Simnel Cake Recipe
Ingredients
| Mixed dried fruit | 500 Gram | |
| Cherries | 125 Gram, chopped | |
| 50 g (2 oz) chopped mixed candied peel | ||
| Rum | 2 Tablespoon | |
| Orange juice | 2 Tablespoon | |
| Butter | 175 Gram | |
| Caster sugar | 175 Gram | |
| Eggs | 3 | |
| Plain flour | 200 Gram | |
| Baking powder | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Ground allspice | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Almond paste | 1 Kilogram | |
| Apricot jam | 2 Tablespoon, sieved | |
| Egg yolk | 1 | |
| Water | 1 Teaspoon | |
Directions
Put the fruit, glace cherries, peel, rum and orange juice in a bowl and mix well.
Leave to soak for about 15 minutes.
Cream the butter and sugar together in another bowl until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and spice and fold in.
Add the fruit mixture and combine thoroughly.
Spoon half the mixture into a greased and lined deep round 18 cm (7 inch) cake tin and smooth the top.
Break off about one third of the almond paste and roll out to an 18 cm (7 inch) round.
Place in the tin and cover with the rest of the cake mixture.
Bake in a preheated moderate oven, 160°C (325°F), Gas Mark 3, for about 3 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, and the cake has begun to shrink from the tin.
Roll out half the remaining almond paste to an 18 cm (7 inch) round.
Brush the top of the cake with half the apricot jam and put on the round of almond paste.
Form the rest of the almond paste into 11 balls.
Put them around the edge of the cake, securing each one with a little apricot jam.
Mix together the egg .
yolk and water and brush over the balls.
Return the cake to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the almond balls are golden brown.
Leave in the tin to cool, then turn out.
Tie a yellow ribbon around the cake before serving.
Leave to soak for about 15 minutes.
Cream the butter and sugar together in another bowl until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and spice and fold in.
Add the fruit mixture and combine thoroughly.
Spoon half the mixture into a greased and lined deep round 18 cm (7 inch) cake tin and smooth the top.
Break off about one third of the almond paste and roll out to an 18 cm (7 inch) round.
Place in the tin and cover with the rest of the cake mixture.
Bake in a preheated moderate oven, 160°C (325°F), Gas Mark 3, for about 3 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, and the cake has begun to shrink from the tin.
Roll out half the remaining almond paste to an 18 cm (7 inch) round.
Brush the top of the cake with half the apricot jam and put on the round of almond paste.
Form the rest of the almond paste into 11 balls.
Put them around the edge of the cake, securing each one with a little apricot jam.
Mix together the egg .
yolk and water and brush over the balls.
Return the cake to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the almond balls are golden brown.
Leave in the tin to cool, then turn out.
Tie a yellow ribbon around the cake before serving.
Chef
