Simnel Loaf
Photography Josh Griggs.
A classic Easter baking recipe, Simnel cake is a light fruitcake with pockets of marzipan baked through the batter, topped with a thin layer of marzipan then eleven balls to represent the eleven apostles – minus Judas. You can leave it plain or lightly caramelise the top with a blow torch.
Makes: 1 LOAF
INGREDIENTS
170 grams butter at room temperature
170 grams light muscovado sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
½ teaspoon each ground mixed spice and ground ginger
3 large eggs
170 grams plain flour
85 grams ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
120 grams raisins
120 grams sultanas
120 grams dried apricots, thinly sliced
50 grams mixed candied peel
75 grams glacé cherries, halved
2 tablespoons brandy
120 grams marzipan rolled into 10 even-sized balls
TO FINISH
330 grams marzipan
2 tablespoons apricot jam
METHOD
EQUIPMENT: Grease a 6-cup capacity loaf tin and line with 2 layers of baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 150°C regular bake.
Beat the butter, sugar, zest and the spices until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each one and adding 1 tablespoon of the flour if it starts to curdle.
Combine the flour, almonds and baking powder in a large bowl then add all the fruit and toss so everything is well coated and separated.
Add to the butter mixture along with the brandy and fold everything together until well combined.
Spoon half the mixture into the tin and spread evenly. Arrange the 10 marzipan balls in two rows down the middle. Carefully spoon the remaining mixture on top.
Bake for 1¼ hours or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then remove and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
TO FINISH: Dust a work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to ½cm thick and trim so that it’s just a little bigger than the top of the loaf. Use the trimmings to form 11 balls.
Brush the top of the loaf with jam and place the sheet of marzipan on top. Crimp the edges with your fingers then place the balls on top, securing them in place with a dab of jam. The loaf will keep for two weeks in an airtight container in a cool place.
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126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.