Shimmering Simnel cake

I have never made a Simnel cake before and have only ever made one other fruit cake before.  But aprils challenge was calling and the making of marzipan spurred me on to making a Simnel cake to take to Easter Sunday lunch with both sides of the family.

For those who aren't familiar with a Simnel cake, it is a light fruit cake, with a layer of golden marzipan in the middle, and topped with a disc of the almond wonder paste, and crowned with 11 marzipan balls (to represent the 11 disciples, naughty old Judas is excluded from the party for obvious reasons!)  Traditionally you burnish the top with your handy blow torch.  I went the extra step and added gold glitter-of course- and mini chocolate eggs- well it is easter.

Making marzipan

My New Years resolution for 2011 was to do something new each month.  This month, I was rapidly approaching the end of April and hadn't met my challenge.  However, Easter Sunday presented the perfect opportunity.  I was going to make a Simnel cake, and for that, I was also going to make my own marzipan.  Now I love marzipan. Deeply.  It is delicious and I could happily eat tonnes of the golden chewy wonder food.  Those who claim not to like it are simpletons and fools.

The brilliant thing is that is really easy to make.  You just need a handy sugar thermometer and the ability to stir. Easy peasy.  Whats not so easy is the patience to wait for it to cool before sampling the almondy goodness.  You boil water with sugar, then when it has reached the soft ball stage, take it off the heat and add ground almonds, almond essence and egg white.  The results were very tasty and I will be posting soon about the marzipans destination, part 2 of Aprils challenge.