Simnel Cake is fruit cake decorated with marzipan and with a layer of marzipan baked in the middle. This classic cake was originally made by girls in service to give to their mothers on the 4th Sunday in lent which later became known as mothering Sunday. 
Baking For Easter
When I was in my early teens I knew I wanted to work with food though at the time I was not sure doing what exactly, my dad was a baker but I didn't see myself taking over his footsteps. When I discovered that there was a job writing recipes and making the food for the photographs in magazines, my mind was instantly made up; that was what I wanted to do. Until then I hadn't really thought how they got there.
So I did my research and studied Home Economics to start me off in my chosen career. Fast forward a few years and by way of a few stepping stone jobs I joined Woman's Realm magazine as a Home Economist. My very first feature written for them was Bake Ahead for Easter, which included several baked cakes, biscuits, pies and tarts and including a recipe for Simnel Cake.
Simnel Cake
-A Recipe that has Stood the Test Of Time
That was pre blogging and even pre internet, in fact I wrote the feature on a portable type writer but a classic recipe is a classic recipe and so I thought I would share that recipe in time for Mother's day this year. Back then the marzipan you got in the shops was a rather nasty bright yellow imitation of the real thing and so I made my own marzipan in the original recipe. Now that you can buy pretty decent marzipan I have used ready made marzipan instead but the recipe for the cake itself is the same.
Simnel Cake
Ingredients
- 225 g butter
- 175 g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 275 g plain flour
- 1½ teaspoon ground mixed spice (pumpkin spice)
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 500 g mixed dried fruit
- 50 g glacé cherries quartered
- 1 kg marzipan
- a little apricot jam
Instructions
- Grease and line a 20cm/8in deep cake tin. Preheat the oven to 150℃ (130℃ fan)300°F /gas mark 2.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour and mixed spice and fold in. Next add the lemon zest, juice, dried fruit and cherries and mix well.
- Roll out half the marzipan to a circle the same size as the cake tin. Scoop half the cake mixture into the tin and level the surface. Carefully put the marzipan circle on top and press down gently.
- Now scoop the remaining cake mixture on top of the marzipan and spread level. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2½ – 3 hours. To test if the cake is cooked, insert a skewer in the centre. It will come out clean when the cake is cooked.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for at least 1 hour then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Roll out ¾ of the remaining marzipan to a circle the same size as the cake. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam and place the marzipan on top.
- Using a dinner knife score the surface of the marzipan with a diamond pattern. Divide the remaining marzipan into 11 pieces and roll into balls. Arrange the balls on top of the cake, securing with a dab of apricot jam.
- Place the cake under a preheated grill and grill until lightly browned. Watch carefully to avoid it burning.
Jules Austen says
I have a friend in Germany, and this year I made her their first traditional Christmas cake. I have an old recipe handed down. She absolutely loved it. So..... without thinking I promised her another treat at Easter in the form of a simple cake. But when I thought about it, i realised she wouldn’t receive it for at least 2 maybe 3 weeks. I would hate it to be dry. What can i do to improve the ‘keeping’. Any ideas i would be really grateful. I normally cover cakes in cling film then pack in boxes to post
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
There is quite a lot of fruit in this cake so it should keep well for about a month if stored in an airtight container. If you wrap it well in cling film I'm sure it will be fine.
zora says
No rising agent ?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thats correct ! I do not add any raising agents to fruit cake. they are Not needed as the butter and sugar are creamed together and the eggs beat which adds enough air.
Julie Brown says
Just a quick query on the baking time. At the top it states baking time 1hr 40 but in the instructions it says 2.5-3hrs. Could anyone that has baked it confirm which is correct please. Thank you,
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Julie,
I'm sorry not sure what went wrong there I probably just added the wrong figure into the cooking time (which has to be done in minutes not hours and minutes) by mistake when putting the recipe up on the site. I have now corrected it.
I can confirm that it definitely takes 2 1/2 - 3 hours to bake. In my older oven it used to take the full 3 hours but these days i think oven are more efficient and it tends to take about 2 1/2 hours.
I do hope this hasn't put you off trying it and that you make and like it. I would love to know how you got on so do pop back and let me know if you have the time.
Meanwhile let me wish you a very happy Easter.
Jacqui
Helen Costello says
You have made such a lovely neat job of this cake - No matter how many times I hear that it is traditionally a Mother's Day cake, I always forget! Thanks so much for joining in with #BakeoftheWeek
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Glad you liked it - I guess as it is traditionally eaten at Easter it is easy to forget. I have been meaning to link to #BakeoftheWeek more often
Monika Dabrowski says
This is such an interesting cake, Jacqui, actually I've never heard of it before (I've lived in the UK 9.5 years so I am surprised I've never come across it) , but it sounds delicious! I like the background information you've included, makes the recipe even more appealing. Your cake looks really stunning:)
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
I think it is one of those cakes that dropped out of popularity a while which may be why you haven't come across it before. But it seems to be getting a resurgence of love recently probably thanks to bloggers
jenny paulin says
I enjoyed learning about your baking history and how you worked for Women Realm - as you say back in the old days of typewriters and no Internet! seems such a long time ago, and yet it wasn't really.
Anyway, thank you for linking up this gorgeous cake for #Bakeoftheweek - it looks such a classic Easter bake recipe and it will always stand the (taste!) test of time xx
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
It seems almost prehistoric but even I can hardly believe it and sometimes find it hard to remember how things were pre internet but it really wasn't that long ago, These things have just changed so fast. Interestingly Woman's Realm was the first major weekly magazine to go digital.
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed says
I love simnel cake and it's ages since I've made one. You can't beat a classic recipe and yours looks delicious, I like how you've grilled the marzipan at the end.
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thank you Sarah. Grilling is the traditional decoration.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
I love fruit cakes like this Jacqueline, but when they have extra marzipan in them like a Simnel cakes does I'm in foodie heaven - absolutely delicious.
Angela x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thank you Angela, Marzipan is certainly something I have grown to love. I like how adding the layer in the middle adds flavour to the cake.
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com says
LOVE simnel cake...and your recipe looks a FAB one. I love how you are still making the same recipe years later - shows it's a good one! Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare 🙂 Eb x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thanks Eb. Some recipes I make time and again.year after year, others can be more like one it wonders. Its also funny how fashions change even in foods but a classic a is a classic 🙂
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
I love simnel cake and cannot wait to make one this year but trying a gluten free one this year! This one looks so good! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thank you Kirsty Simnel cake is delicious. Let me know hat your gluten feee version wis like my sister is celiac so always looking for good gluten free recipes/
Mandy says
I really love simnel cake and this sounds like a great recipe. I hadn't realised that it was usually made for Mother's Day!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thanks Mandy I love it too. It was not eaten until Easter hence the confusion I think.