Classic Simnel Cake with Marzipan for Easter Brunch
Katherine Mitchell
Simnel Cake
A rich traditional fruitcake layered with marzipan and decorated with eleven balls for Easter.
Nutrition (per serving)
This Simnel cake is my favorite Easter tradition — a dense, buttery fruitcake studded with soaked dried fruit and almond meal, topped and layered with sweet marzipan. It’s comforting, a little indulgent, and makes the whole kitchen smell like celebration; serve it with tea or a glass of dessert wine for a special treat.
The recipe leans on a simple trick: soak the fruit overnight in rum or brandy for depth, bake gently so the cake stays moist, then add a marzipan disc in the middle and a smooth blanket on top. Don’t skip the eleven marzipan balls — they’re traditional, fun, and give the cake its unmistakable Easter look.
Ingredients
- Mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants):3 cups
- Glace/candied peel, chopped:1/2 cup
- Dark rum or brandy (for soaking the fruit):1/2 cup
- All-purpose flour:3 cups
- Ground almonds (almond meal):1 cup
- Baking powder:1 tsp
- Mixed spice (or cinnamon + nutmeg):1 tsp
- Salt:1/4 tsp
- Unsalted butter, softened:1 cup
- Light brown sugar, packed:1 cup
- Large eggs:4 pieces
- Vanilla extract:1 tsp
- Almond extract (optional):1/4 tsp
- Zest of 1 lemon:1 piece
- Milk (if needed to loosen batter):2 tbsp
- Marzipan (store-bought or homemade):10 oz
- Apricot jam (warmed, for glaze):3 tbsp
- Powdered sugar (for dusting):2 tbsp
Instructions
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The day before: combine the mixed dried fruit and chopped peel in a bowl with the rum or brandy. Cover and leave at room temperature or in the fridge to soak overnight, stirring once or twice.
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Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch round deep cake tin (2.5–3 inch deep) with parchment and grease the sides.
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Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, mixed spice and salt in a bowl; set aside.
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In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour if the mixture looks like it might curdle. Stir in vanilla, almond extract (if using), and lemon zest.
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Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until nearly combined, then gently fold in the soaked fruit and any remaining soaking liquid. If the batter seems very stiff, stir in up to 2 tbsp milk to loosen slightly.
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Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing the top. Bake for 50–60 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch and a skewer comes out almost clean (a few moist crumbs are fine).
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Meanwhile, roll about two-thirds of the marzipan into a disc slightly smaller than the cake diameter and reserve the rest for the top and balls. After the cake has baked 50–60 minutes, remove it from the oven, spoon a shallow well into the center if needed, and press the marzipan disc gently into the middle. Return the cake to the oven and bake for a further 25–30 minutes until fully set and golden.
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Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Warm the apricot jam and brush a thin layer over the top of the cooled cake.
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Roll the remaining marzipan to the same diameter as the cake top and place on the jam-glazed surface. Use the leftover marzipan to roll eleven small balls and arrange them in a ring on the top (traditionally representing the eleven apostles). Brush lightly with more warmed jam and, if desired, brown the marzipan briefly under a hot grill for 30–60 seconds to color it — watch carefully.
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Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving. Store in an airtight tin; the flavors improve if left a day and are excellent served sliced with tea.
Tips & Notes
- Soak the fruit at least overnight (or up to 48 hours) for the best depth of flavor — use brandy, rum or strong tea.
- If you prefer, make your own marzipan from almond meal, powdered sugar and a little egg white or syrup — it’s worth the effort.
- Bake gently at a moderate temperature to prevent the outside from over-browning; tent with foil if the top is getting too dark.
- Make ahead: this cake keeps well for several days and often tastes better after a day or two as the flavors marry.
