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Easter is a perfect time for indulgence and celebration, and what better way to treat your loved ones than with a British classic Simnel Cake? Make the layered traditional fruitcake with this step-by-step recipe.
I am ALL about the simple chocolatey sweet treats at Easter time, baking for the love of it as well as gifts to share (a quick batch of Mini Egg Cookies or Easter Rocky Road is always a must.)
However, I do like to put a little time aside to make a traditional Simnel Cake too.
It’s not a difficult recipe but it is a lengthy fruit soak and bake, so I always make sure I put time aside for this one – the extra time and ingredients are honestly so worth it!
It has links to Easter, Mother’s Day and feels like a small celebration of spring arriving to me (if you link everything back to food, like I do!)
With all the fruit and spice of a Christmas cake (I have actually adapted this recipe from my Christmas recipe book), but a little lighter and with a delicious marzipan layer, in keeping with the traditional British version.
I soak the fruit overnight in apple juice to get a lovely moist consistency, mix all the ingredients and bake it low and slow. I have tried making my own marzipan for this cake before, but decided it was just as good (and far easier) to buy ready-made marzipan instead.
Why you’ll love this Simnel Cake recipe
⭐️ Fruity, deep flavour
⭐️ A celebration of the season
⭐️ So easy to make!
What is Simnel Cake?
This British delicacy is said to date back centuries, made for mothers on Mother’s Day, which fell on the fourth Sunday during lent, known as Simnel Sunday.
It is a packed spicy fruit cake, but light and moist with layers of gooey marzipan.
It also has links to Easter and is traditionally decorated with 11 balls of marzipan, representing the loyal apostles (with one missing for Judas).
These days it’s also made with spring-like colours, but I like to keep mine decorated with the classic theme.
Simnel Cake Ingredients
- Dried mixed fruit – In the UK, this is typically a mixture of sultanas, currants, raisins and candied citrus peel.
- Apple juice and lemon juice and zest – This is to soak the fruit in overnight.
- Eggs – You will need 3 eggs for the cake mixture, plus 1 more (beaten) for the topping. I use medium free range in my baking recipes.
- Plain flour – Also known as all purpose flour.
- Baking powder – A teaspoon of this will help keep the cake light.
- Butter – I use unsalted, at room temperature.
- Spices – Ground cinnamon and ground ginger.
- Sugar – Use light brown soft sugar for this.
- Marzipan – You’ll need 500g of ready-to-roll or ready-rolled marzipan.
- Apricot jam – You’ll need about 3 tablespoons for topping.
How to make Simnel Cake
1. Mix the dried mixed fruit, apple juice and lemon juice and zest, and leave to soak overnight or use the microwave method (see the tip below).
2. Line the base and sides of a cake tin with baking paper, then line the outside too, as per the full recipe below.
3. Mix the soaked fruit and liquid, eggs, flour, baking powder, butter, cinnamon, ground ginger and sugar. Beat well until the mixture is combined and there are no pockets of flour remaining.
4. Cut the marzipan into 3 equally sized pieces, roll one out to an 18cm circle, the same size as your tin. Pour half of the cake mixture into the tin and place the marzipan circle on top.
5. Add the remaining half of the cake mix to the tin, smooth the top so it is level and bake in a preheated oven, as per the recipe below.
6. Remove the cake from the tin and leave to cool, then roll one of the reserved thirds of marzipan out to a 18cm circle. Brush the apricot jam over the top of the cake.
7. Place the marzipan on top of the cake and pinch in the edges.
8. Cut the last third of marzipan into 11 even pieces and roll them into balls. Brush the marzipan with the beaten egg and stick them evenly around the outside edge. Brush them with egg too.
TO FINISH: Heat the grill to high and place the cake underneath for a few minutes until the marzipan starts to caramelise. Leave to cool and serve.
Storing
This will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.
To freeze If you want to make this ahead of time, bake it and freeze when cooled and well wrapped, without the topping.
My top Tips
Soaking the fruit
I always like to plan ahead and leave the dried fruit to soak overnight in the apple and lemon juice, but if you forget this part of the recipe, you can salvage it by covering the fruit with cling film and, in a suitable bowl, microwaving it for about 5 minutes until the fruit has softened and some of the liquid has been absorbed. Set it aside to cool it for an hour before carrying on with the recipe.
Lining the tin
After much trial and error, I think I have mastered how to get this just right for this kind of cake!
Line the base and sides of your 18cm deep sided cake tin with baking paper, then line the outside too. Do this by taking another sheet of baking paper twice the height of your tin, fold it in half and wrap it around the outside, then secure it tightly with some string.
This makes sure the sides don’t burn seeing as we’re cooking this for a long time!
Cutting the marzipan
We need 3 lots of marzipan out of 500g (one for the middle, one for the top, and one for the decorative balls).
If you’re getting ready-rolled marzipan, try to get it in 18cm circles so they fit nicely into our 7 inch tin (I just trim it down if it’s bigger.)
If you’ve got a chunk of marzipan instead, separate it into three equal parts (they should weigh about 160g each). Keep them in cling film until you’re ready to use them.
When you’re ready, roll out the marzipan for cake layers so they’re 5mm thick, and cut them out into 18cm circles to fit into your cake tin. I use the base of my tin as a guide to do this.
Quick grill at the end
I find the topping caramelises nicely with a few minutes under the grill and finishes off the cake nicely. Keep an eye on it though as you don’t want it to burn!
More classic cake recipes…
FAQs
After the cooking time ends, I check the cake is cooked through by inserting a skewer into the middle. If any cake mixture is left behind on the skewer when I take it out, I bake for a little longer, but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overbake.
I take the cake out of the oven when it’s an even dark gold colour, and remove it from the tin to cool fully.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Simnel Cake {Easter Classic}
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 600 g (4 cups) Dried mixed fruit
- 150 ml (2/3 cup) Apple juice
- 1 Lemon, Juice and zest
- 3 Eggs
- 150 g (1.3 cups) Plain flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 185 g (6.5 oz) Unsalted butter, Room temperature
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- 150 g (1 cup) Light brown soft sugar
- 500 g (1 lb) Marzipan
To decorate:
- 3 tbsp Apricot jam
- 1 Egg, Beaten
Instructions
- Put the dried mixed fruit, apple juice and lemon juice and zest, into a large bowl and mix well.
- Either leave to soak overnight covered with cling film or put in a microwavable bowl and microwave 5 minutes until the fruit has softened and some of the liquid has been absorbed, then set aside for 1 hour to cool.
- Line the base and sides of an 18cm deep sided cake tin with baking paper, then line the outside to. Do this by taking another sheet of baking paper twice the height of your tin, folded in half and wrap it around the outside and secure it tightly with some string.
- When you’re ready to make the cake, preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F fan, 140°C/280°F, Gas Mark 1.
- In a large bowl, mix the soaked fruit and liquid, eggs, flour, baking powder, butter, cinnamon, ground ginger and sugar. Beat well with a handheld electric whisk or a wooden spoon, until the mixture is combined and there are no pockets of flour remaining.
- Cut the marzipan into 3 equally sized pieces (each weighing around 160g), wrap 2 of them in cling film and set to one side. Roll the remaining piece of marzipan out 5mm thick and cut out an 18cm circle, the same size as your tin.
- Pour half of the cake mixture into your lined tin and place the marzipan circle on top.
- Add the remaining half of cake mix to the tin, smooth the top so it is level and bake for 3 hours.
- After this time, check the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle. If any cake mixture remains on the skewer, bake for a little longer. The cake should be an even gold colour.
- Remove the cake from the tin and leave to cool.
- When the cake is cool, roll one of the reserved thirds of marzipan out to 5mm thick and cut a 18cm circle, using the cake tin as a guide.
- Brush the apricot jam over the top of the cake and place the marzipan on top. Pinch in the edges for a nice finish.
- Cut the last third of marzipan into 11 even pieces and roll into balls.
- Brush the marzipan with the beaten egg and stick the 11 balls (weighing around 15g each) evenly around the outside edge of the cake and brush them with the beaten egg too.
- Heat the grill to high and place the cake underneath for a few minutes until the marzipan starts to caramelise.
- Leave to cool and serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This post was originally published on February 9, 2026 and updated later to make improvements.
