Fruity simnel squares
This easy twist on the classic cake will see you through several rounds of tea. Add 11 marzipan ‘Apostles’ to be traditional, or you could make 15, so each square gets one.
Ingredients
250g/9oz mixed dried fruit
100g/4oz dried apricots, chopped
85g/3oz glacé cherries, chopped
zest 2 oranges, juice 1 orange (use the second in the topping)
200g/7oz butter, softened, plus extra for the tin
200g/7oz light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
200g/7oz self-raising flour
50g/2oz ground almonds
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
500g/1lb 2oz marzipan, 200g/7oz cut into 2cm chunks, the rest is for topping
FOR THE TOPPING
50g/2oz butter
50g/2oz light muscovado sugar
100g/4oz plain flour
100g/4oz flaked almonds
3 tbsp golden syrup
85g/3oz icing sugar, sieved
2-3 tsp orange juice
Method
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Soak all the dried fruit in the orange juice for 2 hrs, or overnight.
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Butter and line a 20 x 30cm tin with baking parchment. Heat oven to 160C/ 140C fan/gas 3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time; mix well between each addition.
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Sift the flour into the bowl and mix in the ground almonds and spices. Add the marzipan chunks, zest and dried fruit with any remaining juice, and give everything a good stir to combine.
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Tip the cake mix into the prepared tin, level the surface, and bake for 45 mins – the cake may still be a little gooey in the centre at this point. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6.
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Make the topping. Rub the butter, sugar and flour together with your fingers to a crumbly breadcrumb texture. Grate in 200g reserved marzipan, add the flaked almonds and golden syrup. Mix everything with a fork, making sure it stays crumbly and doesn’t clump. Sprinkle over the cake and return to the oven for 12-15 mins. Meanwhile, divide the rest of the marzipan into 11 and roll into balls.
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Remove the cake from the oven once cooked through, arrange the marzipan balls on top and allow to cool in the tin. Mix the icing sugar with enough orange juice to give a runny icing, drizzle it all over the cake, then let it set a little before slicing it.
