of marzipan. Top with the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hr 50 mins until risen and firm to the touch. (Take care if you are checking by piercing with a skewer as you may pierce the marzipan and think that the cake is not cooked yet.) Cool in tin, peel away the paper once cold. It will keep wrapped in foil for 2 weeks.
step 3

To make the caramel almonds, tip the almonds into a frying pan and heat, swirling the pan so the almonds toast. Tip from the pan then add the sugar to the pan and heat until the sugar turns to a liquid caramel – take care not to heat it too fast or it will burn. Add the almonds, then pour onto a greased baking sheet to set. Will keep in a cool place for 2 days.
step 4

Decorate the cake on the day you eat it, as the caramel will dissolve on contact with the cake. Mix the icing sugar with the orange zest and juice until smooth, then pour over the cake. The mix is quite wet and will dribble down the sides. Chop the almond caramel, scatter over the icing and leave until the icing sets.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2005

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A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.14 ratings

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