Book of Days Tales

Today is the 4^th Sunday in Lent and goes by multiple names. It is officially called Laetare Sunday in the Anglican church because the collect of the day starts with “Laetare” in Latin. It is also called Refreshment Sunday and Mid-Lent Sunday (because it is halfway through Lent). The clergy and church officiants wear rose pink vestments on this day only. In England it is called Mothering Sunday because at one time, especially in the 19^th century” people were expected to visit their mother church on that day – the church where they were baptized – and household servants were typically given the day off to do so.  Because people’s mother church was normally in the village where their parents lived, the day became an opportunity to visit them. In the early 20^th century, Constance Penswick Smith, following the lead of Anna Jarvis in the United States who agitated for a special day to honor mothers (in May), convinced the powers that be in England to convert Mothering Sunday into Mother’s Day – and, it was so.

Simnel cake is associated with Easter, but some poets have made the suggestion that faithful sons would ask their bakers to make a simnel cake for them to take to their mothers on Mothering Sunday. It’s a typical English fruitcake, with a simple marzipan topping.

Ingredients

170 gm sultanas 
170 gm raisins 
170 gm currants 
85 gm mixed peel 
85 gm glacé cherries 
zest of 1 orange 
3 tbsp rum, brandy or whisky (or orange juice)
170 gm unsalted butter, room temperature
100 gm light brown sugar 
75 gm golden syrup
4 large eggs 
170 gm plain flour 
85 gm ground almonds 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp mixed spice 
½ tsp fine sea salt
450 gm marzipan 
apricot jam, for decoration

Instructions

The day before baking the cake prepare the dried fruit mixture. Add the sultanas, raisins, currants, mixed peel and glaze cherries into a large bowl and pour over the alcohol. Zest the orange and add to the fruit. Stir everything together, cover and set aside until ready to bake. 

Preheat the oven to 150C (130C Fan). Lightly grease a deep 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin and line the base and sides with a double layer of parchment paper. 

In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugar and golden syrup, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined before adding another. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, almonds, spices and salt. Add this flour mixture to the bowl with the butter mixture and mix together until a smooth cake batter is formed. Add the soaked fruit mixture and mix briefly until evenly distributed. Set the cake batter aside for the moment. 

Take a third of the marzipan and roll out, on a work surface dusted lightly with icing sugar, into an 18cm circle. Scrape half of the cake batter into the prepared tin and spread into an even layer. Gently place the marzipan on top of cake batter, setting it in the middle of the tin so that there is a thin layer of batter showing all around the marzipan. Scrape the remaining cake batter into the tin and spread into an even layer. 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 100-120 minutes and if the cake is browning too quickly carefully tent with foil to prevent it browning further. Once baked remove and set aside for at least 6 hours to cool fully.

To decorate the cake add a couple tbsp of the jam into a small saucepan with a splash of water and bring to a simmer. Brush the top of the cake with the jam. Using another third of the marzipan roll out as before into a 20cm circle and place on top of the cake. For a decorative flourish, crimp the edges the marzipan like you are making a pie. Take the final third of the marzipan and divide into 11 equal sized pieces, rolling into balls. Brush the base of each ball with a little jam and use this to glue the balls around the edge of the cake. 

You can serve the cake as is but sometimes a little blowtorch action is called for. Light the blowtorch and lightly burnish the marzipan.

Kept in a sealed container and wrapped well this cake will keep for a couple weeks.