Simnel cake

marrbett

morganlefay wrote: »

I have just spent most of morning making the Simnel cake from Gary Rhodes 'new British Classics' book, whihc I copied from a friend. It had 225g plain flour in and 3 eggs but no SR flour or baking powder/bicarb. I did wonder at the time. Now it's out of oven it smells lovely, but feels like a brick and hasn't risen at all. Has anyone got this book ? Can any kind sould tell me if it ought to have had some raising agent in it ? I last made it 2 years ago and remember it as really good, but that's all.

Hi, I've just looked it up for you and it doesn't have any raising agent in , just plain flour. Picture looks lovely though.
HTH

Skint_Catt

All the simnel receipes I can see don't have anything but plain flour

morganlefay

I think maybe I used too big a tin, so its flatter than I remember. I does feel heavy, but smells delicious. When I've put the marzipan top and bobbles and blow torched it I don't suppose the family will complain ! But ruining it for a spoonful of baking powder would have been v expensive and not at all OS ! Many thanks for help ...............:beer:

scotsaver

morganlefay wrote: »

I think maybe I used too big a tin, so its flatter than I remember. I does feel heavy, but smells delicious. When I've put the marzipan top and bobbles and blow torched it I don't suppose the family will complain ! But ruining it for a spoonful of baking powder would have been v expensive and not at all OS ! Many thanks for help ...............:beer:

I made a Simnel Cake this afternoon from Delia Smith's Book of Cakes, uses Plain flour and 1tsp Baking powder, I have the Gary Rhodes book and it just says Plain Flour I'm sure with all those lovely ingredients in your cake it will still be lovely and you have the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself and you know what's in it. Happy Easter.

Olliebeak

I've just had a look at the bbc food site. They have three simnel cake recipes.
The first one uses 5ozs plain flour and 3 eggs.

The second one is Mary Berry's recipe and it uses 1oz ground almonds, 6ozs self-raising flour and 3 large eggs.

The third one is Good Food Chocolate version and uses 2ozs ground almonds, 2ozs self-raising flour and 3 eggs.

So quite a variation on there.

MrsE_2

Anyone bake a Simnel cake for mothers day?

We didn't

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/easter-simnel-cake.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simnel_cake

Think we will do next year though.

westcoastscot

Hi MrsE,
We always have one for easter - I always thought it referred to the cake with the 13 "stones" to represent the last supper with Jesus and the 12 disciples?
WCS

westcoastscot

Mmm interesting links, didn't know that. Doesn't seem right somehow to break lent though?

MrsE_2

westcoastscot wrote: »

Hi MrsE,
We always have one for easter - I always thought it referred to the cake with the 13 "stones" to represent the last supper with Jesus and the 12 disciples?
WCS

On wiki it says

On the top of the cake, around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true disciples of Jesus; Judas is omitted.

westcoastscot

Interesting! We have always had the 13, since Jesus forgave Judas and so should we??? That was always the argument when I was small :-)
WCS