Easter Recipe: Traditional Easter Simnel Cake Recipe

Last Modified: 25 March 2024 12:40 pm

In recent years, the traditional simnel cake has perhaps fallen a little out of fashion and has become harder to find in bakeries and shops. If you’re craving this nostalgic Easter staple, we thought we would share our easter simnel cake recipe for you to give a try so maybe it can make an appearance back on your table this year.

The history of the simnel cake can be traced back to medieval times. The word simnel originates from the Latin simila – the whitest and finest of flours. It is said to have started life as a simple yeast-leavened dough made from the best flour available.

Like a lot of recipes, it has evolved over centuries. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the mixture of fruits, almonds and spices were boiled before the flour, butter, sugar and eggs were added. It was recorded to then have been wrapped in pastry, glazed with and baked until the crust was hard. It wasn’t until toward the end of the 19th century that it began to resemble more of the cake we know today and not until the 20th century, did we see the addition of the marzipan almond paste with the reference of the apostles via the balls of marzipan adorning the top as we know it today.

The eleven marzipan balls that famously decorate the top, represent Jesus’ eleven loyal disciples – although you may recall there being twelve apostles, only eleven are included due to Judas’ betrayal.

To make this recipe local (as we love to do here over at Taste HQ) you could order your flour from Calbourne Water Mill – which still serves the local community virtually through its online shop. Alternatively, Grace’s Bakery also offers flour, yeast, egg and milk as well as a whole host of baked goods. Use local eggs from Cheverton Farm Shop or Hazelgrove Farm if they are easily available to you.

We have also included a guide at the end of the recipe for how to make your own edible sugared spring flowers to decorate with if you are feeling extra creative. You will need these a day or two before so they are dry in time.

Print Recipe

Traditional Easter Simnel Cake

Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cooling Time15 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Cake, Easter

Equipment

• 20cm round loose-based cake tin greased and lined with baking paper

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 225 g natural marzipan
• 225 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 175 g spreadable butter
• 175 g golden caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tbsp milk
• 175 g currants
• 225 g sultanas
• 50 g glacé cherries cut into quarters
• 50 g unblanched almonds roasted and chopped
• 50 g chopped candied peel
• Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

For the topping:

• 300 g natural marzipan
• 1 rounded dsp apricot jam

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 150°C
• Cut the marzipan into small cubes then toss them in two level tablespoons of flour
• Sift the remaining flour, baking powder and spice into a large mixing bowl, then add the butter, caster sugar and eggs.
• Using an electric hand whisk, mix to a smooth, creamy consistency. Whisk in the milk.
• Take a metal spoon and gently fold in the fruit, nuts, candied peel and grated orange and lemon zest, followed by the marzipan cubes.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level it out with the back of the spoon.
• Bake the cake near the centre of the oven for about 2 hours 30 minutes or until the centre is firm and springy.
• Leave the cake in the tin to cool for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.
• Roll out the marzipan into a circle roughly the same size as the top of the cake.
• Brush the top of the cooled cake with apricot jam, top with the round of marzipan, and scallop the edges.
• To toast the marzipan: cut out a circle of foil to cover the top of the cake inside the scalloped edge and place the cake under a preheated grill so the marzipan is a good distance from the heat source and watch carefully until the scalloped edge is toasted to a golden brown. Alternatively, this works well with a cook’s blowtorch.

Sugared Spring Flower Decorations

Feeling fancy? Why not try creating some edible spring flower decorations to go on top of your easter simnel cake? This is obviously a little bit extra – but it’s actually really simple to do and has a real wow factor! Please note you will need to make these decorations the day before you do the cake as they need time to dry.