Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 Western Australia, Series 4
Volume 1
Number 3 March, 1960 Article 11
1-1-1960
Simnel cake Simnel cake
H M. Gloster
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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
Gloster, H M. (1960) "Simnel cake," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol.
1: No. 3, Article 11.
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S I M N E L C A K E
By HELEN M. GLOSTER
T
HIS is a t r a d i t i o n a l cake of English r u r a l origin t h a t is usually served on"Mothering S u n d a y " or Mid-Lent S u n d a y ( t h e fourth Sunday in L e n t ) . Mothering Sunday is t h e day on which sons a n d d a u g h t e r s visit their p a r e n t s a n d take them gifts.
Quite often t h e gift t a k e s t h e form of a Simnel cake.
Tradition h a s it t h a t w h e n y o u n g girls left their p a r e n t s ' homes to go into service, the New Year was t h e t i m e of t h e year when they commenced t h e i r d u t i e s a n d Mid-Lent was the time t h e y were given their first leave to visit their homes.
Naturally t h e y liked t o show evidence of their progress in cooking a n d usually each took a Simnel cake w i t h h e r . Quite often these cakes would be k e p t until Easter.
Like C h r i s t m a s cakes t h e y keep well.
T h e custom has grown a n d in m o d e r n times m a n y young people away from home make a p o i n t of visiting a n d h o n o u r i n g their p a r e n t s on "Mothering S u n d a y " if this is a t all possible.
Concerning t h e u n u s u a l n a m e of t h e cake, one story tells of a young couple Simon a n d Nellie who disagreed as to t h e m a n n e r in which t h e cake should be cooked. I n t h e end t h e y compromised, first boiling t h e n baking it. Certainly m a n y old recipes for the cake give directions for boiling t h e n baking t h e cake.
Another possible origin of t h e n a m e is t h e latin word "simila" which m e a n s " t h e finest w h e a t e n flour."
The m o d e r n version of t h e Simnel cake is a rich fruit cake, iced w i t h a l m o n d icing. Half t h e almond icing is sometimes
p u t a s a layer in t h e c e n t r e of t h e raw cake m i x t u r e a n d baked as p a r t of t h e cake.
It is a suitable cake for t h e Easter season itself as it m a y be baked weeks beforehand a n d stored.
SIMNEL CAKE No. 1 Ingredients.
1 lb. plain flour, i lb. b u t t e r . i lb. castor sugar.
5 eggs.
G r a t e d rind 1 lemon.
G r a t e d rind 1 orange.
2 level teaspoons baking powder.
\ lb. sultanas.
i lb. mixed peel.
i lb. raisins.
$ lb. c u r r a n t s . i cup brandy.
Level teaspoon ground ginger.
Level teaspoon ground cinnamon.
h level teaspoon grated n u t m e g . Almond paste.
Method.
Wash a n d dry t h e fruit, removing stalks and seeds from raisins, mix with a t a b l e - spoon of t h e measured flour.
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Line a cake tin with two layers of kitchen or grease proof paper.
Cream butter and sugar until grain dis- appears from t h e sugar.
Beat in yolks of eggs one at a time, then add brandy.
Add spices and grated rinds.
Fold in the flour and stiffly beaten whites of eggs.
Stir in prepared fruit and baking powder at the last minute.
Place mixture in prepared cake tin, level the top and bake in a moderate oven 2 to 3 hours.
Store cake for 3 or 4 weeks and ice a few days before cutting.
TO ICE SIMNEL CAKE Ingredients.
1 lb. ground almonds or finely minced almonds.
£ lb. fine castor sugar.
i lb. icing sugar.
Juice i lemon.
Yolks or whites of eggs sufficient to bind mixture.
1 or 2 tablespoons brandy.
Orange flower water, vanilla or other flavouring.
Method.
Mix dry ingredients together.
Add brandy essence and lemon.
Add sufficient beaten eggs to make a stiff paste.
Roll out the paste and spread smoothly over the top of the cake.
Score across the paste with a fork.
Decorate edge with little "eggs" made from almond paste (for a n Easter cake only).
Brush over t h e top with a coating of beaten yolk of egg.
Brown in a moderate oven or brown under a gas grille.
N.B.—Sometimes half the icing is made up when the cake is being prepared. Half the raw cake mixture is put in the cake tin. then a rolled out layer of almond paste placed over this, and remainder of cake dough on top.
Bake as in previous recipe.
ALMOND PASTE
A cheaper recipe which is quite satisfac- tory as an icing.
Ingredients.
| lb. almond meal, i lb. castor sugar.
£ lb. icing sugar.
Few drops pure almond essence.
Juice of medium orange.
Sufficient brandy to make a stiff dough.
Egg yolk may be used or omitted as desired.
Method.
Mix well to a stiff dough using a mixture of orange juice and brandy to moisten.
Brandy may be omitted if desired.
ANOTHER RECIPE FOR SIMNEL CAKE
Ingredients.
The Paste.
8 oz. ground almonds.
8 oz. castor sugar.
Few drops almond essence.
Egg for mixing.
The Cake Mixture.
4 oz. butter.
4 oz. castor sugar.
2 eggs.
Brown colouring.
Vanilla.
4 oz. currants.
4 oz. sultanas.
1 oz. mixed peel.
Level teaspoon mixed spice.
4 oz. flour. (1 oz. self raising; 3 oz. plain).
Method.
The Icing.
Make the almond paste by mixing almonds, castor sugar and essence.
Mix to a stiff dough using beaten egg.
Roll out into a sheet about half an inch thick and cut a circle the size of the cake tin (use about half the paste).
The Cake.
Line cake tin with paper.
Clean fruit by washing, drying and re- moving stalks from sultanas.
Cream butter and sugar.
Add beaten eggs, beat well.
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Add brown colouring to m a k e cake a deep coffee colour.
Add essence.
Add dried fruit a n d finely chopped peel.
Sift flour a n d spice.
Fold in sifted flour.
P u t half t h e cake m i x t u r e in t h e p a p e r lined cake t i n .
Smooth t h e surface a n d cover w i t h t h e disc of a l m o n d paste.
Place r e m a i n d e r of cake m i x t u r e on top.
Smooth t h e top a n d b a k e in a slow to m o d e r a t e oven for a b o u t 2 h o u r s (300° F . ) .
T u r n on to a wire t r a y to cool.
Icing the Cake.
Work r e m a i n d e r of p a s t e into a ball a n d roll out a b o u t i i n c h t h i c k .
Cut a circle t h e size of t h e cake.
Cut a smaller circle 4J in. in d i a m e t e r from t h e disc m a k i n g a ring.
From t h e smaller circle s h a p e small
"eggs" about t h e size of a w a l n u t .
Place t h e ring on t h e cake a n d mould firmly i n t o position.
Space t h e "eggs" evenly in a circle on top of t h e almond p a s t e .
Brush p a s t e over w i t h b e a t e n egg a n d place in a hot oven u n t i l "eggs" a r e golden brown in colour.
When cake is cold, ice c e n t r e w i t h plain icing.
Cake m a y be decorated with crystallised cherries a n d angelica for festive occasions.
STRYCHNINE POISONING
Poisoning by strychnine occurs occasionally in various classes of farm livestock, but dogs are by far the most frequent victims as they often pick up baits laid for dingoes and foxes.
The symptoms of strychnine poisoning are that the animal goes into violent convulsions followed by stiffening, with the back and limbs rigid and head drawn back.
Where the services of a veterinary surgeon are available, the dog should be taken to him without delay as he can treat the dog with an anaesthetic to prevent further convulsions.
If no vet. is available, place the animal in a comfortable position, preferably in a quiet, dark place, and do not disturb it.
Many valuable dogs have been killed by well- meant efforts to make them vomit after the symptoms of strychnine poisoning have ap- peared. Any form of rough treatment is apt
EASTER CAKE Ingredients.
J lb. flour.
i lb. butter.
£ lb. sugar.
2 oz. c u r r a n t s . 2 yolks eggs.
1 white of egg.
1 teaspoon brandy.
P i n c h salt.
Castor or icing sugar for dredging.
Method.
Clean c u r r a n t s thoroughly by washing a n d drying.
Cream butter a n d sugar.
Add eggs t h e n brandy beat well.
Work in flour by degrees, adding a little milk if necessary.
Work in t h e c u r r a n t s .
W h e n smooth a n d free from cracks, cover t h e paste a n d leave for a t least one hour in a cool place.
Roll out on a floured board to less t h a n i in. thick.
Using a saucer or p l a t e cut into 5 in.
rounds a n d place on a greased slide.
Bake in a moderate oven until brown a n d crisp.
W h e n almost cooked brush over with slightly beaten white of egg a n d dredge with castor or icing sugar.
Cool cake before storing.
N.B.—Wrapped in fancy cellophane paper a n d tied with ribbon a few of these cakes would make a t t r a c t i v e Easter gifts.
to bring on further convulsions which usually cause death.
On the rare occasions when the dog is seen to swallow a bait, no time should be lost in inducing vomiting. If the bait is taken near the homestead, one or two crystals of washing soda poked down the throat will cause vomiting.
Common salt and mustard mixed with water and given as a drench will have the same effect.
A common "bush" remedy is to push a wad of tobacco—or a cigarette broken up and moistened—down the dog's throat.
The frequency and violence of the convul- sions—and the dog's chances of recovery—will depend on the quantity of strychnine ingested.
Remember that the best chance of saving a poisoned dog is to get him to a vet. without delay. If this is not possible, disturb the dog as little as possible once a convulsion has occurred.
331
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