Delia Smith Simnel Cake Recipe

This celebratory Delia Smith Simnel Cake Recipe features toasted almonds, zesty citrus peel, and cubes of golden marzipan folded directly into a light, spiced fruit batter. The result is a moist, toasted fruit cake with pockets of gooey almond paste throughout, finished with a caramelized, scalloped marzipan crust. It is the definitive Easter centerpiece, offering a lighter, spring-like alternative to rich Christmas cakes for the holiday tea table.

Delia Smith Simnel Cake Ingredients

The Cake Batter:

• 225g Natural Marzipan: Cut into 1cm cubes. Placing the marzipan inside the cake rather than just a layer adds moisture and flavor to every bite.
• 50g Unblanched Almonds: Roasted and chopped. Roasting brings out a depth of flavor that raw nuts lack.
• 175g Currants & 225g Sultanas: The fruit base.
• 50g Glacé Cherries: Rinsed, dried, and quartered.
• 50g Chopped Candied Peel: For texture.
• Zest: 1 orange and 1 lemon, grated for brightness.
• 175g Spreadable Butter & 175g Golden Caster Sugar: The creamed base.
• 225g Plain Flour: Plus extra for dusting marzipan.
• Leavening & Spice: 1 level tsp baking powder and 1 level tsp mixed spice.
• 3 Large Eggs & 3 tbsp Milk: To bind and loosen the mixture.

The Decoration:

• 300g Natural Marzipan: For the toasted top.
• 1 rounded dessertspoon Apricot Jam: To glue the marzipan to the cake.
• Sugared Flowers: (Optional) For a spring finish.

How To Make Delia Smith Simnel Cake

1. Roast the Almonds: Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C Fan / Gas 2). Spread the almonds on a tray and roast near the center of the oven for 8 minutes. Set a timer! Chop them once cooled.
2. Prep the Marzipan: Cut the 225g of marzipan into 1cm cubes. Toss them in 2 level tablespoons of flour (taken from the 225g measured for the cake). Crucial Step: This flour coating stops the cubes from sinking to the bottom and sticking together.
3. Mix the Batter: Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, and mixed spice into a roomy mixing bowl, holding the sieve high to aerate. Add the butter, caster sugar, and eggs. Using an electric hand whisk, beat for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Whisk in the milk.
4. Fold: Switch to a metal spoon. Gently fold in the dried fruit, roasted almonds, candied peel, and zests. Finally, fold in the flour-dusted marzipan cubes.
5. Bake: Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 20cm round loose-based tin. Level the top. Protection Tip: Place a double square of baking parchment with a 50p-sized hole in the center loosely on the rim of the tin (not touching the cake). Bake near the center of the oven for 2 hours 40 minutes, or until the center is springy and firm.
6. Cool: Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes to settle, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Decorate: Roll out the 300g of marzipan into a 22cm circle. Brush the cake top with apricot jam and apply the marzipan. Crimp the edges with your thumb and forefinger to create a scalloped effect.
8. Toast: Preheat a grill (broiler). Cover the center of the cake with a foil circle, leaving only the scalloped edges exposed. Grill 10cm from the heat for 1–2 minutes until the edges are golden brown (watch like a hawk!). Decorate with sugared flowers.

Recipe Tips

• Roasting Nuts: Do not skip roasting the almonds. The flavor profile changes completely from “raw nut” to “toasted crunch,” which compliments the sweet marzipan perfectly.
• The Parchment Lid: Delia’s technique of placing a parchment square with a hole over the tin protects the fruit surface from burning during the long, slow bake while allowing steam to escape.
• Marzipan Cubes: Many Simnel cakes have a layer of marzipan in the middle. Delia’s cubed method ensures the cake holds together better when sliced and prevents the top half from sliding off the bottom half.
• Toasting Safety: Marzipan burns in seconds because of the sugar content. If you have a cook’s blowtorch, it offers more control than an oven grill for browning the edges.

What To Serve With Simnel Cake

• Earl Grey Tea: The citrus notes in the tea mirror the orange and lemon zest in the cake.
• Sherry: A glass of dry sherry is a traditional pairing.
• Wensleydale Cheese: As with fruit cake, a slice of crumbly cheese works well on the side.
• Fresh Cream: If serving as a dessert rather than tea cake, pour over single cream.

How To Store Simnel Cake

• Airtight Tin: Store the cake in an airtight tin. It keeps beautifully for up to 3 weeks.
• Maturing: Unlike Christmas cake, Simnel cake is lighter and doesn’t need months to mature, but a few days in the tin allows the moisture from the marzipan to soften the crumb.
• Freeze: You can freeze the cake before adding the marzipan topping for up to 3 months.

Delia Smith Simnel Cake Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 62g
• Sugar: 45g
• Protein: 6g

Nutrition information is estimated per slice.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Delia Smith No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
• Delia Smith Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
• Delia Smith Lemon Curd Cake Recipe