EASTER SIMNEL CAKE

This is one of my favourite cakes ...but then I am one of the world's largest fans of marzipan!

This is my interpretation of the traditional recipe and the initial, rather unorthodox way of cooking the ingredients in a saucepan first allows all the delicious dried fruit a chance absorb the juice from the orange and lemon (and the rum!) before they are baked and helps to make the cake lovely and moist.

In my opinion, the best way to enjoy this cake is on Easter Sunday with a glass of champagne in your hand - a truly fitting cake for this day of celebration.

Ingredients...

8oz dried sour cherries 8oz sultanas 6oz currants 6oz light soft brown sugar 6oz butter Zest and juice of 1 lemon Zest and juice of 1 orange 1tsp cinnamon 25ml brandy (or rum) 1tsp honey 3 eggs 7oz plain flour 3oz ground almonds 1tsp baking powder 1lb marzipan

Method...

Put the cherries, sultanas, currants, sugar, butter, zest and juice of a lemon and orange, cinnamon, brandy/rum and honey into a large saucepan and place over a low heat. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted and cook gently for 10 minutes. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Whilst your mixture is cooling, preheat the oven to gas 4/160 degrees (140 fan). Line a 8inch diameter, deep, round tin with 2 layers of baking parchment, leaving a couple of inches parchment poking up round the top of the tin to help avoid scorching the top of the cake. You can also add a layer of brown paper around the outside of the tin if you wish.

Divide the marzipan into 2 and roll out one portion and cut a circle slightly smaller than the diameter of the tin.

After 30 minutes, add to the mixture the eggs, flour, ground almonds and baking powder and mix. Place half of the mixture into the tin and smooth out. Place the circle of marzipan into the tin and then pour the rest of the mixture on top and smooth out.

Place into the oven and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours until springy to the touch. Check after 1 hour and 15 minutes and, if needed, place an extra piece of parchment over the top (to stop the top of the cake being burnt). Once the cake if cooked, remove from the oven and leave the cake in the tin to cool completely.

Once cool, turn the cake out of the tin. Roll out the remaining marzipan and cut a circle to the diameter of the top of the cake. Use jam to help stick the marzipan to the cake. Apricot is traditionally used but cherry jam works equally well here. Traditionally the cake is finished with 11 balls of marzipan around the perimeter of the cake, one for each of Jesus' disciples (except Judas).