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Simnel Cake ...

Using my trusty Mary Berry recipe.

Whisk up soft margarine together with soft brown sugar, eggs and self-raising flour.

Adding flame raisins, glace cherries, peel and mixed spice, left to steep for a hour or so (or overnight) in a small amount of water.

Prepare the tin.

Oh dear, lining cake tins has never been my forte!

A bit of a botch up job, but will do the trick?

Add half the mixture.

Now for a layer of marzipan, and a good tip is to not use the shop bought stuff.

Make up a batch of almond paste - it's really easy, and a good idea is to prepare earlier, wrap in clingfilm and leave to firm in the fridge.

Use a third, and then top with the remainder of the cake mixture.

Bake, and leave to cool.

The next day ...

Brush the cake with apricot jam before topping, and place eleven apostles on the top, and not ten!

Like I forgot!

Happy Easter weekend everyone!

o

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easter and sugar overload ...

Inbetween shifts at work this week, I managed to fit in making a Simnel cake. I've always wanted to make one, and for my first attempt I was a bit chuffed at how it turned out.

I took the recipe from Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book, one of the first ever books I bought when J and I set up home together in the eighties from the Lakeland Plastics catalogue. No internet ordering in those days!

I didn't really have the time to be too fussy with its appearance, ending up using a more rustic approach.

I wanted to put the eleven balls of almond paste (marzipan) on the top, each representing the eleven apostles (excluding Judas) present at The Last Supper.





I have every other Thursday off work, and must admit to feeling a bit jammy today. After the foul weather of yesterday, in complete contrast out came the sun.

Perfect for taking photos.

Talking of feeling jammy, a few week's back I was lucky enough to win one of Simone's lovely giveaway crochet jam-jar covers. They are made to fit a Bonne Maman jam-jar, but not having one mine is just slipped over a glass, perfect for these eleven tiny narcissi I picked from my garden.

Simone sent me the one in Cornishware colours!




I made my own almond paste (marzipan), and a recipe is in the book too. It's so much nicer than the shop bought stuff, very easy to make, and you can store it in the fridge wrapped in cling until you need it.

All you need to make about 1.5lb is 8oz ground almonds, 8oz caster sugar, 8oz icing sugar, two whole eggs and 6 drops of almond essence. Once mixed, knead lightly.

A layer of almond paste is placed inbetween the cake mix, and once baked gives the cake a moist pudding-like texture.

For the complete Mary Berry golden look, brush the top with egg and finish off for a few seconds under a hot grill.



I had my family over this afternoon for a cup of tea and slice of cake (Worzel Gummidge), and for those not keen on dried fruit and marzipan, there was Coffee Sponge.

Made in the style of a Mary Berry traybake, but in a round tin not rectangle, as I couldn't wait to try out the round cake tin liners I bought the other day from Julian Graves.

If you love baking, check out Simone's Friday Cake Bake. I haven't been able to join in the fun 'cos I work that day, but lots of others have.

Happy Easter weekend everyone!

o

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baking days ...

We can manage without cakes, but without cakes we cannot manage!

Today I did a spot of baking. Usually being short of time, most of the cakes I make are based on a plain sponge mix, a tried and tested method, making necessary adjustments for the flavouring, coffee essence, lemon zest, cocoa powder etc.



These Spring flower cakes use a plain sponge mix, baked in muffin cases and topped with yellow buttercream icing. So quick and easy to make for Easter.



This lovely moist lemon cake once baked, is pricked with a fork and infused with a mix of lemon juice and icing sugar. This recipe was given to me by a friend, along with a suggestion to fill it with lemon curd if desired!



Recipes

Spring flower cakes -bake in 160oC pre-heated oven until golden and springy to the touch - makes 12!

sponge
6oz caster sugar
6oz soft margarine
3 eggs
6oz self raising flour
a few drops of vanilla essence

topping
3oz soft margarine
7oz icing sugar
a few drops yellow food colouring (optional)
a few drops of water for consistency

muffin cases
sugar flowers

Lemon cake - bake in 160oC oven from cold until golden and springy to the touch - makes lots of slices!

sponge
6oz self raising flour
6oz caster sugar
4oz soft margarine
2 medium eggs
2 tablespoons milk
grated rind of one lemon

topping
juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons icing sugar

I baked these cakes at the same time, together in the oven.

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happy easter ...

It means so much at Easter time
To keep in touch with friends
To wish them happiness and cheer
And joy that never ends

This brings heartfelt greetings
Especially for you
Together with best wishes
For a happy Springtime too!

The lovely postcard above was part of my bunny bundle from Kim at Ragged Roses. I love old postcards, especially if they have been used. This one is postmarked Shoreham-by-Sea, which is the next town along the coast to me, which makes it all the more interesting, dated 8th April 1955. This is what it says on the back. I think you will think, some things never change at Eastertime, like the weather!

'An Easter Bunny for you.
Raining hard here tonight, hope it doesn't upset our gardening programme tomorrow, no paper and no football.
Can always sleep of course.
Yours Win'

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bunny folds ...

I discovered how to make this cute little bunny fold, out of a paper napkin, from a friend's blog page. You can make them in seconds by following the templates on the Martha Stewart website.