Holidays: Simnel 07 by Recipe Cottage

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	Simnel 07

		Simnel Cake 225 g (8 oz) ground almonds 225 g (8 oz) caster sugar 100 g (4 oz) icing sugar 1 egg separated Juice of 0.5 lemon Few drops of yellow food colouring 175 g (6 oz) raisins 175 g (6 oz) sultanas 75 g (3 oz) cherries, chopped 75 g (3 oz) walnut pieces 120 ml (8 tbsp) stout 175 g (6 oz) butter, softened 175 g (6 oz) soft dark brown sugar 3 medium eggs 225 g (8 oz) plain flour 2.5 ml (0.5 tsp) baking powder 5 ml (1 tsp) mixed spice Make the marzipan. Mix almonds and sugars. Add egg yolk, lemon juice and food colouring. Mix to stiffish paste. Wrap marzipan in film and place in refrigerator. Place raisins, sultanas, cherries, walnuts and stout into a saucepan, heat until steaming and then stand for 60 minutes. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs. Fold in the sieved flour, baking powder and spice. Carefully stir in the soaked fruit and liquid. Grease and base line a 18 cm (7 inch) deep cake tin, place half the mixture into the tin and flatten out the mixture. Roll out one third of the marzipan into a 18 cm (7 inch) circle, and place on the top of the mixture in the tin and add remaining cake mixture. Cook until pale golden and when a skewer is inserted into the centre of the cake it comes out clean. Fan oven: 140C 2-2.25 hours Conventional oven: preheat 160C 2-2.25 hours Gas oven: preheat Mark 3 2-2.25 hours Leave cake to stand in tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire tray to cool. When cold, remove greaseproof paper and brush top of cake with apricot jam. Roll out another piece of marzipan to fit top of cake and press in position. Score top of marzipan to make diamond pattern and brush with egg white. Roll the remaining marzipan into eleven even sized balls and press around the outer edge, brush with egg white. Place under grill and toast gently until golden brown.