Simnel cake

Simnel cake

Simnel cake is a light fruit cake, similar to a Christmas cake, covered in marzipan, and eaten at Easter in the UK and Ireland. A layer of marzipan or almond paste is also baked into the middle of the cake. On the top of the cake, around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true apostles of Jesus; Judas is omitted. In some variations Christ is also represented, by a ball placed at the centre.

The cake is made from these ingredients: white flour, sugar, butter, eggs, fragrant spices, dried fruits, zest and candied peel.

Simnel cakes have been known since mediaeval times, and were originally a Mothering Sunday tradition, when young girls in service would make one to be taken home to their mothers on their day off. The word "simnel" probably derived from the Latin word "simila", meaning fine, wheaten flour with which the cakes were made.

A popular legend attributes the invention of the Simnel cake to Lambert Simnel, although this is undoubtedly false, since the Simnel cake appears in English literature prior to Lambert's escapades.

Different towns had their own recipes and shapes of the Simnel cake. Bury, Devizes and Shrewsbury produced large numbers to their own recipes, but it is the Shrewsbury version that became most popular and well known.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/simnelcake_792.shtml BBC recipe]
* [http://www.greenchronicle.com/easter_recipes/bury_simnel_cake.htm Simnel Cake Recipe from Bury, England]


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  • simnel cake — UK [ˈsɪmn(ə)l ˌkeɪk] / US [ˈsɪmnəl ˌkeɪk] noun [countable] Word forms simnel cake : singular simnel cake plural simnel cakes British a type of cake containing dried fruit, traditionally eaten at Easter …   English dictionary

  • simnel cake — sim|nel cake [ˈsımnəl ˌkeık] n BrE [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: simnel from Old French simenel, from Latin simila high quality flour ] a cake made with dried fruit that is traditionally eaten at Easter …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • simnel cake — [ sɪmn(ə)l] noun chiefly Brit. a rich fruit cake with a layer of marzipan on top and sometimes also inside, eaten especially at Easter or during Lent. Origin C17: simnel from OFr. simenel, based on L. simila or Gk semidalis fine flour …   English new terms dictionary

  • simnel cake — sim′nel cake [[t]ˈsɪm nl[/t]] n. chiefly brit. coo a rich fruitcake covered with almond paste • Etymology: 1830–40; simnel, ME simenel < OF, ult. < L simila or Gk semídālis fine flour …   From formal English to slang

  • simnel cake — /ˈsɪmnəl keɪk/ (say simnuhl kayk) noun a rich fruit cake traditionally eaten at mid Lent. {Middle English simnel, from Old French simenel, from Latin simila. See semolina} …  

  • simnel cake — /sim nl/, Chiefly Brit. any of several kinds of rich fruitcake covered with almond paste. [1830 40; simnel, ME simenel < OF, ult. < L simila or Gk semídalis fine flour] * * * …   Universalium

  • simnel cake — noun A rich fruit cake, with a decorated marzipan covering, traditionally eaten at Easter …   Wiktionary

  • simnel cake — noun (C) BrE a cake made with dried fruit, that is traditionally eaten at Easter …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • simnel cake — n. Brit. a rich fruit cake, usu. with a marzipan layer and decoration, eaten esp. at Easter or during Lent. Etymology: ME f. OF simenel, ult. f. L simila or Gk semidalis fine flour …   Useful english dictionary

  • Cake — For other uses, see Cake (disambiguation). A layered pound cake filled with raspberry jam and lemon curd, and finished with buttercream frosting Cake is a form of bread or bread like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a …   Wikipedia

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