beaglebrown
Simnell cake
Rachel Allen - Bake
110g/4 oz cherries, stoned and cut into 2 or 4 (I cheated and used glace...)
350g/12 oz sultanas
350g/12 oz currants
350g/12 oz raisins
110g/4 oz candied peel
50g/2 oz nibbed (chopped) almonds
50g/2 oz ground almonds
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
60ml/2 floz Irish whiskey
For the almond paste :
680g/1 1/2lb caster sugar
680g/1 1/2lb ground almonds
2 egg yolks beaten
50ml/1 3/4 floz Irish whiskey
A few drops of almond essence
Icing sugar for dusting
For the cake :
225g/8 oz butter, softened
225g/8 oz soft light brown sugar
6 eggs, beaten
275g/10 oz plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 large or 2 small cooking apples, grated as far as the core
1 egg, for glazing
1. Line the base and sides of the cake tin (23cm diameter, 8cm deep) with greaseproof paper and wrap a collar of brown paper around the outside, which will help prevent the cake from drying out.
2. Add the cherries to a large bowl and mix in the dried fruit, chopped almonds, ground almonds, and grated lemon and orange zest. Add about half the whiskey and leave to 1 hour to macerate.
3. To make the almond paste, place the caster sugar in another bowl and mix with the almonds. In a separate bowl, mix the beaten egg yolks, whiskey and almond essence, then add to the sugar and almonds and mix to a stiff paste, adding more egg if necessary. Sprinkle the work surface with icing sugar, turn out the almond paste and gently knead until smooth.
4. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
5. To make the cake, cream the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add the sugar and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Gradually pour in the beaten eggs, beating well between each addition so that the mixture doesn't curdle. Sift the flour with the mixed spice and stir in gently. Add the grated apple to the dried fruit and stir gently but thoroughly into the mixture, being careful not to beat the mixture again or the cake will be heavy.
6. Pour half of the cake mixture into the prepared tin. Roll about one-third of the almond paste into a 22cm round. Place this on top of the cake mixture in the tin and cover with the remaining mixture. Make a slight hollow in the centre, dip one hand in a bowl of water and pat it over the surface of the cake to ensure that the top is smoothe when cooked. Cover the top with a single sheet of brown paper cut to size.
7. Cook for 1 hour in the oven. Reduce the heat to 170C/325F.gas 3 and bake for another 2-2 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Pour the rest of the whiskey over the cake and leave to cool in the tin.
8. The following day, carefully remove the cake from the tin. Do not remove the lining paper but wrap in some extra greaseproof paper and foil until required.
9. When you wish to ice the cake, roll some of the remaining almond paste into a 23cm round approx 1cm thick. Roll 11 little balls,e ach the size of a walnut in its shell, and set aside. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7.
10. Separate the egg into 2 bowls. Mix 1 tsp water with the yolk and lightly beat the egg white.
11. Brush the cae all over with the egg white and top with the round of almond paste. Then roll the remaining paste to cover the sides as neatly and as evenly as possible. Press down the top and sides with your hands to bind them together and neaten with a sharp knife. Lightly score the top of the cake into 4 cm squares or diamonds. Brush with the egg yolk, stick the Apostles around the outer edge of the top and carefully brush with more beaten egg yolk.
12. Place on a lower shelf of the oven and toast for 15-20 mins or until slightly golden, taking care as it can burn if it is too close to the top of the oven. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Right - the cake was delicious. Absolutely great and reminded me of my heavy duty Christmas cake receipe! Even though I forgot one of the eggs, it was still lovely.
On the other hand, I had a real problem with the almond paste. There just did not seem to be enough liquid, or perhaps I was too cautious about adding egg - I am currently pregnant and raw egg in the almond paste is a bit dodgy. Apparently there's another recipe for marzipan in the same book which just uses an egg white who I'll be trying that next time! But with this - the paste was just about all right to get into the middle of the cake and was fine there, but when I came to ice and decorate the outside the following day, my paste had just gone really dry and tasted awful. I suspect I over-worked it the previous day trying to get it to a manageable state...but the result was that I only managed to get some Apostles out of the mix and sadly even they mostly ended up in the bin! Next time marzipan, you will be mine!
Simnell cake
Rachel Allen - Bake
110g/4 oz cherries, stoned and cut into 2 or 4 (I cheated and used glace...)
350g/12 oz sultanas
350g/12 oz currants
350g/12 oz raisins
110g/4 oz candied peel
50g/2 oz nibbed (chopped) almonds
50g/2 oz ground almonds
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
60ml/2 floz Irish whiskey
For the almond paste :
680g/1 1/2lb caster sugar
680g/1 1/2lb ground almonds
2 egg yolks beaten
50ml/1 3/4 floz Irish whiskey
A few drops of almond essence
Icing sugar for dusting
For the cake :
225g/8 oz butter, softened
225g/8 oz soft light brown sugar
6 eggs, beaten
275g/10 oz plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 large or 2 small cooking apples, grated as far as the core
1 egg, for glazing
1. Line the base and sides of the cake tin (23cm diameter, 8cm deep) with greaseproof paper and wrap a collar of brown paper around the outside, which will help prevent the cake from drying out.
2. Add the cherries to a large bowl and mix in the dried fruit, chopped almonds, ground almonds, and grated lemon and orange zest. Add about half the whiskey and leave to 1 hour to macerate.
3. To make the almond paste, place the caster sugar in another bowl and mix with the almonds. In a separate bowl, mix the beaten egg yolks, whiskey and almond essence, then add to the sugar and almonds and mix to a stiff paste, adding more egg if necessary. Sprinkle the work surface with icing sugar, turn out the almond paste and gently knead until smooth.
4. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
5. To make the cake, cream the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add the sugar and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Gradually pour in the beaten eggs, beating well between each addition so that the mixture doesn't curdle. Sift the flour with the mixed spice and stir in gently. Add the grated apple to the dried fruit and stir gently but thoroughly into the mixture, being careful not to beat the mixture again or the cake will be heavy.
6. Pour half of the cake mixture into the prepared tin. Roll about one-third of the almond paste into a 22cm round. Place this on top of the cake mixture in the tin and cover with the remaining mixture. Make a slight hollow in the centre, dip one hand in a bowl of water and pat it over the surface of the cake to ensure that the top is smoothe when cooked. Cover the top with a single sheet of brown paper cut to size.
7. Cook for 1 hour in the oven. Reduce the heat to 170C/325F.gas 3 and bake for another 2-2 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Pour the rest of the whiskey over the cake and leave to cool in the tin.
8. The following day, carefully remove the cake from the tin. Do not remove the lining paper but wrap in some extra greaseproof paper and foil until required.
9. When you wish to ice the cake, roll some of the remaining almond paste into a 23cm round approx 1cm thick. Roll 11 little balls,e ach the size of a walnut in its shell, and set aside. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7.
10. Separate the egg into 2 bowls. Mix 1 tsp water with the yolk and lightly beat the egg white.
11. Brush the cae all over with the egg white and top with the round of almond paste. Then roll the remaining paste to cover the sides as neatly and as evenly as possible. Press down the top and sides with your hands to bind them together and neaten with a sharp knife. Lightly score the top of the cake into 4 cm squares or diamonds. Brush with the egg yolk, stick the Apostles around the outer edge of the top and carefully brush with more beaten egg yolk.
12. Place on a lower shelf of the oven and toast for 15-20 mins or until slightly golden, taking care as it can burn if it is too close to the top of the oven. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Right - the cake was delicious. Absolutely great and reminded me of my heavy duty Christmas cake receipe! Even though I forgot one of the eggs, it was still lovely.
On the other hand, I had a real problem with the almond paste. There just did not seem to be enough liquid, or perhaps I was too cautious about adding egg - I am currently pregnant and raw egg in the almond paste is a bit dodgy. Apparently there's another recipe for marzipan in the same book which just uses an egg white who I'll be trying that next time! But with this - the paste was just about all right to get into the middle of the cake and was fine there, but when I came to ice and decorate the outside the following day, my paste had just gone really dry and tasted awful. I suspect I over-worked it the previous day trying to get it to a manageable state...but the result was that I only managed to get some Apostles out of the mix and sadly even they mostly ended up in the bin! Next time marzipan, you will be mine!