Mothering Sunday, also called Laetare Sunday, Refreshment Sunday, Sunday of the Five Loaves, and Simnel Sunday, is observed in Ireland and the UK on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Its purpose is to celebrate mothers, both literal ones and figurative ones, such as mother churches. The most recognizable tradition associated with Mothering Sunday, which is not just a movie coming out this year, is the Simnel Cake, a rich fruit cake with a layer of marzipan in the middle and on top, decorated with eleven marzipan balls.
Starting in the late 17th century, domestic Big House servants were either given the Simnel Cake ingredients or allowed to make it in their employer’s kitchens, sometimes as early as after Christmas. They would then send slices or bring the whole thing home to their families on a sanctioned visit. The cake would have to be rich enough to keep until Easter, when it was normally eaten – just like today.
The origin of “Simnel” is unknown, but there are a few theories. The most plausible is that it comes from “simila” which is Latin for “fine flour” or “wheat flour.” This draws from a 1226 reference to “bread made into a simnel.” The second theory is that it was named after Lambert Simnel. Simnel was a pretender to the throne who was actually crowned ‘King Edward VI’ at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin in 1487, and had some Irish support, including a small army under Lord Kildare. After the Battle of Stoke Field, in which Simnel’s Irish and Flemish soldiers were defeated by King Henry VII, who had gotten wind of the scheme, Simnel was imprisoned for life. Still a child, he was placed in the royal kitchens, and some sources say eventually identified as the son of a baker. Lastly, a couple (sometimes husband and wife, others brother and sister) named Simon and Nell were arguing over an Easter dessert. Simon said it must be boiled, like a plum pudding, and Nell said it must be baked, like a sweet cake. The compromise is that Nell baked the pudding and added almond paste, the result being “SimNell!”
A now-omitted ingredient, the fig, was said to stand for “fruitfulness in offspring.” The eleven marzipan balls that top the cake represent the apostles with one notable absence: Judas. In modern times, fluffy chicks are used to adorn the cake as well.
Simnel Cake Recipe (6″ and Traybake Options)
Adapted from Georgina Campbell’s The Best of Irish Breads & Baking – I halved it to make a smaller cake in a 6″ tin, or you can use a smallish 8″ tin. If you want to make a big old cake, feel free to double the ingredients! If you want to do a traybake – proceed as usual for the cake. You can either halve the marzipan or chop up part of it and fold it into the cake batter before baking at 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 for about 30 minutes. Top with the rest of the marzipan and toast if desired.
INGREDIENTS
CAKE
4oz/100g/1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon each nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice
3oz/175g/6 tablespoons butter
6oz/90g/½ cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten (reserve ¼ of the beaten egg for later)
12oz-1lb/340-400g/about 2 – 2 ½ cups dried fruit (sultanas, currants, etc)
2oz/50g/⅓ cup candied peel, chopped
⅛ pint/75ml/¼ cup milk
½ tablespoon black treacle/molasses
MARZIPAN
4oz/225g/½ cup granulated sugar
8oz/112g/¾ cup + 2 tablespoons icing/confectioner’s sugar
8oz/225g/1 ⅓ cups ground almonds
1 egg or 2 yolks
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon almond extract
ASSEMBLY
jam or jelly (orange, apricot, etc)
½ beaten egg (reserved from eggs used for cake above)
METHOD
1. For marzipan – recommended to do this the day before you want to bake the cake. Combine ground almonds and sugars, and fold in the eggs, lemon juice and almond extract. Knead until smooth and chill overnight. The next day, allow it to come to room temperature while you prepare the cake.
2. Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C/gas mark 2. Grease your cake tin or line with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Sieve together flour, spices and salt and gradually add to butter and sugar alternatively with the beaten egg. Mix in fruit, milk and treacle or molasses.
3. Put half of the batter in the prepared pan. Take a little less than half of the marzipan and roll it out to fit the shape of the tin. Cover the batter with the marzipan and top with remaining cake mixture.
4. Bake for 2 ½ to 3 hours (add another half hour if making larger cake), or until a skewer inserted into middle (just deep enough so it doesn’t go through the marzipan layer) comes out clean. Cool completely.
5. Preheat oven to low/medium broil (400-450°F/200-230°C/gas mark 6-8). Remove cake from tin and brush top with jelly or jam. Roll out the rest of the marzipan and cut into a circle, removing the excess, then press it onto the sticky side of the cake.
6. With the extra marzipan, form 11 balls and press them around the sides of the cake. Brush entire top with leftover egg.
7. Toast cake for a few minutes until top is brown. Remove, cool and decorate as you wish!
cleite agus cnámh 