The Simnel Cake is traditionally eaten on Easter Day. The Simnel cake dates back many hundreds of years. It's mentioned in a verse from the 17th century:
I'll to thee a Simnell bring
'Gainst thou go'st a mothering,
So that, when she blesseth thee,
Half that blessing thou'lt give to me
'Gainst thou go'st a mothering,
So that, when she blesseth thee,
Half that blessing thou'lt give to me
From the days of the 17th century female servants would bake this rich spicy fruit Easter cake to take home to their mother's on Mothering Sunday or Simnel Sunday, the fourth Sunday during the Lent period. The Christian fasting and repenting period of Lent ends on Easter Sunday and a Simnel cake helps to mark the end of the forty days of Lent, gives people a tasty treat and marks the celebration of Easter time.
The girls in service were allowed to bake this cake with expensive imported ingredients, spices, nuts and dried fruits, which would never appear on a “commoners” table. This was to make up for the fact that they would not be allowed home at Easter as the Lord and Lady would need their services for the Easter celebrations in the big house The word Simnel comes from the Latin word Simila which means fine wheaten flour. The cake was traditionally made from this fine wheaten flour, once again more expensive than the home stoneground flour used in general.
There is no single recipe for Simnel cake and each region of England had its own version which - of course - it considered to be the finest. The Lancashire recipe had a reputation for being especially rich.
Symbolism and decoration
Simnel cake is not only delicious but is a symbolic Easter cake and is decorated to signify aspects of Christianity. For example 11 marzipan balls or figures are places around the circular marzipan coated cake to mean the 11 disciples. Though there were 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot betrayed him and hung himself with remorse and is omitted from the Simnel cake. Some Simnel Easter cakes will have a larger figure or ball in the centre of the cake to signify Jesus or eggs, chickens and a nest to represent new life
There is a Jewish festival at about this time of year called Pascha which is the Hebrew word for Passover. After the death of Jesus Christ Christians adopted this festival and called it Easter after the name of the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility and springtime which was Eostre.
Lambert Simnel
Another myth as to the origins of the Simnel Cake is that Lambert Simnel who was a false claimant in 1487 to the Throne of England when King Henry VII ruled. Lambert Simnel was only 10 years old and the King knew he was being used by others as a pretender so pardoned him and employed him as a spit-turner in the Royal kitchens. The legend of the Simnel Cake has it that this is when Lambert Simnel devised the recipe for Simnel cake. This seems to be an urban myth and Simnel then went on to become a royal falconer and died in 1534.
Another myth as to the origins of the Simnel Cake is that Lambert Simnel who was a false claimant in 1487 to the Throne of England when King Henry VII ruled. Lambert Simnel was only 10 years old and the King knew he was being used by others as a pretender so pardoned him and employed him as a spit-turner in the Royal kitchens. The legend of the Simnel Cake has it that this is when Lambert Simnel devised the recipe for Simnel cake. This seems to be an urban myth and Simnel then went on to become a royal falconer and died in 1534.
Simnel Cake Recipe
You will need a dark rich fruit cake recipe for this cake. I vary mine but often use the Edmonds cook book one. The one below is probably what I used for these cakes.
1. Soak overnight 360 gms of currants, raisins and sultanas mixed with 100 gms chopped glace cherries, 60gm candied peel and 100gms chopped dates or prunes in juice and grated rind of 1 orange, and / or small glass of rum or brandy
2. . Flatten a circle of marzipan to a cm smaller than edge of the cake tin (Do not use almond icing. It is made of almond-flavoured sugar mixtures, and will melt and disappear during cooking, spoiling the texture of your cake.)
3 In a large bowl, sift together 150g of plain flour with a pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1 teasp each of cinnamon , mixed spice and cocoa
4. Cream together. 125g of butter or margarine and 125g of soft brown sugar and 2 teaspoons molasses. Until light and fluffy
5. Add 4 beaten eggs a little at a time with ½ teaspoon vanilla essence and ½ teasp almond essence
6. Put all together in large bowl and mix well.
7. Spread half into a lined tin, press marzipan circle on top, spread remaining mix on top. Bake in a slow oven 110’C for several hours until cooked (Cleanish skewer, stops talking to you, leaving sides of pan.)
8. Very important ....Allow to cool in tin
8. Very important ....Allow to cool in tin
Decoration1. Place cake on heatproof base
2. Spread top with apricot jam.
3. Place round of marzipan on top, slightly larger than cake.
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6. Toast top of cake under grill.
WATCH IT....It does nothing for ages and then browns and burns very quickly.
7. When it is a LIGHT golden brown add the eggs to the top, around the edge. Keeping one. Brown under the grill again. If necessary, cover centre of cake with a circle of paper to prevent it from burning.
8. If wished, cut out centre with a cookie cutter, fill with icing and decorate with eggs and chickens.
9. And the last egg? Is for you for being so clever!
Marzipan 1 cup sifted icing sugar, 1 cup ground almonds. Mix to a pliable paste with warm liquid glucose and a teaspoon of glycerine to a smooth pliable paste. I buy mine!!!
Marzipan 1 cup sifted icing sugar, 1 cup ground almonds. Mix to a pliable paste with warm liquid glucose and a teaspoon of glycerine to a smooth pliable paste. I buy mine!!!
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