When it comes to tradition, I have quite a few, but Easter to me is strictly chocolate related.
I do love fruitcake though and I love homemade marzipan even more...so I thought it was time.
Simnel cake is a light fruitcake formerly eaten during the pre-Easter period in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some other countries but has become a traditional cake for Easter Sunday. It is distinguished by two layers of almond paste or marzipan, one in the middle and one on top.
Simnel cakes have been known since at least medieval times. Today they are generally served from the fourth Sunday of Lent onwards...if you are up on all that! They are also served on Mother's Day...the marzipan balls, (either 11 or 12) represent either the 12 apostles minus Judas, plus Jesus if you go with 12.
We ended up with 20 cupcakes, but you can always serve eleven cupcakes on whatever day you choose to be in keeping with tradition. (This is sort of convenient as it means there are least 9 cupcakes floating around without a purpose! You're welcome!)
Whenever you decide to serve them, Hoppy Easter, Happy end of Lent or Happy Mother's Day.
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Need
- 170 Grams butter room temperature BUY
- 120 Grams raw caster sugar BUY
- 1 lemons zest only
- 3 large eggs (70 gm each)
- 220 Grams bakers or strong flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
- 25 Grams almonds slivers
- 30 Grams milk
- 100 Grams chopped glace cherries
- 500 Grams mixed dried fruit
- 1 Batch Marzipan with 1 teaspoon of turmeric added, for colour Recipe
- cornflour or cornstarch for rolling the marzipan
- 1-2 Tablespoons jam of choice (we used raspberry)
- 1 egg whites
Do
- 1
Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 20 cupcake tins with paper cases or silicone cases.
- 2
Place butter, sugar and lemon zest into the Thermomix bowl and combine 10 sec/speed 7. Insert Butterfly and whip 1 min/Butterfly/speed 3. Add eggs 1 at a time 30 sec/Butterfly/speed 3.
- 3
Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, almonds and milk. Mix 20 sec/Butterfly/speed 3. Remove Butterfly. Combine fully with spatula.
- 4
Add glace cherries and mixed dried fruit. Combine with spatula.
- 5
Meanwhile, make 1 batch of marzipan dough, with 1 teaspoon of turmeric added. Roll the marzipan into 2 tubular shapes and wrap until ready to use.
- 6
Slice one roll into 20 pieces and flatten each with your hands to fit the middle of the cupcake.
- 7
Spoon fruit cake mixture into each tin, 1/3 of the way up the tin. Top the mixture with a circle of marzipan. Then spoon remaining mixture on top.
- 8
Bake for 45 minutes or until browning and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- 9
Sprinkle corn flour onto a silpat mat, and roll out remaining marzipan. Cut out circles, the same size as the cupcakes. Using remaining dough to make small marzipan balls.
- 10
Spread a small amount of jam on top of each cupcake. Place marzipan circles on top of the jam and press down. Brush each cake with egg wash and then decorate with a marzipan ball.
- 11
Optionally but to be quite traditional, use a blow-torch so that the marzipan scorches slightly. Keep covered until you serve.
