Nigella Simnel Cake is made with glace cherries, mixed dried fruit, soft unsalted butter, caster sugar, unwaxed lemon zest, plain flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground almonds, large eggs, milk, and yellow marzipan. This delicious Simnel Cake recipe creates a traditional dessert that takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes to prepare and can serve up to 12 people.
Ingredients Needed:
For the Cake:
- 100 grams glace cherries (finely chopped)
- 500 grams mixed dried fruit
- 175 grams soft unsalted butter
- 175 grams caster sugar
- Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 225 grams plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 25 grams ground almonds
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
For Decoration:
- 1 kilogram yellow marzipan
- Icing sugar (for rolling)
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam (melted)
- 1 egg white (optional, for sticking)
How To Cook Simnel Cake:
- Prepare Ingredients: Take all ingredients out of the fridge to reach room temperature. Preheat your oven to gas mark 3/170°C/150°C fan/325°F. Butter and line the bottom and sides of a 20cm (8 inch) springform cake tin with double brown baking paper.
- Mix the Fruits: Chop the glace cherries finely and mix them with the dried fruit in a bowl.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and soft, then add the lemon zest.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and ground almonds.
- Add Eggs: Add one egg to the creamed butter and sugar along with 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients. Mix well. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Mix All Together: Add the rest of the dry ingredients and the milk to the mixture, then fold in the chopped fruit.
- Prepare Marzipan: Dust a surface with icing sugar. Roll out about 400g (14oz) of marzipan into a circle that fits the cake tin.
- Assemble the Cake: Spoon half of the cake mixture into the tin, smoothing it down. Place the marzipan circle on top, then add the remaining mixture and smooth the surface.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to gas mark 2/150°C/130°C fan/300°F and bake for another 1½ hours or until firm and risen. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Decorate: Once cooled, remove the lining from the cake. Roll out another 400g (14oz) of marzipan and place it on top after painting the surface with melted apricot jam.
- Add Apostles: Make 11 small balls (about 2.5cm or 1 inch) from the remaining marzipan. Use slightly beaten egg white to attach them around the edge of the cake.
- Final Touch (Optional): Brush the entire cake with egg white and use a blow torch to give the marzipan a golden finish.
Recipe Tips
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure all your ingredients, especially butter and eggs, are at room temperature. This helps the cake mix well and rise properly.
- Chop Fruits Finely: Chop the glace cherries and dried fruits very finely. This ensures they distribute evenly throughout the cake for better flavor and texture.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Check for Doneness: Use a skewer to check if the cake is done. It should come out clean when inserted into the center. If it’s not done, bake for a little longer.
- Cool Completely Before Decorating: Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before adding the marzipan and decorations. This prevents the marzipan from melting and ensures a nice finish.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate: First, let the leftover Simnel Cake cool until it reaches room temperature. Then, wrap it tightly in cling film or store it in an airtight container. It can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- Freeze: You can freeze leftover Simnel Cake for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap it well in cling film and then place it in a freezer bag. To thaw, move it to the fridge overnight before serving.
- Reheating: To reheat leftover Simnel Cake, slice it and warm in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds until just heated through. Avoid overheating, as it can dry out the cake.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 100 grams)
- Calories: 320
- Total Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
- Sodium: 40mg
- Potassium: 210mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 56g
- Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Sugars: 32g
- Protein: 5g
Try More Nigella Recipe:
- Nigella Orange Almond Cake
- Nigella Apricot Almond Cake
- Nigella Bundt Cake
- Nigella Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Nigella Coffee And Walnut Loaf Cake
Nigella Simnel Cake
Description
Nigella Simnel Cake is made with glace cherries, mixed dried fruit, soft unsalted butter, caster sugar, unwaxed lemon zest, plain flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground almonds, large eggs, milk, and yellow marzipan. This delicious Simnel Cake recipe creates a traditional dessert that takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes to prepare and can serve up to 12 people.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
For Decoration:
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Take all ingredients out of the fridge to reach room temperature. Preheat your oven to gas mark 3/170°C/150°C fan/325°F. Butter and line the bottom and sides of a 20cm (8 inch) springform cake tin with double brown baking paper.
- Mix the Fruits: Chop the glace cherries finely and mix them with the dried fruit in a bowl.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and soft, then add the lemon zest.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and ground almonds.
- Add Eggs: Add one egg to the creamed butter and sugar along with 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients. Mix well. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Mix All Together: Add the rest of the dry ingredients and the milk to the mixture, then fold in the chopped fruit.
- Prepare Marzipan: Dust a surface with icing sugar. Roll out about 400g (14oz) of marzipan into a circle that fits the cake tin.
- Assemble the Cake: Spoon half of the cake mixture into the tin, smoothing it down. Place the marzipan circle on top, then add the remaining mixture and smooth the surface.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to gas mark 2/150°C/130°C fan/300°F and bake for another 1½ hours or until firm and risen. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Decorate: Once cooled, remove the lining from the cake. Roll out another 400g (14oz) of marzipan and place it on top after painting the surface with melted apricot jam.
- Add Apostles: Make 11 small balls (about 2.5cm or 1 inch) from the remaining marzipan. Use slightly beaten egg white to attach them around the edge of the cake.
- Final Touch (Optional): Brush the entire cake with egg white and use a blow torch to give the marzipan a golden finish.
Notes
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure all your ingredients, especially butter and eggs, are at room temperature. This helps the cake mix well and rise properly.
- Chop Fruits Finely: Chop the glace cherries and dried fruits very finely. This ensures they distribute evenly throughout the cake for better flavor and texture.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Check for Doneness: Use a skewer to check if the cake is done. It should come out clean when inserted into the center. If it’s not done, bake for a little longer.
- Cool Completely Before Decorating: Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before adding the marzipan and decorations. This prevents the marzipan from melting and ensures a nice finish.