Easter Simnel Cake
Traditionally made for Easter, Simnel Cake is fruit-laden, warmly spiced and topped with a layer of marzipan. Its eleven marzipan balls celebrate the apostles (minus one), but around the family table it simply feels like a golden-topped treat shared with good tea and good company.
How long will it take?
2 ½ hours
What’s the serving size?
Serves 12
What do I need?
For the Fruit Mixture
- 200 g sultanas
- 200 g currants
- 150 g raisins
- 100 g mixed peel
- 100 g glacé cherries, halved
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp brandy or orange juice
For the Cake
- 250 g unsalted butter, softened
- 200 g brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 100 g almond meal
- Pinch of salt
- 50 g flaked almonds
- 500 g ready-made marzipan
To finish
- 1 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
How do I make it?
- Combine sultanas, currants, raisins, mixed peel, cherries and citrus zest in a bowl.
- Stir through brandy or orange juice. Set aside while you prepare everything else.
- Preheat oven to 150C.
- Grease and line a 20 centimetre round cake tin with baking paper.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon, almond meal and salt.
- Stir in the fruit mixture and flaked almonds.
- Roll out one-third of the marzipan into a circle the same size as the cake tin.
- Spoon half the cake batter into the tin.
- Lay the marzipan disc on top.
- Spoon the remaining batter over the top of the marzipan and smooth the surface.
- Bake for 2–2¼ hours, or until the cake is firm and a skewer inserted into the non-marzipan area comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
- When the cake has fully cooled, brush the top with warmed apricot jam.
- Roll out another one-third of the marzipan into a neat round to fit the top.
- Press it gently onto the cake.
- Roll the final one-third into 11 small balls and place them around the edge.
TOP TIPS
- Fruit glow-up: If time allows, soak the fruit overnight for extra plumpness.
- Gentle oven, gentle crumb: Low-and-slow baking prevents the outer edge from over-browning while the centre sets.
- This cake keeps brilliantly — wrap tightly and store in an airtight container for up to a week. The flavours deepen with each passing day.
- If the marzipan balls have tiny cracks, warm them with your palms for a smoother finish.
