A celebration of simnel cakes
Simnel cakes originated in Medieavel times and are now made on the fourth Sunday of Lent, otherwise known as Simnel Sunday
Apricot and Pecan Simnel Cake
Makes a 20cm round cake
175g butter, softened
175g light soft brown sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
225g self-raising flour, sieved
1 tsp baking powder
100g sultanas
225g dried apricots, chopped
zest and juice of 1 orange
100g pecan nuts, chopped
700g marzipan
3 tblsp apricot jam
50g plain or milk chocolate, melted
l Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with baking parchment.
l Place butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Fold in remaining ingredients and spoon into prepared tin. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden skewer, when inserted, comes out clean.
l Split the cake in half. Roll out 2/3 of the marzipan on an icing sugar dusted surface and cut out two 20cm rounds. Brush both cut surfaces of the cake with jam and sandwich together with one of the marzipan rounds.
l Brush top of cake with jam and arrange second marzipan round on top. Roll remaining marzipan into eleven balls and arrange on top of the cake, attaching with jam.
l Spoon melted chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle over the top of the cake.
Chocolate simnel cake
Makes a 23cm round cake
100g butter, softened
100g light soft brown sugar
100g ground almonds
4 large eggs, separated
50g fresh brown breadcrumbs
150g plain chocolate, melted
225g marzipan
4 tblsp apricot jam, melted
For the decoration
200g plain chocolate, melted
200ml fresh cream
foil wrapped mini Easter eggs
l Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm springform cake tin. Line the base.
l Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in almonds, egg yolks, breadcrumbs and melted chocolate. Whisk egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Spoon into tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cover cake with a damp tea towel and leave to cool in the tin.
l Remove cake from the tin and place upside down on a cake wire. Roll out marzipan and cut out a 23cm circle. Cut cake in half, brush cut surfaces with jam, place marzipan between and sandwich together. Brush apricot jam all over.
l Melt chocolate and cream together in a saucepan, stirring as chocolate starts to melt. Cool slightly before using.
l Place a baking tray under cake wire. Pour icing all over cake, gently shaking cake wire to ensure cake is completely covered. Leave to cool; decorate with Easter eggs.
COOK’S TIP: to make your own marzipan use the same quantity of ground almonds and icing sugar and mix to a paste with rosewater.
Easter Egg Muffins
Makes 12
275g plain flour
100g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
100g butter, melted
300ml milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
Icing
225g icing sugar, sifted
100g butter, softened
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp hot water
mini Easter eggs
l Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
l Sift flour, sugar, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. Mix together butter, milk, eggs and vanilla and stir into the flour mixture. Beat until mixture is smooth.
l Spoon mixture into paper cases and bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a cake wire.
l For the icing, beat icing sugar and butter. Blend cocoa and water to a smooth paste and mix into butter icing. Spread over the top of muffins and decorate with mini Easter eggs.
