This Small Simnel Cake recipe came about when I began to update my other Traditional Easter recipes. I realised that I’d not developed a specifically vegan and gluten free Simnel Cake. Most of my recipes stand up to being tweaked to be egg free. On those occasions all you need do is follow my no fail flaxseed egg method. But a flaxseed has it’s limitations and my larger Simnel Cake recipe uses the rich fruit cake recipe I use for Christmas Cakes. There are 5, yes FIVE eggs in that cake and flax is good but to replace 5 eggs is a tall order.
So this recipe was developed with vegan and egg free in mind and whilst I was developing I also thought it would beneficial to have a less costly amount of ingredients too so instead of buying separate currants, raisins and sultanas I’ve opted to use a simple mixed fruit mix.
How to make a flax egg
to make 1 flax egg you need the following ingredients:
– 1tbsp ground flax seed
– 3tbsp water
– 1tsp psyllium husk (optional but does add elasticity to baking)
Simply add all ingredients to a glass and stir before measuring out the other recipe ingredients, by the time you come to use your ‘egg’ mixture it will have thickened to a frog-spawn consistency (thicker if you added psyllium husk)
Then just add to your baking as you would an egg. For 2 eggs double the ingredients but note that recipes that require more than two eggs may fail due to lack of support in the structure.
What is the meaning of a Simnel cake?
Simnel Cake was originally meant as a celebration of Mothering Sunday or Simnel Sunday as it is known in some parts of the world. Mothers Day in the UK moves about like Pancake Day and Easter as it is dictated by the dates of lent. Mothering Sunday is always the 4th Sunday of lent. To make a cake and celebrate mothers meant a brief breaking of the lent fasting.
The marzipan balls that decorate the top of the cake symbolise the 12 disciples. However, you only add 11, Judas lost his marzipan rights.
What does the word Simnel mean?
I knew that the word Simnel had something to do with the cake ingredients but wasn’t sure if it was to do with the marzipan layer, I was wrong! It took a while to get to the bottom of it, most dictionary definitions just referred to the links to the cake but Merriam-Webster had the best definition. So the word Simnel in fact refers to the word originating from the Latin simila which was use for the finest of white flours. This explains the connection to it being a celebrated cake with the finest of ingredients at a time when lent was being observed. In other words a bit of a indulgent treat.
What type of marzipan should I use for my Simnel Cake?
I don’t think there are folk law and rules about the type of marzipan you use. It’s probably down to preference, however, normally I use a natural coloured marzipan as it can look more elegant but on this occasion I wanted to shout from the roof tops ‘Look at my vegan and gluten free Simnel Cake’ so naturally I decided to use the almost neon yellow marzipan as a beacon to summon free from bakers from far and wide. However, I think I may have eaten too much marzipan trimmings before typing this up, as I’m a little over excited!
Can I make this gluten free and vegan Simnel Cake with eggs and milk?
Yes technically you can but I have an original Glutarama Simnel Cake that uses my Christmas Cake mix which has all the ingredients in (except gluten of course) so if you like head over there to sue that recipe instead. Gluten Free Simnel Cake a Rich Fruit Cake for Easter. If you do decide to make this recipe and add the eggs and milk, I’d love to know how you got on so please pop back and leave a comment.
How do you get the marzipan in the Simnel Cake?
- Roll out approximately 150g of marzipan to 1-2 cm thick (depending on how much you like it)
- Cut a circle about 1 inch smaller than the size of your cake tin (this will prevent seepage)
- When you’ve made the fruit cake mix according to the instructions below add 1/2 the mixture to the tin
- Place the marzipan disc onto of the mixture and top with the remaining mixture making sure no marzipan is touching the sides of the baking tin (it will burn to a toffee harder than diamonds if it does).
Make this nut free too with my nut free marzipan
The recipe below is for a gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free mini Christmas cake using my own homemade nut free marzipan.
How to Decorate your Simnel Cake
- Once cooked and completely cooled, using the unused marzipan, roll a further circle out to top the cake. Use all remaining marzipan to make the 11 marzipan balls to depict the disciples.
- Preferably using a mini kitchen blow torch gently heat the marzipan to get the beautiful toasted effect. If you have no lighter then you can pop it under the grill but you may not get an even toast.
Other homemade gluten free festive treats
Small Celebration Vegan Simnel Cake Recipe
If you make it and like the recipe I would be eternally grateful if you popped back and commented leaving a star rating as this will tell search engines that this recipe is worth checking out and others will get to find it in searches.
Small Celebration Vegan Simnel Cake
Ingredients
- 300 g dried mixed fruit
- 200 g gluten free plain flour
- 150 ml orange juice option to use brandy or another spirit.
- 2 tsp mixed spice (½ clove, ½ nutmeg, ½ cinnamon, ½ ginger)
- 1 tbsp treacle
- 100 g dark brown sugar
- 80 g butter or butter alternative (I use Flora plant butter) I use Flora blocks
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia seed (I actually use my own blend of both)
- 100 ml water
- 1 tsp psyllium husk powder (optional) optional but does help with cake structure
- 450 g marzipan white or yellow, although here I've used the bolder yellow version.
- 2 tbsp apricot jam to make your decoration stick.
Instructions
- Add the mixed fruit to a large bowl and soak in the orange juice for a couple of hours to plump them up encouraging a super moist fruit cake.TIP: if you can't wait 2hrs, then pop the soaked fruit in the microwave with a cover for 2mins, the steam will plump up the fruit quickly, then allow to cool for 10 mins before adding the mixture.
- While your fruit is soaking/cooling, prepare the cake tin. I use a small loose bottom cake tin as this cake mixture makes an 7inch/20cm round cake, ensure that you have lined the tin and greased it too, I use a handy oil spray for this. As this cake does not take as long as a rich fruit cake there is no need to over do the lining.
- Preheat oven to 150°C | 130°C fan | 300°F | Gas 2.
- Make your flaxseed eggs by adding 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed to 100ml of water then )if using) add the 1tsp of psyllium husk, whisk with a fork to combine otherwise you'll get lumps, your 'eggs' will thicken quickly to a paste, especially if you added the husk powder too. Set aside.
- In a mixer, cream the butter, sugar, treacle until paler in colour, then add the flaxseed eggs and beat thoroughly.
- Add the flour and spices, continue to beat until light and fluffy then add the fruit (including the soaking juice). If not using a electronic mixer, this is when you'll need strong arms!
- Spoon ½ the fruit cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth with the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Now take 150g of marzipan and roll out to ½ cm (5mm) thickness before cutting into a square. The square needs to be smaller than your cake tin so about 6 inches wide. This is because you don't want the marzipan to be too close to the end of the cake or else it will seep out down the size when baking and burn.
- place the marzipan square on the 1st layer of cake dough and press down firmly round the edges so it sinks into the mixture.
- Spoon the remaining mixture into the tin on top of the marzipan and smooth the top down, add a square of greaseproof to the top of the cake to prevent it from burning.
- Cook on the bottom shelf of the oven for 1 hour and check on it. If the cake has a bounce to the touch (if not add another 10mins) then remove the grease proof paper and continue to cook for another 15mins.
- Remove from oven when inserted skewer comes out clean and allow to cool slightly before lifting out of the tin and removing the baking paper.
- Allow to cool completely before decorating.
To decorate the cake
- Next, brush the cake generously with apricot jam to allow the marzipan to stick.
- Roll out the remaining marzipan to a 7 inch circle about 5mm-10mm thick. Press down gently onto the marzipan brushed cake so it sticks.
- With any offcuts, roll out 11 balls of marzipan – remember to miss out Judas, I normally eat him!
- To caramelise the tops of the cake you have two choices. firstly you could pop it under a preheated hot grill, DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THEM! Remove from heat once the edges start to 'catch' (colour).
- The second and much less stressful option is to use a chefs blow torch.
Notes
– 1tbsp ground flax seed
– 3tbsp water
– 1tsp psyllium husk (optional but does add elasticity to baking)
Nutrition
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Marianne says
Hubby would give it 10 stars I believe as he loves it and each piece he has, he proclaims how yummy it is. Looks count for nothing, taste is everything – thank you Rebecca, making treats for him is my happy place.
Glutarama says
So thrilled your hubby loved this recipe, it’s a favourite of mine too – anything with marzipan is!
Choclette says
I adore simnel cake. It’s that squidgy marzipan layer in the middle that does it for me. Sadly CT doesn’t like fruit cakes and as it’s just the two of us, I’ve not made one this year.
Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Jacqui – Only Crumbs Remain:Recipes Made Easy says
what an interesting post and I love your enthusiasm for the marzipan. The cake looks just perfect too a handy one to add to my collection of gluten free recipes. Thank you for sharing.
Glutarama says
I could eat marzipan for breakfast, lunch and dinner hahaha