Simnel cake Recipe

	Recipe to make Simnel cake
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Easter Customs

What is Easter ?

Mothering Sunday

Easter Day

Easter Monday

The Simnel cake is associated with Easter today, but was originally made for Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent.

Ingredients

300g/10oz self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
110g/4oz butter or margarine
110g/4oz brown sugar
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
350g/12oz mixed dry fruit
2 eggs
approx. 100 ml milk to mix

700g Marzipan
2 tablespoons of icing sugar for decoration

Oven temperatures: 150 °C 325 °F Gas Mark 3

Method

1. Rub the margarine into the flour.	2. Add all the dry ingredients i.e. sugar, spice and dried fruit. Stir well.	3. Add golden syrup and eggs.


3. Add enough milk to form a soft dropping consistency.	4. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.	5. Grease a deep round 8 inch tin


6. Place half the mixture in the tin.	7. Roll out one third of the marzipan.	8. Place the marzipan on top of the mixture.


	9. Add the rest of the mixture on top.	10. Smooth down the surface of the mixture.

150 °C 325 °F Gas Mark 3

11. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1-1 1/4 hours or until a thin metal skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out without a trace of stickiness.


12. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes.	13. Loosen the cake from the tin gently with a knife.	14. Turn out onto a wire rack to allow to cool thoroughly.


15. Roll out another third of the marzipan.	16. Mix the icing sugar with a little cold water to form a paste. Pour some on the cake.	17. Place the rolled marzipan on top.


18. Use the back of a fork around the edge to make a pattern.	19. With the last of the mazipan make 11 equal sized balls. Dip each ball into the icing sugar mixture.	20. Arrange the 11 balls around the outside of the cake.