Simnel Cake

Simnel cake was traditionally made during Lent and garnished with eleven marzipan balls to represent the eleven faithful disciples.

Ingredients

100g/4oz glacé cherries

225g/8oz butter, softened

225g/8oz light muscovado sugar

4 large eggs

225g/8oz self-raising flour

225g/8oz sultanas

100g/4oz currants

50g/2oz chopped candied peel

2 lemons, grated zest only

2 tsp ground mixed spice

For the filling and topping

450g/1lb marzipan

1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed

Method

1  Preheat the oven to 150C/280F/Gas 2. Grease and line a 20cm/ 8in cake tin.

2  Cut the cherries into quarters.

3  Place the cherries in a bowl with the butter, sugar, eggs, self-raising flour, sultanas, currants, candied peel, lemon zest and mixed spice and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Pour half the mixture into the prepared tin.

4  Take one-third of the marzipan and roll it out to a circle the size of the tin and then place on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and level the surface.

5  Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 2½ hours, or until well risen, evenly brown and firm to the touch. Cover with aluminium foil after one hour if the top is browning too quickly. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack.

6  When the cake is cool, brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam and roll out half the remaining marzipan to fit the top. Form the remaining marzipan into 11 balls.

7  Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the marzipan balls around the edge of the cake. Brush the tops of the balls with beaten egg and then carefully place the cake under a hot grill until the top is lightly toasted.