 |
| Recipe for Simple Simnel Cake |
Ingredients of Recipe for Simple Simnel Cake
2 oranges, grated zest and juice
2 tbsp Cointreau
350g/12oz mixed dried fruit
100g/4oz whole glace cherries
250g pack marzipan
225g/8oz soft butter, diced
225g/8oz golden caster sugar
350g/12oz self-raising flour
4 large eggs
30ml/2 tbsp milk
FOR THE CARAMEL ALMONDS
50g/2oz blanched almonds
100g/4oz caster sugar
FOR THE ICING SUGAR
125g/4 ½ oz icing sugar
Zest of 1 orange
15-25ml/1-1½ tbsp orange juice
Method of Recipe for Simple Simnel Cake
1. Heat oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 3. Tip the zest and juice into a bowl. Add the Cointreau, mixed fruit and cherries. Meanwhile, grease and line the base and sides of a 2Kg loaf tin or 20cm/8in round, loose based tin with baking parchment. Roll out the marzipan to fit the tin
2. Put the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and milk into the mixer bowl with the k beater and mix on minimum them increase the speed to 4/5 for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Stir in the mixed fruit and their juices. Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin, then cover with a layer of marzipan. Top with the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top. Bake for 1hr 50mins until risen and firm to the touch. (take care if you are checking by piercing with a skewer as you may pierce the marzipan and think that the cake is not cooked yet). Cool in tin, peel away the paper once cold.
3. To make the caramel almonds, tip the almonds into a frying pan and heat, swirling the pan so the almonds toast. Tip from the pan then add the sugar to the pan and heat until the sugar turns to a liquid caramel – take care not to heat it too fast or it will burn. Add the almonds, then pour onto a greased baking sheet to set.
4. Decorate the cake on the day you eat it, as the caramel will dissolve on contact with the cake. Mix the icing sugar with the orange zest and juice until smooth, then pour over the cake. The mix is quite wet and will dribble down the sides. Break up the almond caramel in a bag with a rolling pin, scatter over the icing and leave until the icing sets.
