Mary Berry Simnel Cake Recipe

This classic Simnel cake is a rich, lightly spiced fruit cake with a hidden layer of marzipan baked right through the middle, then finished with a marzipan topping and the traditional eleven balls. The crumb is close and moist (in the best way), packed with fruit, and balanced by that sweet almond bite. It is very doable for a confident beginner as long as you take your time with lining the tin and slow baking. Total time is about 3 hours 30 minutes, including cooling and decorating.

Ingredients

For the fruit cake

• 225g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing)
• 225g light muscovado sugar (or soft light brown sugar)
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 225g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 50g ground almonds
• 700g mixed dried fruit
• 100g glacé cherries, rinsed, dried, and quartered
• 50g mixed peel (candied peel)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp milk

For the marzipan layers and finish

• 500g marzipan
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional, to loosen the jam)

To prepare the tin

• Baking parchment (base and sides)

How to Make Simnel Cake

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Place a shelf in the middle of the oven so the cake bakes evenly without catching on the base.
• Line the tin properly: Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin. Line the base and sides with baking parchment, making the parchment come a little higher than the tin. This long-bake cake benefits from good lining, so do not skimp here.
• Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until well combined and slightly lighter in colour. It does not need to be whipped to a cloud, just properly mixed.
• Add the eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture starts to look split, add a spoonful of the flour and keep going.
• Fold in the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and ground almonds. Fold gently until you no longer see streaks of flour.
• Stir in fruit and flavour: Add the dried fruit, cherries, mixed peel, and lemon zest. Pour in the milk and mix until everything is evenly distributed. The batter will be thick.
• Add the marzipan middle: Halve the marzipan. Roll one half into a circle about 20cm wide (use the tin base as a guide). Spoon half the cake mixture into the tin and level it. Lay the marzipan disc on top, then spoon the remaining cake mixture over it and level again.
• Bake low and slow: Bake for 2 to 2¼ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the cake (not into the marzipan layer) comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the final 45 to 60 minutes.
• Cool completely: Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool fully on a wire rack. Wait until it is completely cold before decorating, otherwise the marzipan will soften and slide.
• Top with marzipan: Warm the apricot jam (add a little lemon juice if it is very thick) and brush it over the top of the cooled cake. Roll the remaining marzipan into a 20cm circle and place it on top. Neaten the edge with your fingers or crimp lightly.
• Add the traditional balls and toast: Roll 11 small balls from a little extra marzipan (pinch from the topping if needed) and place them around the edge. Mark the top lightly with a knife in a diamond pattern. Toast briefly under a hot grill for 30 to 90 seconds, watching constantly, or use a blowtorch for better control.

Tips

Why did my cake crack on top?

A little cracking is normal with fruit cake. If it is excessive, the oven may be running hot or the tin may be too close to the top of the oven. Bake on the middle shelf and consider checking your oven temperature with an inexpensive oven thermometer.

How do I stop the cake edges from getting dark and dry?

Line the tin so the parchment sits higher than the sides, and keep the temperature steady. If the top colours too quickly, loosely tent with foil. Slow baking is what keeps this cake moist.

How do I keep the dried fruit from sinking?

Use a thick batter (this one is) and make sure the cherries are rinsed, dried, and cut smaller. Overmixing can loosen the batter, so fold just until combined once the flour is in.

How do I toast marzipan without burning it?

Grills are fierce, so set the cake a safe distance from the heat and do not walk away. A blowtorch is the easiest way to get an even golden finish. If you use the grill, rotate the cake as needed and pull it the moment it colours.

Serving Suggestions

• Slice and serve with a pot of strong tea or coffee
• Add a spoonful of lightly whipped cream for dessert
• Serve with fresh berries to cut through the sweetness
• Toast a slice lightly and enjoy warm (excellent the next day)

Storage

Room temperature

Store in an airtight tin in a cool place for up to 5 days. If your kitchen runs warm, keep it away from direct sunlight and the hob.

Refrigerator

I do not recommend refrigerating unless your home is very warm. The fridge can dry fruit cake and firm up the marzipan. If you must, wrap well and bring slices to room temperature before serving.

Freezing

Freeze the undecorated cake (or the decorated cake if needed) tightly wrapped in a double layer of cling film plus foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature while still wrapped to prevent condensation. If freezing before topping, decorate after thawing for the best finish.

Nutrition

• Calories: 485 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 72g
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated fat: 8g
• Sodium: 180mg

Disclaimer: Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on ingredients and portion size.

FAQs

Simnel Cake (Mary Berry Style)

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium

Servings

12

slices

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours 

15

minutes

Total time

210

minutes

Calories

485

kcal

2

hours 

45

minutes

A traditional British Easter fruit cake with a baked-in marzipan layer, topped with marzipan and toasted almond balls. Moist, warmly spiced, and perfect for slicing with tea.

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter, softened

• 225g light muscovado sugar (or soft light brown sugar)

• 4 large eggs

• 225g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp mixed spice

• 50g ground almonds

• 700g mixed dried fruit

• 100g glacé cherries, quartered

• 50g mixed peel (candied peel)

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp milk

• 500g marzipan

• 2 tbsp apricot jam

• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional, for loosening jam)

• Butter, for greasing the tin

• Baking parchment

Directions

• Heat oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Grease and line a deep 20cm round tin.
• Cream butter and sugar until lighter. Beat in eggs gradually.
• Fold in flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and ground almonds. Stir in dried fruit, cherries, peel, zest, and milk.
• Spoon half into the tin. Roll a marzipan disc and place on top. Add remaining batter and level.
• Bake 2–2¼ hours until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely.
• Warm jam and brush over the cake. Roll remaining marzipan and cover the top. Add 11 marzipan balls.
• Toast briefly under a hot grill (watch closely) or with a blowtorch.

Notes

• Line the base and sides well to prevent over-browning during the long bake.
• If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the final hour.
• For neat slices, let the cake rest overnight before cutting.