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Bake a Simnel Cake for Mothers Day

Simnel Cakes are fruit cakes with marzipan in the middle and on top. They were traditionally made for Mothering Sunday, as people were allowed to break their Lent fast on that day. However, families often kept the cake to eat three weeks later at Easter.

Here is a traditional recipe:

Ingredients

300g/10oz self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
110g/4oz butter or margarine
110g/4oz brown sugar
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
350g/12oz mixed dry fruit
2 eggs
approx. 100 ml milk to mix

700g Marzipan
2 tablespoons of icing sugar for decoration

Oven temperatures: 150 °C 325 °F Gas Mark 3

 

Method

1.     Rub the margarine into the flour

 

2.     Add all the dry ingredients i.e. sugar, spice and dried fruit. Stir well.

3.     Add golden syrup and eggs.

4.     Add enough milk to form a dropping consistency

5.     Stir well to combine all ingredients

6.     Grease a deep round 8 inch tin

7.     Place half o0f the mixture in the tin

8.     Roll out one third of the marzipan and put it on top of the mixture in the tin

9.     Add the rest of the mixture on top.

10.  Smooth down the surface of the mixture

11.  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.

12.  Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes.

13.  Turn out onto a wire rack to allow to cool thoroughly.

14.  Roll out another third of the marzipan.

15.  Mix the icing sugar with a little cold water to form a paste. Pour some on the cake.

16.  Place the rolled marzipan on top.

17.  You might want to make a pattern round the edge with a fork or fancy cutter.

18.  With the last of the marzipan, make 11 equal sized balls. Dip each ball into the icing sugar mixture.

19.  Arrange the 11 balls round the edge of the cake.

  

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