TRADITIONAL BRITISH MOTHERING SUNDAY SIMNEL CAKE

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Traditional British Mothering Sunday Simnel Cake image

A wonderul spiced & fruited cake which heralds the advent of Spring. I used to make one for my Mum every year, when I lived in England! Traditionally made to mark Mothering Sunday, this cake is also known as an Easter Cake; Simnel cake 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). A specially baked simnel cake is a wonderful gift to take to your mother, for Mothering Sunday Tea Time. Decorate it with crystalised flowers and tie some yellow ribbon around the side.

Provided by French Tart

Categories     Dessert

Time 2h

Yield 1 Simnel Cake, 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

400 g icing sugar, sifted
250 g ground almonds
1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly
3 -4 tablespoons orange juice
5 drops almond essence
250 g plain flour
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
280 g currants
250 g sultanas
110 g mixed peel
160 g butter
160 g caster sugar
3 large eggs
200 ml milk, to mix

Steps:

  • 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.
  • Roll out the remaining paste into 2 circles which are the approximate size of the tin. Set aside.
  • STAGE 2.
  • Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F.
  • Use a sturdy non-stick cake tub or line the buttered base with baking paper. As the baking period is long (1-1 1/2 hours), prevent the cake drying out by wrapping a double thickness of brown paper around the pan and securing it with twine.
  • 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 one pre-rolled round of almond paste over the top.
  • Cover with remaining cake mixture. Before baking the cake, give the pan of mixture a sharp tap on to a firm surface. This settles the mixture and prevents holes from forming in the cake.
  • Bake in the centre of the oven for 1-1 1/4 hours or until a thin metal skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out without a trace of stickiness.
  • Level the cake by placing a weighted plate on top of the cooked cake while it is still hot.
  • Turn out cake on to a wire rack after leaving it to settle in the cake tin for between 10 and 15 minutes. Peel off paper and leave to cool completely.
  • STAGE 4.
  • 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.

Daneil Stewart
s.daneil@hotmail.com

This cake was amazing! I will definitely be making it again.


Sakhawat Sumbli
s-s67@gmail.com

This cake was a bit dry, but the flavor was good.


Jo Blaney
b.j57@hotmail.fr

This cake was delicious! I will definitely be making it again.


random Channel to 100 suds
r-suds@yahoo.com

I made this cake for Easter and it was a big hit! Everyone loved it.


Jadea Bacchus
j-bacchus@gmail.com

This was the best simnel cake I've ever had! The marzipan layer was especially good.


Khairul24 Amin24
k.amin24@aol.com

This cake was a bit too dense for my taste, but the flavor was good.


Mohammed Shagra
shagra-mohammed53@aol.com

I loved this cake! It was moist and flavorful and the marzipan layer was the perfect finishing touch.


CHISTY bratharan
c@hotmail.co.uk

This cake was a bit too sweet for my taste, but it was still good.


Ramen Boyz
b-r26@gmail.com

I'm not a baker, but this recipe was easy to follow and my cake turned out great! It was moist and flavorful and the marzipan layer was delicious.


Mereti Tubu
t-m12@gmail.com

This cake was easy to make and it turned out great! The marzipan layer was a nice touch.


Lucia Navejas
navejas.l@yahoo.com

I followed the recipe exactly and my cake turned out perfectly! It was moist and flavorful and the marzipan layer was delicious.


Agu Divine
divine-a@hotmail.com

This cake was a bit dry, but the flavor was good.


Lewany Khan
lk56@yahoo.com

I made this cake for my mom for Mother's Day and she loved it! It was moist and flavorful and the marzipan layer was the perfect touch.


Vern
vern@yahoo.com

This simnel cake was delicious! The marzipan layer was especially good.


Amirul islam Joni
aj@yahoo.com

This was my first time making a simnel cake and it turned out great! It was a bit time-consuming, but it was definitely worth the effort. The cake was moist and flavorful and the marzipan layer was the perfect finishing touch.


Primal Aska
primal-a68@gmail.com

I'm not usually a fan of fruitcake, but this simnel cake was surprisingly delicious. The marzipan layer added a nice touch of sweetness and the orange zest gave it a refreshing flavor.


Solat Safdar
safdarsolat44@gmail.com

This simnel cake was a huge hit with my family! The flavors were perfectly balanced and the texture was moist and fluffy. I'll definitely be making this again for next year's Mothering Sunday.


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