Simnel Cake

Calendar Hope your cake turned out well, do you actually cook the cake with marzipan in situ? I don’t think I have ever had Simnel cake but anything with marzipan always goes down well with me.

My mum used to make one every year. Easter was always like Christmas all over again as the recipe was a rich one.
It was sandwiched with marzipan and also the topping was marzipan too with cocolate bird's nests and little eggs. The little chicks weren't edible.

Same here, Ellan, and I always made one myself when the children were young. Always with marzipan in the middle as well as on top, but not right up to the edge of the cake or it burns against the side. Also always with little eggs and chicks on top, and a sort of marzipan ridge round the edge to simulate a nest

But always on Mothering Sunday, not at Easter.

Good luck with yours, Calendargirl. It will be delicious.

Just making mine, fruit soaking in orange juice and brandy, will make later today. As with any cake, if it looks done, if you press the top and it springs back, then it is most likely done. I do put a skewer in, and if it looks as though it just has marzipan instead of cake mix and marzipan sticking to it, then I am happy to take it out. It is very easy to overcook and end up with a dry one.

Prefer to make my own marzipan too, no artificial colouring and only the natural almond flavour.

A Simnel cake needs to have a topping of marzipan and the eleven balls of marzipan on the top, to represent the apostles minus Judas Iscariot. But of course it needs nests, mini eggs, fluffy chickens, fresh or sugared primroses, anything else you can cram on to represent new life!

Thanks for all advice and comments.

My cake looks ok. I finished it off this morning when it had cooled thoroughly. I rolled out the remainder of the marzipan, I think I might have been a bit generous with what I put inside, not too much left, plus the bits I had eaten!

I cut out 11 shapes with a fluted pastry cutter, and laid on top. DH said they weren’t egg shaped.

They will taste ok though.

DH is wrong, they need to be perfect circles!

Or rather spheres!

This year I’m reviving my simnel cup cakes making so I can easily share with neighbours. Same recipe as for cake.

They look beautiful SW

My baking usually tastes good, but I am not at all artistic.

They are really easy to decorate - used pastry cutter to cut out marzipan topping and then a light brushing of apricot jam to help balls/chicken /eggs adhere. One of my neighbours who has a sweet tooth swears by a glass of Baileys with hers ?

Now that is a good idea SW!

The Baileys ?

Yum! Simnel cake AND Baileys — my kind of treat. Shame about the diabetes but hey, it’s only Easter once a year...