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| Recipe Archive > Cakes & Biscuits > |
Whitworths Heavenly Simnnel Cake with Sugar Frosted Decorations
The top of this ever-popular Easter cake is covered with a home made marzipan which is finished off with caramelised icing sugar. Make sure to soak the fruit in the sherry several days beforehand as it gives the cake a very special flavour and moist crumb.
Equipment & Ingredients
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One 20cm/8in deep round cake tin, lightly buttered and lined at the base and sides with non - stick parchment. |
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350g / 12oz ground almonds |
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175g / 6oz Whitworths Icing Sugar |
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175g / 6oz Whitworths Caster Sugar |
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1-2 small eggs whites, lightly whisked |
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175g / 6oz butter (room temperature) |
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175g / 6oz Whitworths Light Muscovado Cane Sugar |
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115g / 4oz mixed candied peel, chopped |
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175g / 6oz dried mango, chopped |
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300g /10 ½ oz self-raising flour |
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Finely grated rind of 1 large orange and juice of ½ an orange |
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2 tbls of apricot jam mixed with 1 tbls water, heated and strained for the glaze |
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Method
Prepare the marzipan. Place the first three ingredients in the goblet of a food processor and whiz them together into a fine powder. Combine the almond mixture with enough of the whisked egg white and brandy if using (see tips), to make a firm moist ball of paste. Divide and weigh the paste into a 225g / 8oz ball, plus a 450g / 1lb ball. Clingfilm and refrigerate until firm. Remove the 225g / 8oz ball of paste. Roll it into an 8-inch circle and refrigerate until required.
Prepare the cake. Place the dried fruits into a medium sized bowl with the peel. Add the sherry and stir until they are well covered. Leave for 3 days. Preheat the oven to 150°C / 300°F / gas mark 2. Beat the butter and sugar until they are light and creamy. Beat in the eggs gradually, then fold in the flour, salt and spice. Drain the fruit and stir it lightly into the cake mixture with the orange rind and juice. Spoon half the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and level off the surface. Place the circle of marzipan on top, then spoon over the remaining cake mixture and level it off. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. When it has cooled, turn it out from the tin and carefully peel away the lining paper. Using a pastry brush add a thin layer of hot apricot glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Meanwhile take the 450g / 1lb ball of marzipan from the fridge. Roll it into a circle a little larger than the size of the cake, and then press it centrally on top of the cake. Using scissors snip a zig zag pattern around the edge of the marzipan, then using the forefinger of one hand press the points between the forefinger and thumb of the other hand to round them off. To caramelise the marzipan topping. Add a light dusting of icing sugar over the surface, and then place the cake briefly under a moderate grill until it turns light golden in parts. To finish pipe a little thin icing in a cobweb pattern over the top and decorate with sugared flowers, leaves, gold almonds and tiny coloured eggs bought from sweet shops.
Tips for Decorating the Simnel Cake
Cake decorating shops sell a whole range of flower and leaf cutters as well as sugarpaste which can be kneaded lightly with a few drops of food colouring to make cake decorations. Sugarpaste is more convenient to buy than make but if there isn't a cake decorating shop in your area, you will get fairly good results by combining 140g / 5oz bought, ready - to - roll icing with about 1 rounded tsp of gum tragacanth bought from a Chemist. Combine the ingredients on a cornflour dusted board then knead the paste with a few drops of food colouring when it is smooth and evenly coloured, roll it out to a paper-thinness and cut out your shapes. Small edible flowers look extremely pretty brushed lightly with a beaten egg white and sprinkled with Whitworths Caster Sugar. Leave them to dry in a warm place.
Marzipan Tip
A little brandy adds luxury to the marzipan topping on our Simnel cake . Use 1 ½ tbls of brandy to the 450g / 1lb of marzipan topping, but take care to omit some of the egg white or it might become too soft to mould the decorative edging (see picture).
Creative Whitworths Sugar Tip
Different coloured sugars layered in a glass with silver and gold almonds, or coloured eggs set between the layers of sugar look quite stunning as a pretty table centre piece.
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