1912 Simnel Cake

Won second prize in the Sunday Times Recipe Contest (reference)

Ingredients:

  • ½ lb (225 g) butter

  • 4 eggs

  • 6 oz (190 g) currants

  • 1 ½ lb (675 g) castor sugar

  • 6 oz (190 g) stoned, chopped raisins

  • 10 oz (285 g) ground almonds

  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice

  • 16 oz (450 g) flour

  • essence of bitter almond

  • 2 oz (60 g) shredded peel

Method:

  1. Prepare almond icing by mixing ½ lb (225 g) of ground almonds with 10 oz (285 g) castor sugar, essence of bitter almond and 1 egg yolk to make a pate

  2. Cream together butter and ½ lb (25 g) of castor sugar, add eggs and beat for 10 minutes

  3. Stir in raisins, currants, shredded peel, mixed spice, flour and rest of ground almonds

  4. Put half the fruit mixture in a tin lined with buttered paper then a layer of almond icing ½ inch (1 ¼ cms) thick and then the rest of the fruit mixture.

  5. Bake in a moderate oven for nearly 2 hours.

  6. When cold, cover with the rest of the almond icing, smoothing it over with a knife.

Submitted by Miss F. Webb, 107 Duke-street, East Fremantle