Simnel Cake

Name: Simnel Cake
Yield: Serves 12–14
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; ⅓ cup (80 ml) milk; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; ¾ cup (150 g) superfine sugar; 1 egg, lightly whisked; 4 eggs; 2¼ cups (225 g) ground almonds; 1 teaspoon apricot or hazelnut schnapps; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g) superfine sugar; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (145 g) salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan; 1½ cups (210 g) dried currants; ¼ lb (115 g) dried apricots, chopped; ¼ lb (115 g) mixed candied orange and lemon peel, chopped; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; 1 teaspoon grated orange zest; 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons (235 g) flour, plus more for the work surface; 1 teaspoon orange flower water

Preparation info

Serves
12–14

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook

By Downton Abbey

Published 2020

About

The name of this cake likely derives from the Latin simla, which was a flour grade available in ancient Rome used for making a yeast-leavened bread. By the Middle Ages, simnel cake was linked to the Easter holiday, and by the twentieth century, it had evolved into a light fruitcake accented with marzipan, both as a layer inside the cake and for decoration. In this regional adaptation, the cake is topped with a fluted marzipan round and eleven balls symbolizing the apostles of Jesus.<