I made this delicious traycake for the market I am at in Portobello in Edinburgh on the first Saturday of every month.
Easter is so full of chocolate, which is great but I thought an Easter traycake would be a nice addition and no chocolate!
Simnel cake is a light fruitcake eaten during the pre-Easter period in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some other countries. It is distinguished by two layers of almond paste or marzipan, one in the middle and one on top. The top layer is capped by a circle of "eggs" made of the same paste, and is lightly browned under a grill. It was originally made for the fourth Sunday in Lent,[1] also known as Laetare Sunday, the Refreshment Sunday of Lent, Mothering Sunday, the Sunday of the Five Loaves,[2] or Simnel Sunday – named after the cake.[3] (when the forty-day fast would be relaxed), although in more recent times it is also eaten throughout the pre-Easter period, and even on Easter Sunday. - thanks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simnel_cake for that perfect description!
This Simnel traycake is slightly different in that it is has a lemon drizzle but there is the marzipan through the middle and a ball of it on top of it. It is from the BBC Good Food Website - which I love.
So here is the recipe!
The ingredients are-
250g Butter - softened.
250g of Golden Caster Sugar, plus 50g for the topping.
2 Large Lemons. zested and juiced.
3 Large Eggs.
200g Plain Flour.
100g Ground Almonds.
2 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder.
50ml Milk.
100g Mixed Dried Fruit.
300g Marzipan, chilled.
50g Icing Sugar.
And here is the method...
Heat oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Oil and line a 20cm by 30cm tin (or something round about that if you have not got that exact size. Line with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar with most of the lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time then add the flour, almonds and baking powder. Keep mixing until you have a smooth cake mix.
Stir in the milk and dried fruit.
Put half the cake batter in the tin then grate half the marzipan on top and gently spread over the top. Then add the other half of the cake batter on top. Level the top and bake in oven for 35-40mins - till skewer comes out clean.
Mix the rest of the caster sugar with a quarter of the lemon juice then drizzle on top of the cake when it is still warm.
Mix the icing sugar with lemon juice - enough to get a drizzly icing - 2-3 tsps. Divide the rest of the marzipan into 11 balls.Drizzle over the icing then add the balls. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
I didn't add the icing but they tasted great anyway.
Happy baking! Val.
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