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Chocolate simnel cake

Published: 31 Mar 08
Updated: 18 Mar 24

As much as we love the classic version, this chocolate simnel cake – made with cocoa powder and chocolate chunks – is certain to make Easter extra special. It’s really easy to make too: simply combine to mix, then bake!

Feeling adventurous? Try our whisky and pistachio simnel cake, or this chocolate version with sour cherry and hazelnut marzipan.

Easy
April 2008

Test kitchen approved

Makes 1 x 20cm cake
Takes 20 minutes to make, plus 2 hours to bake

Feeling adventurous? Try our whisky and pistachio simnel cake, or this chocolate version with sour cherry and hazelnut marzipan.

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Ingredients

200g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
225g light muscovado sugar
4 eggs
225g plain flour
50g, cocoa powder, sifted
100g plain chocolate, chopped
125g glace cherries, chopped
200g sultanas
200g raisins
50g candied orange peel, chopped
75g chopped almonds or brazil nuts
1 tsp mixed spice

For the decoration

250g natural colour marzipan
3 tbsp icing sugar
Brown food colouring
Fresh lilac pansies or sugar flowers

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Method

Preheat the oven to 160c/fan 140c/gas 3. Grease and line a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking paper. Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat well until pale and creamy.
Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour if the mixture curdles. Stir in all the remaining cake ingredients to make a soft mixture. Mix well and spoon into the lined cake tin. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 150c/fan130c/gas 2 and bake for a further 1 ½ hours, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 1 hour then turn out and allow to cool completely.
Reserve a small piece of marzipan for the ribbon, then divide the remainder into 3 and roll into long thin ropes about 40cm long. Plait the three together and wrap around the top of the cake.

Mix the icing sugar together with 1-2 teaspoons water or enough to make a smooth thick icing. Pour onto the centre of the cake and allow to set. Roll out the remaining piece of marzipan and cut into a ribbon shape. Using food colouring, paint ‘simnel’ on the centre of the marzipan and place on the top of the cake. Decorate with flowers.