Easter Simnel Cake

A delicately spiced fruit cake decorated with marzipan. This recipe used our Extra Virgin Rapeseed oil instead of butter. Traditionally eaten at easter the 11 balls of marzipan are meant to symbolise the 11 disciples minus Judas.

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 175ml littleseed extra virgin British rapeseed oil

• 50ml milk

• 250g demerara sugar

• 5 medium eggs

• 250g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 50g ground almonds

• 75g glace cherries, chopped

• 1kg mixed fruit

• 750g marzipan

• 50g apricot jam

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/ 275C / Gas Mark 1 and then grease and line a 20cm round tin.

2. Add Littleseed Rapeseed Oil, milk and sugar into a large bowl. Beat the eggs and gently fold into the oil and sugar.

3. Sieve the flour, ground cinnamon and mixed spice into a separate bowl and then add the ground almonds. Fold this into the wet ingredients to form a batter.

4. Finally, add the dried mixed fruit and cherries and carefully fold in.

5. Pour half the mixture into the tin. Then, roll out 300g of the marzipan in a circle to fit the tin and place on top of the cake mixture. Pour the remaining mixture into the tin and spread out evenly. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes and then cover with greaseproof paper.

6. Bake for 2 hours 45 minutes until cooked through (it will be firm to press, or a skewer comes out clean). Cool the cake in the tin on a wire rack and only when completely cold, heat the jam and brush over the top of the cake. Take approx. 225g of the marzipan and roll out into a circle to fit the top of the cake. With the remaining marzipan, create 11 balls and place around the top.

7. If you’d like to glaze the top of the cake, place under a grill until just brown or for best results carefully use a blowtorch to lightly brown the desired areas.

   Cooking Time

   2 hours 45 minutes

   Prep Time

   30 minutes