Makes 12

Mini simnel cakes recipe

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Takes 40 minutes to make, 40 minutes to bake, plus cooling

175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
175g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
225g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
350g luxury mixed dried fruit
100g chopped walnuts or almonds
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
100g natural almond paste, cubed
For the decoration
Icing sugar, to dust
325g natural almond paste
Yellow and green food paste colour

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1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3 and lightly grease a 12 x 125ml muffin tin or mould. Beat the butter, sugar, eggs and flour in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the baking powder, spice, fruit and nuts, orange zest and juice, and mix well. Divide between the muffin holes and push in the almond paste pieces. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and firm. Cool for 20 minutes, then remove from the tin and set aside on a wire rack.
2. To decorate, dust a work top with icing sugar. Thinly roll out 250g almond paste. Press out 12 rounds with a 7cm plain cutter (re-roll the trimmings). Press on each cake and crimp the edges.
3. Colour 50g of the remaining almond paste with yellow colouring, kneading to evenly distribute. Repeat with the remaining paste and green colouring. Roll out the yellow paste and cut out 12 primroses with a flower cutter (from cake decorating shops) or using a small knife. Roll 12 small balls from the trimmings for the centre of each flower.
4. Using the green almond paste, roll out 12 tiny sausages. Flatten and shape each to make leaves. Mark veins on each with the back of a knife. Put beside each primrose and put on top of each cake to serve.

Nutritional info

Per cake: 559kcals, 28.9g fat (9.3g saturated), 9.4g protein, 69.8g carbs, 54.9g sugar, 0.4g salt

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