Easter Simnel Cake Mary Berry

Ingredients

This delicious Easter Simnel Cake recipe by Mary Berry will make a great addition to your Easter celebrations. To make the cake, you will need: 225 grams (8 ounces) of softened butter, 225 grams (8 ounces) of caster sugar, 4 large eggs, 225 grams (8 ounces) of self-raising flour, grated zest of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of milk, and 11 balls of marzipan or almond paste. You will also need some apricot jam for glazing the cake.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm/8inch round cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg. Fold in the rest of the flour, lemon zest and milk. Divide the mixture between two tins, spreading it out evenly. Place one ball of marzipan or almond paste in the centre of each cake tin. Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread the apricot jam over the top of each cake. Roll out the remaining marzipan or almond paste and cut out a 20 cm/8 inch circle. Place this on top of the cake and press down the edges lightly. Place the cakes under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes or until golden, or alternatively use a kitchen blowtorch to lightly brown the marzipan. Decorate as desired.

Nutrition

One serving of Easter Simnel Cake Mary Berry contains approximately 490 calories. It is also a good source of carbohydrates and protein. The cake contains 22.5 grams of fat, of which 10.8 grams are saturated fat. It also contains 44.9 grams of carbohydrates, of which 38.7 grams are sugars. The cake also contains 4.7 grams of protein and 0.7 grams of dietary fibre.

Tips

For a lighter version of the cake, you can use reduced-fat butter, reduced-fat marzipan or almond paste, and low-fat milk. You can also add a teaspoon of mixed spice to the cake mixture for a spicy twist. If you want to make the cake gluten-free, you can substitute the self-raising flour for gluten-free self-raising flour.

Serving Suggestion

Easter Simnel Cake Mary Berry can be served as a dessert or as a tea-time treat. The cake is best served warm with a dollop of clotted cream or a scoop of ice cream. It can also be enjoyed cold with a cup of tea or coffee.