Simnel Cake

Ingredients

250 gram (9 ounce) salted butter

250 gram (9 ounce) demerara sugar

5 medium eggs, beaten

250 gram (9 ounce) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon Cinnamon Ground

1½ teaspoon Mixed Spice

50 gram (2 ounce) ground almonds

75 gram (3 ounce) glacé cherries, chopped

100 gram (4 ounce) mixed peel

250 gram (9 ounce) currants

125 gram (5 ounce) sultanas

450 gram (1 pound) raisins

700 gram (1lb 9 ounce) marzipan

50 gram (2 ounce) apricot jam

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 140°C, 275°F, Gas Mark 1.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together, then slowly fold in the beaten eggs. Sieve the self raising flour, Ground Cinnamon and Mixed Spice together and then add the ground almonds. Fold into the egg, butter and sugar mixture to form a batter. Combine the dried fruit and fold into the batter.

3. Grease and line a 20cm (8″) cake tin and pour ½ the cake mixture into the cake tin. Roll out 300g of the marzipan into a 19cm circle, approx 1cm thick, and place on top of the cake mixture in the tin. Pour the remaining cake mixture into the tin and spread evenly. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then cover with greaseproof paper.

4  Bake in the oven for 2 hours 45 minutes – 3 hours 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Take the greaseproof paper off after 2 hours.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the cake tin and place on a cooling rack. Once cool, heat up the jam and spread evenly over the top of the cake. Roll out 225g of the marzipan into a circle and place on top of the cake. Take 25g of the remaining marzipan and roll into a long thin sausage shape and place around the edge of the cake. Divide the remaining marzipan into 12, roll into balls and place around the edge of the cake.

6. Glaze with a blow touch or place under a hot pre-heated grill for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, to brown the top of the cake. Delicious served immediately.