Put your baking skills to good use and try this Easter Simnel Cake recipe this week. The fabulous fruity cake is layered with delicious marzipan and flavoured with currents, cherries and lemon and will keep for up to 3 weeks in an airtight tin.
Serves: 10-12
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes
What you’ll need:
- 200g (7oz) Jordans Nut and Seed muesli
- 225g (8oz) plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 100g (4oz) currants
- 100g (4oz) glace cherries, chopped
- 200g (7oz) butter
- Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
- 225g (8oz) caster sugar
- 4 eggs, separated
- 500g (1lb 2oz) golden marzipan
- Beaten egg, to glaze
What to do:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan oven 160°C, Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) loose-based cake tin
- Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the currants, glace cherries and Jordans Muesli
- Cream together the butter, lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks
- In a scrupulously clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff. Add a spoonful to the creamed mixture to loosen it, then fold in the fruit mixture. Fold in the rest of the egg white
- Spoon half the mixture into the base of the prepared cake tin. Roll out a third of the marzipan into a 20cm (8 inch) disc, and lay over the cake mix. Spoon the remaining cake mixture over the top and level the surface. Cover loosely with a disc of baking paper. Bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 30 minutes, and then remove from the tin. Set aside on a rack to cool completely
- To finish, preheat the grill. Roll out another third of the marzipan into a neat 20cm (8 inch) disc and use to cover your Easter cake. Roll the remaining marzipan into 11 balls, and place around the edge of the cake. Brush with beaten egg and grill until golden
Cook’s tips:
- You might find it easier to grill the surface of the Simnel cake before adding the balls, then grill again lightly to finish them off
- Keep the cake in an airtight tin for up to 3 weeks – or just until Easter
Recipe by Jordan’s Cereal