EASTER SIMNEL CAKE 🐣🐥
Simnel cake is a delicious fruit cake traditionally made at Easter in the United Kingdom. This classic Cake is packed with dried fruits and spices with a layer of almond paste in the middle and one on top. Simnel is derived from the Lain word 'simila', a fine white wheaten flour. It is also traditional to top the fruit cake with 11 almond paste balls representing the Apostles, Judas excluded.
RECIPE - Serves 8
Ingredients 🛒
Fruit Cake:
175g/6.2oz Butter, softened
150g/5.3oz Light Muscovado Sugar
175g/6.2oz Self-Raising Flour
3 Eggs, room temperature
100g/3.5oz Sultanas
50g/1.76oz Currants
50g/1.76oz Cherries
Zest of Lemon and Orange
1 Tsp Mixed Spice
1 Tbsp Apricot Jam for top of cake
Almond Paste:
280g/9.9oz Ground Pure Almonds
140g/4.9oz Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar
2 Egg Whites, lightly beaten
1 Tsp Almond Essence
Pinch of Salt
Bird's Nest:
100g/3.5oz Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
50g/1.8oz Dried Rice Vermicelli Noodles
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Method:
Fruit Cake -
Preheat oven to 150C/300F.
Line the base and sides of a 20cm/8-inch springform cake tin.
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar then beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly blended.
Sift and stir in flour and mixed spice. Add the lemon, orange zest and mixed fruits.
Spoon half the batter into your prepared cake tin and smooth the surface. Cover with almond paste and spoon remaining batter on top. Level the surface.
Bake in oven for approximately 2 hours. Tent the top with parchment paper if browning too quickly.
Once ready, leave to cool 15 minutes before removing from cake tin.
Warm the jam slightly in the microwave and brush the top of the cake. Cover with almond paste and continue to decorate as desired.
Almond Paste -
In a food processor, add the ground almonds, icing sugar and salt. Whiz briefly until it's well mixed and a little finer.
Add the lightly beaten egg whites and vanilla essence. Pulse until it forms a dough. If it's very sticky, add another tablespoon of icing sugar.
Your homemade almond paste is ready to use or you can wrap it in clingfilm and store it in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Roll out ½ of the almond paste. Using the base of the cake tin as a guide, cut out a circle. Repeat for top.
Bird's Nest -
Cover the inside of a small bowl with clingfilm and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Break the noodles 4-5-inches long pieces and place into a medium bowl.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or bain-marie and pour over the noodles a little at a time, just enough to coat. Use your fingers to mix it together until entirely coated.
Take the coated noodles and place into your prepared bowl and arrange to form a nest.
Take a smaller bowl, covered in clingfilm and press it down slowly in the middle to form a whole in the nest. Leave it there and pop in the fridge for 20 minutes until nest is set.
The bird's nest can also be made edible - Cover the outside of a small bowl with clingfilm and place face down. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and pipe melted chocolate over the clingfilm in different directions to create a nest.
Refrigerate until chocolate is set, then remove from bowl.
Enjoy! 😊