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Simnel Cupcakes

Simnel Cupcakes is a modern British recipe for a classic mother's day treat of simnel cakes adapted as cupcakes and topped with marzipan or edible gold balls. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Simnel Cupcakes.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

50 minutes

Total Time:

70 minutes

Additional Time:

(+cooling)

Makes:

12

Rating:

Tags : Cheese RecipesBaking RecipesCake RecipesBritish Recipes

For mothering Sunday I often make a Simnel cake or variant thereof. Indeed, the simnel cake is the traditional cake of Mothering Sunday (though it’s often prepared for Easter and even Christmas today). A true Simnel Cake has a layer of marzipan (almond paste) in its centre. It is also traditionally decorated with 11 balls (signifying Christ’s 11 loyal desciples). Sometimes there’s a larger ball in the centre for Christ himself. I have prepared full-size cakes and mini cakes before. This year, I am making simnel cupcakes for a change.

Ingredients:

450g (1lb) marzipan (almond paste)
275g (9¾oz) caster sugar
150ml (5fl oz) sunflower oil (or any neutral-flavoured cooking oil)
50g (1¾oz) honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g (2½oz) full-fat cream cheese
4 medium free-range eggs
150g (5½oz) currants
75g (2½oz) raisins
200g (7oz) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
icing sugar, for rolling
small balls of marzipan or edible gold balls, to decorate

Method:

Sit 12 paper muffin cases in the wells of a muffin tray, and preheat the oven to 180°C (350F/Gas Mark 4).

Place the marzipan on a work surface dusted with icing sugar and roll out to about 3mm (/⅛in). Using pastry cutters cut out two sets of discs, a dozen of each: one measuring about 5cm (2in) in diameter and the other about 6cm (2½in). If desired, roll the marzipan scraps into small balls for decoration (12 sets of 11). Stack the discs on a plate set aside whilst you are preparing the cake mixture.

Cream together the sugar, oil, honey, vanilla and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly to combine after each addition. Stir in the currants and raisins, then sift in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice and stir well.

Spoon about a 1-2cm (½-¾in) depth of cake mixture into each paper-lined pocket, lay one of the small marzipan disks on it and press it down gently to remove any air pockets, Now spoon in more of the batter so that you three-quarter fill the papers. Transfer to the pre-heated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer pocked in comes out almost clean (they will cook further as the cakes cool).

When the cakes are out of the oven, place one of the larger discs of marzipan on top of each cake and very gently press it down and around: the heat from the cupcake will soften the marzipan and seal it on. Then press eleven gold balls (or eleven marzipan balls) around the edge of the marzipan on each cake and leave to cool.