Easter Simnel Loaf Cake

Easter Simnel Loaf Cake

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
    Buy Now
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 2 1/2 fl. oz. Cointreau (orange-flavoured liqueur)
  • 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup mixed peel
  • 1 cup mixed dried fruit
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
  • 4 large eggs, lightly whisked
  • 2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/2 cup ground almonds
  • 2 teaspoons mixed spice
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 7 oz. ready rolled marzipan

For the top

  • 7 oz. ready rolled marzipan
  • 2 tablespoons apricot jam

Directions

Heat the oven to 320 degrees F, gas 3. Pour the Cointreau into a bowl and add the fruits, ginger and zest to soak up the alcohol. Meanwhile, grease and line the base of a 32-ounce loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Unroll the marzipan and cut out a rectangle the length and size of the loaf tin. Set aside until needed.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, mixed spice and milk and whisk further until you reach a smooth consistency. Finally stir in the fruit mixture with the liquid. Pour half the cake mixture into the loaf tin, and then cover with the layer of marzipan. Top with the remaining cake mixture and smooth the top.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gently heat the jam until liquid. Dust a work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the marzipan to 1/3-inch thick and trim so it’s a little bigger than the tin. Use the trimmings to form 11 small balls. Brush the top of the cake with jam, and lay the marzipan rectangle on top. Crimp the edges with your fingers and dot the balls around the cake evenly, securing with more warm jam. Serve as it is, or caramelize the marzipan with a blowtorch or under a hot grill.

  • 230 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200 g light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
    Buy Now
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 75 ml Cointreau (orange-flavoured liqueur)
  • 150 g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 75 g mixed peel
  • 230 g mixed dried fruit
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
  • 4 large eggs, lightly whisked
  • 230 g self-raising flour
  • 48 g ground almonds
  • 2 teaspoons mixed spice
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 200 g ready rolled marzipan

For the top

  • 200 g ready rolled marzipan
  • 2 tablespoons apricot jam

Directions

Heat the oven to 160 degrees C, gas 3. Pour the Cointreau into a bowl and add the fruits, ginger and zest to soak up the alcohol. Meanwhile, grease and line the base of a 910-gram loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Unroll the marzipan and cut out a rectangle the length and size of the loaf tin. Set aside until needed.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, mixed spice and milk and whisk further until you reach a smooth consistency. Finally stir in the fruit mixture with the liquid. Pour half the cake mixture into the loaf tin, and then cover with the layer of marzipan. Top with the remaining cake mixture and smooth the top.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gently heat the jam until liquid. Dust a work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the marzipan to 0.8-centimeter thick and trim so it’s a little bigger than the tin. Use the trimmings to form 11 small balls. Brush the top of the cake with jam, and lay the marzipan rectangle on top. Crimp the edges with your fingers and dot the balls around the cake evenly, securing with more warm jam. Serve as it is, or caramelize the marzipan with a blowtorch or under a hot grill.

  • Nielsen-Massey time icon

    40 minprep

  • Nielsen-Massey time icon

    1.75 hrscook

  • Nielsen-Massey yield icon

    12-14servings

This Recipe Uses

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste