SIMNEL CAKE

Greet the coming of Easter with
Annette Kesler’s traditional Simnel cake.

 

Once made to mark Mothering Sunday, the rich and almost venerable simnel cake continues an age-old tradition of celebrating Easter; a cake that has a fascinating cultural heritage with roots that stretch back to the Romans and Athenians. In Britain, known as the shrewsbury simnel, it is simply made using white flour, fragrant spices and is generously studded with dried fruits and pungent peel. 

 

Like a Christmas cake, it is covered with pale sweet almond paste. The decoration is plain - eleven little balls of smooth paste which represent the apostles (omitting Judas). There are bakers who prefer a yeast dough, while others make a creamed mixture. Which ever you choose, a specially baked simnel cake is a welcoming gesture over the holidays.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:
Almond paste:
400 g icing sugar, sifted
250 g ground almonds
1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly
3-4 tablespoons orange juice
5 drops almond essence

 

Cake:
250 g flour
pinch salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
300 g currants
250 g sultanas
90 g mixed peel
160 g butter
160 g caster sugar
3 large eggs
200 ml milk to mix
(Serves 6-8)

 

CHECK LIST: a sifter, nest of bowls, food processor or electric beater, spatula, wooden spoon, 24 cm round cake tin, baking paper, brown paper and twine, rolling pin, thin metal skewer

 

STAGE 1:
To make your own almond paste you will need a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Don’t be tempted to use store-bought almond paste because it contains lots of sugar and few almonds, it will turn to liquid under the grill. 

 

Place icing sugar and almonds in food processor bowl. Process, slowly dripping in egg yolk, orange juice and almond essence. The mixture should form a pliable paste. Set aside a small portion for balls with which to decorate the cake.

 

 

 

 

 

STAGE 2:
Use a sturdy non-stick cake tub or line the buttered base with baking paper. As the baking period is long (1-1 ½ hours), prevent the cake drying out by wrapping a double thickness of brown paper around the pan and securing it with twine. 

 

Preheat oven to 160ºC. Sift flour, salt and spices together, then stir in fruit and peel. Cream butter and sugar thoroughly until light and creamy then beat in eggs one at a time, until the mixture is fluffy. (Reserve a drop of egg yolk for brushing over top layer of almond paste.) Stir flour and fruit into creamed mixture (you may need to add a little milk to give the  mixture a dropping consistency).

 

 

STAGE 3:
Place half the mixture into a greased and lined cake tin.  Place the round of pastry over the filling and tuckin the edges. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1-1 ¼ hours or until a thin metal skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out without a trace of stickiness. Turn out cake on to a wire rack. Peel off paper and leave to cool. Level the cake by placing a weighted plate on top of the cooked cake while it is still hot.

 

 

STAGE 4:
Break off a third of the remaining paste and roll into a circle which is the approximate size of the tin. Set aside. Cover the top of the cake with a second round of almond paste. Roll 11 small balls of paste and place evenly around the top of the cake. Brush the top with a little beaten egg and very lightly brown under the grill until the almond paste turns light golden brown. Remove and leave to cool.