THE SIMNEL CAKE

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil for greasing
• 500g natural-coloured marzipan
• 225g Gluten-free Flour mix (or plain flour if you prefer that)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 225g softened unsalted butter
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs (room temperature)
• 25g ground almonds
• 2 tbsp Brandy
• 225g sultanas
• 125g currants
• 100g natural-coloured glace cherries, halved and washed
• Grated zest of one large lemon

For the top:

• 2 tbsp warm apricot jam
• 4 tbsp golden icing sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

• This recipe makes a 20cm round cake.
• Start by pre-heating the oven to 160 degrees/ gas mark 3.
• Oil and line the base and the sides of a 6cm deep, 20cm round-loose baked cake tin with double baking parchment.
• Cut an 85g piece of the marzipan and set it aside. The remaining marzipan block can be cut in half.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and spices together.
• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until it's fluffy and light in another bowl.
• Gradually and slowly, add the eggs and the flour mixture to the creamed mix. 
• Stir in the ground almonds, then stir in the brandy and the dried fruits, cherries and lemon zest and the whole mix and good stir.
• Spoon half of the mixture into the tin and level. Roll out one of the larger pieces of marzipan. (Use the cake tin base as a guide to help you). Then cut it into a circle to fit the tin.
• Lay it carefully over the cake mixture.
• Spoon in the other half of the cake mix, level it out and bake for 1 1/2- 1 3/4 hours or until a toothpick you insert in the centre comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the tin. When it has cooled completely, take it out of the tin, remove the baking paper and turn it upside down onto a serving platter to have a flat top. (We recommend the Leila platter for a stunning display).
• Brush the top of the cake with a bit of warmed apricot jam.
• Roll out the larger remaining piece of marzipan to fit the top of the cake precisely and press it down gently to make it flat. 
• Decorate the edges of the marzipan with a 'pinching effect'.
• Divide the remainder of the 85g marzipan into 11 balls ( you could get your children or kids involved in this).
• Using the remaining jam, stick the balls along the edge of the cake.
• Last but not least, mix a bit of lemon juice into the icing sugar to make it easy to spread and pour it onto the centre of the cake.
• Finish it off with a beautiful ribbon around the side of the cake.
• Enjoy with family and friends!

(Recipe Courtesy - Seriously Good! Gluten-free Baking)