Why a Simnel Cake Earns Its Place at Easter

Simnel cake sits somewhere between a Christmas cake and a light celebration fruit cake, and it has one thing the Christmas version never had: marzipan. Traditionally baked for Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, when the fasting rules of the season were relaxed for a day, it is a cake built for spring — spiced, fruity, and finished with a golden almond lid. The eleven small marzipan balls around the rim are said to represent the eleven faithful apostles, Judas being left off the count.

It is not a difficult cake, but it rewards a calm approach. The batter is stiff, the bake is long and gentle, and the decoration asks for a steady hand rather than expensive equipment. Get the basics right and you will be rewarded with something far better than anything you can buy in a box.

What You Need for a 20cm Round Cake

This quantity fills a 20cm (8in) deep round tin comfortably. Have everything at room temperature before you begin, particularly the butter and eggs.

• 175g softened unsalted butter, plus a little for greasing
• 175g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 225g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp mixed spice
• 175g currants
• 175g sultanas
• 100g glacé cherries, quartered and rinsed of their syrup
• 50g mixed candied peel, chopped small
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp milk or brandy
• 1kg marzipan (you will use it for the middle, the lid and the balls)
• 2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved

You will also need a deep tin, baking parchment, a rolling pin, a pastry brush and a fine skewer for testing. A blowtorch is handy for the glaze, though a hot grill works well too.

Line the Tin and Roll the Marzipan Middle

Heat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan, gas 2). Grease the tin, then line the base and sides with a double layer of baking parchment, letting the collar rise about 5cm above the rim. This collar is the single best protection against a dark, dry crust on a long bake.

Divide the marzipan into three: roughly 250g for the baked middle layer, 500g for the lid, and the remainder for the eleven balls. Roll the 250g piece into a disc just smaller than the tin, using a little icing sugar to stop it sticking. Set it aside on parchment. Keep the rest wrapped so it does not dry out.

Mixing the Batter and Baking Evenly

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy — a good four or five minutes with an electric mixer. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition; if the mixture looks as though it might curdle, add a tablespoon of the weighed flour. Sift in the remaining flour, the baking powder and the mixed spice, then fold gently.

Fold through the dried fruit, cherries, peel, lemon zest and the milk or brandy. The mixture will be heavy — that is exactly right.

Spoon half the batter into the tin and level it. Lay the marzipan disc on top, then add the remaining batter, smoothing the surface and making a shallow dip in the centre with the back of a spoon. That dip helps the cake rise level rather than domed.

Bake for 2 to 2¼ hours, rotating the tin after an hour. If the top is colouring too quickly, lay a circle of parchment over it. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the surface springs back lightly under a finger. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out onto a rack to cool completely.

The Lid, the Glaze and the Eleven Balls

Once the cake is cold, brush the top with the warmed apricot jam — this is the glue that holds the lid in place. Roll the 500g piece of marzipan into a disc a little larger than the tin. Sit it on the cake and press down gently, then trim the edges neatly or crimp them with your fingers for a rustic finish.

Brush the marzipan lid with beaten egg, keeping it away from the sides so the edges do not burn. Flash it under a hot grill for two or three minutes, watching constantly, until the top is patchy gold. A blowtorch gives you far more control if you have one.

Roll the remaining marzipan into eleven balls of equal size and arrange them around the rim, pressing each one down lightly. If you like, brush the balls with a little more egg and glaze them briefly as well.

Maturing, Storing and Serving

Simnel cake improves with a few days' rest. Wrap it in baking parchment and then foil, and keep it in a cool, dry tin for up to a week before eating; the marzipan softens and the spices settle. Do not refrigerate it, as the cake will turn heavy and the marzipan will sweat.

Cut it in modest slices — it is rich — and serve with a cup of tea or a small glass of something sweet. It will keep for three to four weeks in an airtight tin, so it is well worth making a week ahead of Easter and letting it wait patiently for the day.