Simple Simnel Cake

Tulip-Fairy's Note:

It's a quick and easy version of the Easter Classic. I got the original recipe from a Good Food Magazine and have made it for every Easter since. Don’t be put off by the long list of instructions, it is broken down into small bits, it’s really quite simple

• Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 50 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 18

Yield: 1.0 loaf

• 2 oranges, juice and zest of , grated
• 2 tablespoons Cointreau liqueur
• 6 ounces raisins
• 6 ounces sultanas
• 4 ounces whole glace cherries
• 250 g marzipan
• 8 ounces soft butter
• 8 ounces golden caster sugar
• 12 ounces self raising flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk

for the caramel almond

• 2 ounces blanched almonds
• 4 ounces caster sugar

for the icing

• 4 ½ ounces icing sugar
• 1 orange, zest of
• 2 ½ tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

1. Heat oven 160c Fan / 140c/Fass 3.
2. Tip the zest and juice into a bowl.
3. Add the Cointreau, , mixed fruit and cherries. Meanwhile, grease and line the base and sides of a 2kg loaf tin with baking parchment.
4. Shape the marzipan into a sausage the length of the tin, then roll out to the width with a rolling pin.
5. Put the butter, sugar, flour and eggs and milk in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-whisk until smooth.
6. Stir in the mixed fruit and their juices.
7. Spoon half the mixture in the loaf tin, and then cover with the layer of marzipan.
8. Top with the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the tip.
9. Bake for 1hr 50 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. If you do the skewer test, make sure you don’t pierce a piece of marzipan otherwise you may think the cake isn’t cooked when it is.
10. Cool in the tin, peel away the paper once cold. You can keep it wrapped in foil for 2 weeks if needed.
11. To make the caramel almonds, tip the almonds into a frying pan and heat, swirling the pan so the almonds toast. Tip from the pan then add the sugar to the pan and heat until the sugar turns to a liquid caramel – take care not to heat it too fast or it will burn. Add the almonds, then pour onto a greased baking sheet to set. Will keep in a cool place for 2 days.
12. Decorate the cake on the day you eat it, as the caramel will dissolve on contact with the cake. Mix the icing sugar with the orange zest and juice until smooth then pour over the cake. The mix is quite wet and will dribble down the sides. Chop the almond caramel, scatter over the icing and leave until the icing sets.