Simnel Cake
Just as Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Christmas Cake, it wouldn’t be Easter without a Simnel Cake. But let’s not for a moment kid ourselves – it’s basically the same thing.
Although I can’t find the post describing my most recent Christmas Cake, this Simnel Cake, like the Christmas Cake before it, was from the Harrod’s cookbook and cooked in an Aga. I substituted the potato flour of the recipe for ground almonds, and added more brandy, but it was essentially a direct reading of the recipe.
The most important thing about Simnel Cake is the marzipan: firstly, a circle is placed inside the cake, with half the batter above and half below. It cooks to a gooey moist layer during the baking. Then more marzipan on top, held on by apricot jam. Finally 11 balls of marzipan – representing the faithful apostles – are stuck on with egg white, their tops also brushed with egg white. In to a grill (or, in my case, back to the Aga) for the tops of the balls to brown – use a disc of paper to stop the middle browning!
Delicious, and very Easter-y. This particular one was described as “the best cake I’ve ever eaten” – by someone who had earlier professed to a dislike of marzipan!