Easter Simnel Cake

Ingredients

• 300g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g golden caster sugar
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 300g self-raising flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 150g dried mixed fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants)
• 100g glacé cherries, halved
• 60g candied peel, finely chopped
• 80ml whole milk
• 1 tablespoon apricot jam
• 400g white marzipan
• 100g royal icing sugar
• 15ml egg white
• 12–14 sugar balls (Lyle & Scott or similar quality)

Method

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 160°C; grease and line a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment.
2. 2
   Cream butter and caster sugar in a stand mixer 4–5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
3. 3
   Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition; fold through self-raising flour and ground almonds alternately with milk.
4. 4
   Fold dried fruit, glacé cherries, and candied peel into batter.
5. 5
   Spoon batter into prepared tin; smooth the top and create a small well in the centre.
6. 6
   Bake 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours until a skewer inserted into the deepest part comes out clean; cool in tin 15 minutes.
7. 7
   Turn out onto a wire rack; cool completely.
8. 8
   Brush top of cake with apricot jam; roll marzipan to 5mm thickness and cover the top, pressing gently to seal; trim excess.
9. 9
   Whisk egg white with royal icing sugar until stiff peaks form; pipe rosettes around the edge of the cake and top with sugar balls.
10. 10
    Allow royal icing to set 2 hours before serving.