Simnel Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 2 cups dried grapes (sultanas or raisins)
• 2 cups other dried fruit
• 1 cup fruit juice
• 1 cup apple sauce or mashed banana
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to taste

Method 

1. Soak fruit overnight in juice.
2. Mix applesauce and sugar, then add flours and spices.
3. Add in almonds and fruit and mix well.
4. Put half of batter in a cake tin and then add a layer of thinly-rolled marzipan. Add the other half.
5. Bake until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Cover top with a layer of marzipan and decorate with 11 marzipan balls.

Notes

For nut-free, eliminate all almonds and use a plain white bread dough instead of the marzipan; add the top layer and the 11 balls before baking.

Make marzipan with equal parts icing sugar and almond meal, using rosewater to moisten.

The 11 balls represent the 11 Apostles remaining after Judas' betrayal. Presumably before Matthias was chosen.