Simnel cake

[ardcarp]

Mrs A found a load of marzipan in the freezer, left over from Christmas. So she knocked this up today. Are we still in the Easter period?



Scrummy. And Apostles well spaced.

[DracoM]

Lucky, lucky you!!!

[Alison]

Easter until Pentecost. Bought one at M&S yesterday, £3 from
£12. Enjoy!!

[DracoM]

Am still eating hot X buns!!

[ardcarp]

Anyone know what the word 'simnel' refers to? Not heard it in any other context....apart from Lambert. Was he named after a cake? Or...no, that's silly.

[Frances_iom]

Anyone know what the word 'simnel' refers to? Not heard it in any other context....apart from Lambert. Was he named after a cake? Or...no, that's silly.

OED has "fine Flour" as used in making bread or buns by first boiling + then baking with latin refs back to 13thC then an updated 17th C rich currant cake eaten mid Lent (Mothering as in visiting one's mother church )Sunday - I guess the marzipan came much later but it does seem to be only available for the Lentern period - already gone from M&S tho I have one still in reserve.

[ardcarp]

Thanks Frances! We always thought of Simnel Cake as Easter fare, and that the 11 blobs on top were the Apostles (i.e. minus poor old Judas). It makes more sense that it should be a Mothering Sunday/Lent cake. I looked on Wiki, and one myth was that the name derived from an argument between a husband and wife baking team, Simon and Nellie!

[Padraig]

We always thought of Simnel Cake as Easter fare, and that the 11 blobs on top were the Apostles (i.e. minus poor old Judas).

We always thought the same, ardcarp.

[BBMmk2]

MrsBBM makes a very good simnel cake. Yum!