Simnel Loaf

Easter

Easter is the beginning of my New Year.  To me it symbolises the start of my passion for dance and when some of the most memorable things happened in my life.  I wanted to bake a variation of the simnel cake to cheer myself up and remember that life goes on. I altered the cake by putting some marzipan inside.  I never thought you  could put marzipan inside a dessert, it melted  and though I used less sugar this time it was completely indulgent and scrumptious. 

This recipe was adapted from 'Asda Magazine' (Publicis Blueprint Ltd, April 2012). 

Ingredients:

140g butter, 50g brown sugar, 60g glace cherries, 3 medium eggs (beaten), 170g self - raising flour, 1 tsp mixed spice, 150g sultanas, 150g currants, marzipan, jam for marzipan balls.

Method:

1. Grease a loaf tin, and sprinkle some flour over it.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
3. Add the eggs and mix well.
4. Add the dried fruit and spice and mix.
5. Put half the mixture in the cake tin. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C/ Gas 2.
6. Roll out some marzipan and put on top of the mixture.
7. Then cover with the rest of the cake mix.
8. Bake for 2 hours, but check after 1 hour 30 minutes. (Take out of the loaf tin before separating.)
9. Roll marzipan into 11 balls or 12 if you want to include Judas... (the story still cracks me up!)
10. Dip the marzipan balls into the jam and stick on the cake when it has cooled down a little.

Eat it warm :)