Have a marzipan Easter

By Jan Cheshire 
 
I’ve wanted to make this cake for a long time. It’s a very traditional and lovely Easter cake and well worth the effort.  The 11 balls on top represent the 12 apostles, minus Judas.

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EASTER SIMNEL CAKE 
Serves 12
 
Ingredients
4 pieces of chopped ginger
450 grams of mixed fruit
1 orange
100ml whisky or use orange juice
240 grams of unsalted soft butter
240 grams of light brown sugar
220 grams of self-raising flour
4 large free-range eggs
½ teaspoon mixed spice
500 grams of marzipan available from supermarkets
4 tablespoons of apricot jam
1 large free-range egg
 
Method

1. The night before you want to bake the cake, chop the ginger and place in a bowl with the dried fruit, the orange zest and whisky or orange juice. Set aside to soak.
2. The next day, drain the soaked fruit, line a 20cm cake tin, and preheat the oven to 150º.
3. In a bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and mixed spice with an electric whisk for 2 to 3 minutes until combined, then stir through the soaked fruit.
4. Spoon half of the mixture into the tin and level the surface.
5. Take a third of the marzipan, roll it out to 20cm in diameter, then place it on top of the cake mix in the tin.
6. Spoon the rest of the mixture on top and level it out evenly.
7. Put it in the oven and bake for 2 hours, or until golden. Test the cake by inserting a skewer – if it comes out clean, it’s cooked. If not bake for 10 more minutes, covering it with tin foil if it’s browning too much.
8. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then take it out and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Melt the apricot jam in a pan, then brush the top of the cake with it. Roll out another third of the marzipan to 20cm in diameter, and place on top, pinching the edges to decorate.
10. Take the final 3rd of marzipan & roll out 11 balls, arranging them around the edge of the cake. Alternatively you could place small chocolate Easter eggs over the top.
11. Brush the top with beaten egg, then pop it under a hot grill for a couple of minutes, or until the marzipan is golden

 
Happy Easter everyone!