Get more: If you like this recipe, there’s over 150 more in the private members area. Sign up here.
Makes: 8
Prep: 25mins
Bake: 40 mins
Simnel Cake
- 200g Gem Gourmet Sultanas
- 75g Gem Gourmet Raisins
- 50ml strong tea
- 125g butter, soft
- 125g Gem dark Muscovado sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 125g Gem plain flour
- Pinch salt
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 25g ground almonds
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 80g marzipan
Decoration
- 50g smooth marmalade
- 250g marzipan
- Edible or fondant flowers (optional)
Method
- Add the sultanas and raisins to a bowl and pour over the tea and allow to soak for a few hours.
- Preheat your oven to 170C/150C fan.
- Roll out the 80g piece of marzipan and cut out 8 x 2” round discs. Set aside.
- For this recipe I used round silicone baking moulds (7cm diameter x 4 cm deep) if using a cupcake tin, line with muffin paper cases and depending on the size of your cupcake tin, you may get 9 cakes from this recipe.
- Into a mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar and mix together until soft and pale in colour.
- To this add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each addition.
- Sieve the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt into the bowl and add the ground almonds and mix to form a stiff batter.
- To this add the soaked fruit and the juices and mix through.
- Divide half this cake mix between the cases, place the marzipan disc on top and divide the remaining batter on top to fill all ¾ full.
- Place these in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool.
- To decorate, gently heat the marmalade and set aside.
- Roll out the 250g block of marzipan and cut out 8 round discs to fit the top of each cake.
- Take the trimmings and roll into 8 equal sized balls.
- To assemble, brush some marmalade on top of the cakes, place the marzipan disc on top.
- To finish, make a small thumb indent into the marzipan and place one ball on top of each cake.
- You can also garnish with a fondant or edible flower.
Top Tips
- You can swap out the tea for your favourite spirit like whiskey, sherry or brandy.
If your mini cakes form small domes on top while baking, carefully using a serrated knife, you can remove these peaks before decorating so the marzipan can sit on a flat surface.
Get more: If you like this recipe, there’s over 150 more in the private members area. Sign up here.
