About the bake
This muffin version of the classic English light fruit cake were traditionally baked for Mother's Day, but are now associated more with Easter. They're a big hit with lovers of marzipan. To make Easter Simnel Muffins you will need around an hour of your afternoon, 15 ingredients and some eager taste testers!
Method
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C, gas mark 4). Place 12 muffin tulip wraps (available from all good supermarkets) in a 12 hole muffin tin.
Step 2:
For the topping, beat the egg and stir through the flour and sugar and then add little pieces of the marzipan and put to one side. Don't worry what this looks like at this stage.
Step 3:
In a large bowl whisk together both sugars with the butter until well combined. Gradually beat in the eggs.
Step 4:
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice. Toss the fruit and cherries through the flour mixture to coat.
Step 5:
Slowly add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the mixed sugar and butter alternately and mix together until just combined.
Step 6:
Add the mixture to a large piping bag with no nozzle and fill each muffin wrap half way. Dot the 50g of marzipan over the muffins and then pipe the remaining muffin mixture into the wraps.
Step 7:
Spoon over the marzipan topping using up all the sugary liquid. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean from the sponge, not the marzipan. Cover with foil if browning too much.
Step 8:
Remove and cool on a cooling rack.
If you like this recipe, try our chocolate Easter cake!
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 100g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 100g Billington's Unrefined Light Muscovado Sugar
- 120g Salted butter (at room temperature)
- 3 Large eggs
- 450g Allinson's Self Raising White Flour
- 1.5 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp Mixed spice
- 170g Dried mixed fruits
- 125g Glacé cherries (roughly chopped)
- 200ml Buttermilk
- 50g Marzipan (cut into small pieces)
- 100g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
For the Topping
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Allinson's plain white flour
- 25g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 175g Marzipan
Utensils
- Muffin cases
- Mixing bowl
Recipe Reviews
I love a twist on a classic. Gran liked these a lot and she's not usually a muffin fan.
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 100g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 100g Billington's Unrefined Light Muscovado Sugar
- 120g Salted butter (at room temperature)
- 3 Large eggs
- 450g Allinson's Self Raising White Flour
- 1.5 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp Mixed spice
- 170g Dried mixed fruits
- 125g Glacé cherries (roughly chopped)
- 200ml Buttermilk
- 50g Marzipan (cut into small pieces)
- 100g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
For the Topping
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Allinson's plain white flour
- 25g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 175g Marzipan
Utensils
- Muffin cases
- Mixing bowl